The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-22
CRIMES AND CASUALTIES.
A Serious Accident Mt Jersey City
Gazing In OF Caisson at the I'm
trance 10 the Hudson-Rivor Tun-

| nel-Twcnty-OnoM Men Buried Alive.
| JERSEY CITY, N. j., July 2l.-At
O'Clock this morning the caisson surround
ing the deep well leading to the entrance
OF the Hudsou-River tunnel, IN course OF
construction at the foot of Sixteenth street
in this city, caved in. carrying with 1t an
| immense quantity OF earth. Twenty-one
men were buried, but seven were soon af-
ter taken out alive and fourteen remained
underneath. The water from the river
flowed in rapidly, and the steam fire-en-
gines were set 10 work 10, IL possible, save
those who might st!ll be alive from drown
ing. The workmen resided In the vicinity
OF the tunnel. and very large and excited
crowd OF persons soon congregated.
The night gang Of thirty men, including
Assistant Superintendent Woodward and
two firemep, entered the shaft at midnight,
the hours OF work for this gang being from
IL 10 8 O'Clock. The depth OF the shaft is
sixty. five feet, and while most OF the men
were employed at The bottom OF the shaft,
about one third Of the gang was engaged
on the brick wall OF the arch. twenty-five
feet higher. 1t was the latter squad, who
were all brickiayers, that escaped, except
two. The main arch Of the tunnel runs out
from the shaft distance OF about thirty
that are TO form the tunnel. Through some
negligence OF the men, it is supposed, the
ar-lock was not properly adjusted. When
the process Of shifting commenced the
brick wall connecting the two arches gave
way, and the water rushed into the cave.
The Superintendent thinks The air in the
tunnel must have escaped through the silt.
He has put gang OF 100 men at work to
dig n new passage 10 the tunnel, but they will
not be able to reach there in less than three
days.
| OFFICIAL REPORT-TwENTY MEN KILLED.
The following is the official report OF the
Hudson-Riyer Tunnel Company. through
its engineers (Messrs. Speliman and Brusb),
relating to the accident to the Hudson river
tunnel, which occurred at the foot Of Fit
teenth street, Jersey city: This morning
about 4:S0, while the men were changing
shifts, that PORTION OF the iron roof adioin-
ing the shaft Of the connecting chambers,
between the two tunnels and the sinking
shaft, fell in. Twenty-eight men were in
the tunnel at the time. OF whom eight
ESCAPED through the air-lock and TWEEN
| ty were killed. The accident occurred
nj the connection Of the iron plates
with the brick wall OF the working shaft,
which, during the changing OF the shifts,
was probably not watched by the men as
| closely as it should have been. and the
COMPRESSED air was allowed to escape.
| This compressed air Is relied upon to as
| s,st in supporting the roof, which was also
sustained by strong Understanding, and
escs ne Of the air has always been prevented
bv stopping any leaks with the waste silt.
A. the roof fell the plate closed the door OF
the air-lock into the tunnel, and the water
rising rapidly cut of the escape OF the
twenty men who were killed.
| The building OF this connecting chamber,
| though difficult piece OF work, progressed
until now ; the roof was all in position and
securely bolted, and the connection OF iron
plates with the shaft was being made at the
time OF the accident. Work will be prose
cuted night and day with all tho mon that
can be advantageously employed until the
bodie. are recovered, which will probably
take about three DAYS. The accident VIII
probably delay the work for three weeks.
STATEMENT OF ONE OF THE SAVED.
The following statement was made by one
of the men who escaped:
| "Aiter eiyht men had escaped, one man
in irving to pass through the door leading
from the air-Iock into the temporary cham
her OF the tunnel was jammed IN the door
way, and despite the efforts OF those ahead
could not be brought out, as the door closed
uDon him and held him fast. Peter Wood
| land, assistant superintendent, told tie men
| TO try and get out, and when the ninth man
was fastened in tue doorway called out 10
those who had escaped, telling them TO
hurry and try to get assistance to help the
rest and himself, who were left behind. lie
refused to leave himself, saying he would
| flo IN 10
ont. and il it were not possible, that those
who were escaping must try to get The rest
an himself out alive il possible"
BEwlLDrRED SURVIVORS AND DISTRACTED
| RELATIVES.
| Almost all of those killed, SIS well rs
those saved, resided in Jersey City. TIE
men who were rescued did not reach the
surface a moment too soon, for the water
rushed after them with amazing rapidity,
till it reached the level within five feet oil
the TOD OF the shaft. The survivors were
30 bewildered that they seemed to lose all
presence OF mind, even II assistance could
be rendered to the poor fellows IN the
Dit. Nearly all the men employed In
the tunnel lived in proximity to
the works in Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and
Fifteenth streets, and the friends and rela-
cited frame OF mind. The news OF the dis
a.ter spread like wild-tire through the sur
rounding cities. From all points immense
crowds thrOnged TO the scene OF calamity.
| About the fatal excavation the awe-strucE
snectators stood. ACCORDION OF police OIL
GERS were stationed about the shed and en-
gipe-room to prevent any interference with
the laborers at work to recover the bodies.
Through the broken windows or the shalt
house the faces OF distracted wives, mothers
and children were seen with anguish, anO
they sought in vain for the forms that would
never be seen again alive.
THRILLING STORY OF NARROW ESCAPE.
Thomas Van Nostrand, one OF the men
rescued in the wsste-lock, gave reporter
thrilling account OF his narrow escape. lie
said there were twenty-eight men at WORK
in the tunnel. They went on at IL O'Clock
last night for: the eight hours shiit.
was at work near the east end OF the waste
lock end In the west OF the tunnel. IL was
at about 4:30 O'Clock that heard the ooit'
suap and the braces give way. At Tho
same time felt rush OF air 10 my face
I started back with seven OF the men VINO
we're near me, and ran into the
waste-Iock. The air-pressure crowded
1.-The door shut at the east end. Al
first IL was blocked by ioist, which we
nulJed ont. and then the door slammed to-
The lock has doors at both ends and glass
dead.eyes to admit the light. Through the
dead.eyes we could see the men inside the
tunnel. The water was rushing 10. Petel
Woodland. the city assistant superinten denf
stood at the door outside the waste-lock
which wss stationary. 1t would not move
\ NJ UeIQ