The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-02-13
The Hudson River Railroad Disaster

NEW HAMBURG, N. l., February II.
George Park, q submarine diver Of
Poughkeepsie, has made two descents al
the wreck to place grapplings on the To-
comOtiyc. The engine lies on It's side,
and the cab entirely gone. The diver OBJ
served that the engine was reversed. On
the fireman's side Of the engine the diver
found q bundle Of some kind, and on
touching it felt button. On the bundle
were two heavy rods. 1t Is supposed the
bundle Is the body OF the stranger who
was with the engineer. It is thought the
engine will be raised this afternoon.
CLEVELAND, February II.
The funeral. services OF the late George
s. Benedict, ,ong6 6f the victims Of the New
Hamburg disaster, took place at Grace
Church today.
New York, February II,
The Tribune of to-day says concerning
the disaster ut New Hamburg:
IA startling iact has come TO light with
regard 10 the Hudson river disaster. The
express train was lured TO destruction by
ialse signal, for which the parsimony Of
the company is directly responsible. The
signal post upon which the lights were
hung nj night stood ut the draw, and until
this winter man has always been on
duty at that point, with instructions to
mind the bridge and signal the trains
Two months ago, for the sake Of econo.
my, this watch was removed, and tho care
OF the bridge was added TO the duties Of
a man stationed ut water tank, nearly u
quarter of mile below. The trains
were to be tagged from the tank instead
of the bridge, and at night the white
light, Indicating "all right" was left per-
manently hanging ut the post, seventy
rods from tho nearest watChman. The
road curves somewhat ut Wappingers
Creek, but for nearly two miles soHth Of
the bridge there Is nothing to obstruCt
the view Of tho signal.post. The
express seems, from tho most
careful accounts we can gather,
to have been about q mile and half dis
tant when the oil car fell across the track,
and II tho danger signal had been display
cd instantly the train could easily have
been stopped. II was almost directly ua.
der the white light that the accident hap.
pencd. II thcsgnal man had been within
reach Of his signal, where he ought to
have been, he could probably have shown
the red light in time to avert the disaster.
We have testimony enough to be satisfied
that II was at least three minutes after the
fail Of the oil car before the express struck
It. The operation Of changing signals Is
very simple and expeditions. The man,
supposing him to be on the spot, had only
to pull cord, and allowing him n little
time 10 collect his senses, lie could Ger.
tainly have done that in less than amin
ute. Besides, If he had been at the draw
he would have seen tho freight train
breaking up, and thus been warned OF
danger, before the broken car actually
came abreast oil him. Being at the tank,
however, he was out Of tho reach Of his
signal, and probably ignorant of what had
happened"
Later--The Work Of Raising the Lo-
cOm0tlve.
PoudHKEEPsrE, February 19.
A violent northeast snow storm has pre-
vailed at all points on the Hudson to day,
and has seriously interiered with the
raising the locomotive, by means Of
pumps the worllmGn have raised the loco.
motive six feet from the bottom ol
the river, and II now swings In
the chains, AT halEpast 8 o'clock tho
work Of raising II had to he abandoned
till tomorrow morning, when an effort
will be made to raise Il ten feet higher, so
that the bodies supposed to be in tho Gu.
glne may be got at.
The following will appear tomorrow
morning;
MO tie PlLlie.
"The reports circulated that the re-
mains Of the victims Of tho late disaster
at this place were disrespectlully treated,
and no attention paid 10 them by the rail-.
road officials, | am in n position to deny.
! was detailed to assist, and did assist In
securing all OF tho bodies from the sleep
Ing car, md everything was PERFORMED In
themost expeditions and Conslderato man
ner possible,
Signed A. B. GoFE"
Golf isAwell known md highly respect.
cd citizen Of New Hamburg. "
"A Little Rock, Arkansas, special says
that the report OF tho Committee recon.
mendlng that Lieut. Governor johnson
H.. t,aa,, snf.1.nI o.. Nl,n T,,,l,