The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-05
ONE KILLED, THIRTEEN INJURED.
PerilouS Position of Eighteen PasSen-
gers in a Floating Car.
THE ENGINEERS LEAP TO DEATH.
Where Does the Responsibility for the
Accident Rest?

eral slightly and two severely wounded. 1t
that the draw of the bridge which crosses the
Hackensack River is kept open during the night
for the convenience Of passing vessels. and is not
closed until within short time OF the arrival Of
the first morning train from Montclair Yesterday
morning it was still open when tho tram which
leaves Montclar $3.50 approached. and as the en-
gneer failed observe the signal Of the open draw
his engine plunged headlong into the river. Forsu-
nately the train consisted of only passenger car
or the loss of life would have been fearful. The
locomotive was entirely submerged and the car went
over with it, At the time OF the accident the train
moving at the rate or thirty-hve miles
tn hour Some of the passengers
truin on the Newark and Paterson branch of
the Erie road the train approach the bridge and
suddenly disappear into the river but the people
the Inflated train not aware of their danger I'M
til they were thrown from their seats with terrific
force. The coach went the draw at an angle Of
torty-ve degrees and in consequence the seats, the
stove and the occupants all hurled to the lower
end CT it. Fortunately the car jumped the track
the trucks wrenched off and it is owing to this
circumstance that the passengers escaped with their
lives.
A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
At the bridge the river said to be ct least thirty
feet deep at low water, and il the wheels had re-
manned attached to the body of the coach their
weight would certainly have dragged the car to the
bottom before any OF the passengers could have
found their way out. AS it was their release was
difficult OF accomplishment. When the riQhted
1t ioated its bottom. but the water poured in
through the doors and rapidly The moment
of intense excitement for the passengers and
their grea danger consisted in their complete be-
wilderment resulting from the shock. One of them.
however. Mr.. William H. Dewar. Of Bellcvile, had
sufficient presence of mind to rush to the platform
and spring the eastern abutmert OF the bridge
the righted. AS he did the car lurched and
the door closed violently. The foated up the
stream, the water continuing to pour in at every
rrevce. Soon the front part began to sink. The
bewildered and bruised passengers were imprisoned
in death trap. and for few minutes there dan
ger that the would go down, dragging its in
mates with it. Only one two managed to escape
by the windows. and to of these Mr.. Charles II.
Mcintyre, Mr.. Dewar threw axe, at the same time
shouting to him to hole in the roof. The in
junction obeyed. but before it accomplished
the was half full of water and the people were
compelled to stand on the seats to save themselves
from drowning. Assistance was at hand. however.
and all the passengers, Of whom there were only
eighteen, were rescued.
LEAPED HIS DEATH.
The train in charge OF William Starks. an ex
perienced conductor, who went down with the
passengers
old employe of the Erie Railway. the engineer
and John Maskel the fireman. II there signal
neither OF them saw it. and Masked first to OBJ
serve the open draw. Dexter saw the danger and
reversed the engine. but it too late Both pre-
pared to jump, the fireman calling to the engineer
to come to his side. II can see for m yself.
cried Dexter. and one jumped to the right and the
other 10 the left. The leap of each stimuli
taneous aud was made just as tho engine
jumped the chasm. The fireman plunged into the
river. and, almost without realizing what he was
doing. swan ashore. Dexter not so fortunate
Instead of jumping into the river he leaped upon
the bridge His head struck one of the beams and
he rolled over the bridge corpse. His skull
fractured. his scalp frightfully lacerated and his
brains oozed out from the wounds in his temples.
Dexter's mutilated body removed to his home in
Seventh street. Jersey City, and notice given
Coroner Wggin, OF Hoboken. to hold an inquest.
The casualties were as follows:-
KILLED.
IRA DEXTER. aged thirty-hve years. engineer.
WOUNDED.
WILLIAM HARRISON. Belleville. inj ured inter-
nally. perhaps fatally.
JONATHAN WOODS. Arlington, collar bone
broken.
BENJAMIN F. TUTHILL. Montclair. nose broken
and leg sprained.
and hips bruised.
o. JOHN W. BROOKS. Belleville. cut In the head and
serious nervous shock.
PHILIP REEVES. Verona. serious scalp wound
struck on head by the stove.
JOSEPH u. rudy back and right thigh sprained
WILLIAM G. BROOKS. Arlington. hands badly
burned by steam from the engine.
WILLIAM " ROoME. Arlington. hand cut and left
side bruised.
HARRY FRENCH. Montclair. head cut and back
seriously bruised.
WILLIAM II. DEwAR. Belleville. hands cut.
WILLARD AUSTIN, Belleville. hands cut.
JOHN WOOD. brakeman. slightly cut in arm.
Harrison vomted blood profusely, and Ct is not
believed he can survive. The passengers rs soon az
they were rescued were conveyed to the Hudson
County Penitentiary. where they were furnished
with dry clothing by the warden. Joseph W. Bownes,
and his assistant, Captain n. Pierce, and their
wounds promptly dressed. All except Harrison
were then either sent or allowed TO 20 to their
homes.
INTERVIEW WITH FIREMAN.
John Masked, fireman of local No. z Oh the Green
wood Lake division of the New York, Lake Erie and
Western Iairoad, was interviewed by u HERALD re-
porter last evening al his home in Montclar. n. j.
On being questioned lie said 81 was firing on No. 2
yesterday morning when she went through the
open draw of the Hackensack Bridge. Ira Dexter
was running the engine; ! was fireman.
we swung around slight bend in the track at this
point saw the open draw first. and cried out.
pointing with my hand. Dexter saw the danger and
reversed the engine. We were going at good head
1 called to him to on my side to jump; al
The same time prepared TO leap. saw that We
we're going into the river and that this was our only
chance. Dexter. in reply TO my warming, said. !
can see for myself AT the same time he got down
10 jump and saw him leave the tender. His body
was thrown full length and ho struck the switch,
knocking his head against the iron. He was killed
almost instantly, and when l found him his
skull was crushed in. l left the tender. jump
ing TO the left. 1t too late, as the engine was
then half way over the track into the Hackensack
River. I fell on my side into the mud and water
and struck the ground near the bank In the excite
ment did not notice that had been hurt and sue
.oeded I'm DRAGGING myself ashore. 1 saw the car