The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-26
THE WRECKING OF A TRAIN
a RIOT 70 DESTROY norm IRE AND
YdLU1BLE PROPERrY.
Switch Turned aud signal Lights Arranged
TO Deceive nm EnRineer-A Crash that Re
suited in the kiIIina of Two Pernnnn.

4 Switch Turned aud signal Lights Arranged
TO Deceive nm EnRineer-A Crash that lie.
suited In the Killing of Two Persons.
On Tuesday evening u switch was moved
on the Central Railroad Of New Jersey near the
village OF Evona, between Plain1eld and Dunel.
len and train OF cars was thrown from tue
track, resulting In the death OF two and the
wounding OF fourteen men. The train II nine
passenger cars and locomotive was started
from Jersey City at $50 In charge OF c. q. will
Hams, Master Mechanic at the Communism
workshop; H. I. SwaclJhammer, Master of
Bridges, acting as fireman. Owing to the strike
among the engineers these gentlemen had
volunteered to take the train over the road,
and accordingly proceeded at the ordinary rate
Of speed until one mile and a half beyond Pl ill.,
field. At that point there IL "cross over "
switch, but MIR. Williams, seeing the green light
was out went ahead al medium speed. VIII n
the locomotive touched the switch 1t suddenly
ran on the track. piouqhed itself into the
ground, and turned over, with the wheel
buried two feet into the soft mould be-
tween the tracks. The foremost car struck
AGAINST tho tank and the second car plunged
over the frat, and landing on the tank, instant-
" killed William Reilly. a brakeman, who was
81 ndihg on tue from, platform Of the first car.
Three OF the cars were tclescoped and conf ietc-
~ wrc kcd, and three moro were partially
managed, while tue last three cars did not leave
tne " OK; me train. which was bound Tor
kosclle. Westncld. Duneilen. and Plainheld,
was crowded with passengers. who had been de-
tanned IN New York 10y the stOppagc of trains.
IL Is miraculous that com arativsly so few
were injured. Besidcs heiliy, who WIS killed
simultaneously. Nathaniel Il. Dennich. "a mas ON,
living AZ Dunellcn. was 30 seriously injured that
he died nfteen minutes after the accident
n TELEGRAM received at the man office Of the
road early yesterday morning by COL JOHN
Keon, the Vice President. id 1.-THE accident
az Ev IVA was caused 10y the switch at the iron
- 4
spiked fast. The sigual WIS disconnected aud
turned around TO signal all right. Tue switch
ana lamp were so placed INN cdidtcly after the
accident. The wreck Of the engine and passen-
ger cars partially cleared. anu one track laid
around the wreck at o'c eek \. w."
" II was lucky n didn't happen fifteen minutes
before" said Col. Keen, FOR then a crowded
Centennial car passed the sw!tcn bound to Phil
but we nave people out now who will sift the
matter out before long.
Mr. L. II. Bites. conductor Of the Centennial
car that passed the switcl a few minutes before
tue accident, said Everything VS. all right
when We PASSED. IL al the trouble happened to
were running az high speed, ours being an ex
press train ] don't believe tue engineers had
an thing to do WIKI 1t, and r,tncr mink It Is
ulscharsed employee, WHO thought II "A good
chance to get even with Mr.. Williams, the Mas
ter Mechanic, ana have the blame thrown ON
the shoulders Of the strikers"
Mr.. james McQu de. VINO was plotting the en-
nineer on the next train after the accident, and
who was at the scene of the disaster about forty
minutes after SAYS That he then saw the tdngel
or spike In the switch. the man that did this"
he I'd, "knOws all about ratlrolutnc. The
switch was unlocked. aud the lock thrown
away. and It sn't been found ye'. LIS no use
Ia saying the engineers did II, for they don't:
It's some IN alicious scounllrcL who ought to be
severely punished for his prccOncer.e ed and vii
famous plot to commit whoies lie murder, anu |
don't know whether II was Williams he WIS
after or the engineer running my train, who does
not belong to the Brotherhood. out his murder
GUS malice was hxcd on one OF hem"
Mr.. John W milford. road foreman OF en-
gineers, said that VT. Williams, though an ex-
ce'lcnt mechanic. had no experience In running
trains; tue switch hau no doubt been moved
and checked with evil intent, but IL was great
Injustice 20 charge the engineers with participa
ting In so dabohcal a plot. I'VE are beyond
doubt the most powerful union in the land.
our members being H. respectable as any body
OF IN, n in the country We are 10 0sD strnno and
our organization reaches over nearly every State.
On no CONDITION would we countenance such
action. Beside-. we knew that the company
to agree to our terms.
Al the scene Of the accident, mile east OF
wrecked train stu blockadcd the main track.
the trains passing around on "A temporary curved
bolts and otner debris. scattered 10 IN direc-
tions, telling Of the severe conclusion between
the cars The first car. moved a little OF the
track. Is but - ell. the ROOF having been com
pletely torn on, the door broken IN several
places, every seat having been swept out. nd
the wheels ana bxlcs Knocked away when the
second CIR telescoped through II. The large en-
Rne. with its wheels sunk deep ia the ground.
renamed In the same position. and deued
the large squad Of men VINO attempted
to move it into position. The second
ana third cars, Though mgcn Injured aud
torn from their axles, hid been again
hfted on them, while sim further back stood
the rest OF the cars. slightly Injured. A gentle
man, who lives near the track and saw the acci-
dent, said: The switch was no doubt unlocked
Just after the Philadelphia tram passed. Then
came the local train on which Will sms WIS
acting ~ engineer, anu by IA { time the mis-
creants had executed their tlnns md not alone
unlocked tue switcn, uut Wcuged II open with
a wooden plug-the lights were all fixed as
though everything wen. ri-hi ami the tram ran
into tie danger when Williams mad no possible
power ~ furese Ing what might happen. There
were three ia lies III the passenger car. who -
ca cd through tue win lows. ana very funny IL
was II see one uf them VINO wouldn't leave
before sue ma ! hcr sa.chel, watch had been lost
in the confusion.
At the cumpany's Office In Elizabeth, MIR.
Charles ID. Iull. SUPERINTENDENT OF the engi-
ueers said that the engineers could not be held
responsible fur the accident, and that the trains
had been running all day yesterday ON schedule
KILLED and wounded.
h.Aet-lQhn E'ny, br kesmln. Of Phnipsburg 4;
Nash mel + nennicn Of Dunellen.
y. J.,t u Ten Eyes somcryilic; Geo,se Brlcs. pa'
ellen Jacob a. cine, Wnte House William FLYNN
s.yhg dgui,t,d-%; Fuller; OF Eyona. y J. sam
uri Merrill lame- rnnp- :. ". Afnruk, laos Bros IL
Clinton.
1t was asccrtained that the following named
had also been injured John II fbert, Jr. breast
wound Mr. Apnieby. leg broken; j. II. Bang
bart. James Dougnerty aud fifteen others
slightly wounded
Tue scene OF the disaster was crowded by
people yesterday.
Inc switch tenders were looked for. but could
not be found, nor aid any one know Of their
whereabouts.
The brotherhood OF Engineers has offered A
reward OF $5.uO0 for the apprehension OF the
person who moved and checked the switch