, 1870-12-20
CATASTROPHE on THE JERSEY
CENTRAL RAILROAD.
\ Locomotive Jumps the Track Into
ntx fnthO1ns OF NSntsr-One III Al
Drowned -MiE2cu1ous E>cnpe oil
as1e Engineer, Rr1dEe-Tcnder, and
a Hundred IAsHcnGcrs.

u locomotive JNupb the Track Into
six fnthoms OF H2ter-Oue NJ Al
Drowned = MiEacusous E.cape OF
ahe Engineer, Rr1dEe-Tcndek, and
a Hundred HAsAcnGcrr.
From tA< .Sr+s York Hrruld. Die. II.
On ThuEacay uIGhr, tue regular q1N1tor to
10 p N. passenger way train left Elizabeth
Tor New York, drawn by the locomotive Nov
yctk." Tie engineer WA Ds1id Malone aud
lis fireman Henry Cooper. The trs,n reached.
passed along safely for several hundred yards.
The Gridgc. 1t wilt bo remembered. ia nelriy
th1ce-quartsssof 3 long, stretching aSrosa
Newark lay At about itf widest point, 20 that
tho gale. Winch was then hloaiu6 from tho
no1thx ard, lad full aweep against its broAd-
side. 1t 1uus east by north aud vest by south.
Previous experience ind taught tins engineer
to e1ow down, which, fortunately, be did. Ths
trsin reached tho draw, when The locomotive
jumFed thn track and plunged overheard into
thirty fess Of water, h'saing AID snosttng And
dragging tho poor fireman to his wataty grave.
M61one, the engineer, broke through tho vim
dow of tho cab, and, being AL e1Fclt sNlm-
u1rr, managed to keen Atioht and reaca the
bridge. The biidge-tender was also carried
away wilh portion OF the rotten structure,
Int WAS ssSe.1. haplily. With wonderful pres
ERGO Of mind, and heroic. spirit worthy Of
the fnest gold medal in the country, brake
MIN perceived Tho danger i. time topermi. his
tnatchtng the coupling belt from tho tender
and forward car, aud thus axsing tho p1s4cn-
ger cars from being dragged over with the
locomotive with their large numb.ro Of pre:ious
human freight.
TO faiihiully depict tho eeene among the
passengers 1t The time Of the oecur-
renee, with their blanched cheeks and
blood s1most frozen with fear, with ten-
der females driven frantic and strong men
literally jeliifed, would he extremely difficult.
Those on board decla1e 1t waa = moment With
which ali the feArs Of d lfotime seemed to be
concentrated. nrmors Of tho affair teached
Elizabeth late at night, and oocaeioned the
wisanst possible excitement, the prevalent
story beibg that the entire train hsd goae
overheard and occasioned AZ immense loss OF
life.
As might naturally be supposed, traffic is
en,,rtIy interrupted. No trains can pass over
the bridge, nor is It likely TINT any will for
some time to come. Yesterday despatch was
received at The Market street depot, in Nag
Alk, from tho Central Railroad people. asking
i the Nav jersey folks could take care OF
their passengers for two weeks, 30 that even
tho railroad oficials havo no idea OF being Able
to patch up the break in lces than that tiino.
Tie draw Was constructed Of cast iron. Ex-
pe1ienced railroad men ntated yesterday that
had 1t been nsde Of szough. ion ias:eaa Ct
Tho moet reliable theory Of The disaster IL
that tho bridge being rotten and ehaks,
s2ayod TO aud ITO between tho weight Of the
trim and The heaviuees OF tho gale. and 50
disjaiutcd the tracks It the draw In courae
OF conrersation On tho subject last evening.
FL experienced gentleman said to n Herald
representative "Thas bridge IL fairly eaten
up with tic WORMS in come places, 40 that it
ts honey ey-c0mbed. 1nsteai of tho Abutments
being Ct stone they are simply vood piltug,
which tho worms and tho velocity OF the cur
rent soon eAts away For long time past
the company tave been doicg their beat to
prop up this cheap bridge by throwing eyer-
board ls1ge quantities. Of atone. All tue good
these did WIS to destroy the channel for navi-
| Ga3ion, &c that the eaet draw for \ long time
has been entirely useless. Why, sir, = short
time ago 4 schooner ran into tho draw and
damaged the bridge so that Il cost al00. 900 10
repair it, 70 easily is tho rotten thing put ont
Of order. Yeu thiLk rightly, cir: It ID Grim
1 iuAl outrage on tho travelling community to
expose them to such : dagger will bs glad
II the H7-dM Will show the matter up in its
true light
Tho bridge was built in 1864, and prior to
that time the dir ectors, for four consecutive
meetings, agreed that plan TO build cub
| HtAntsal bridge Was tho best Finally. how
| ever. the ccrt wse deemed too great, and the
| 1,reeent structure Was built+
! The body OF tho fireman had not get beeu
recovered 1T last accounts, hut will rrobab!s
| hayo been ere this il published. The acci
| 6eut occurred On the Hudson County sido oi
the hlidee, 60 that the authorities tl1ere vii
| l1ve an opportunity to investigate the mattcl
acd Place the blame manlf,s:ly where il be
lopSs.