The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-07-30
A FEARFUL ACCIDENT.
TWENTY-EIGH- MEN BURIED ALIVE
TWENTY OF WHOM ARE KIIIEn

fWENrf-EiGHc MEN BURIED ALIVE
TWENTY OF WHOM ARE KILLED.
JERSEY Cry, N. j., July 21.-At five
o'clock this morning the caisson surround
Ing the deep well leading to the entrance
of tho Hudson River tunnel in course oi
construction, at the foot of Sixteenth street
in this city, caved in, carrying with it an
immense quantity of earth. Twenty one
men were buried. Seven were soon after
taken out alive and fourteen remained un.
derneath. The water from the river flowed
in rapidly, and the steam fire engines were
set to work to, if possible, save those who
might still be alive from drowning. The
wofEn'en resided in the vicinity of the tun-
mel. and very large number of excited
persons soon congregated. The night gang
of thirty men, including Assistant Superin.
tendent woodward and two firemeu, entered
the shaft at midnight, the hours of work for
this gang being from IL to o'clock. The
depth of the shaft is sixty.fve 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 bricklayers, that
escaped, except two. The main arch of the
tannei rams out from the shaft a distance
Of about thirty feet when it opens into two
distinct arches that are to form the tunnel
Through some negligence of the men it
is supposed the air.lock was not properly
adjusted when the process of shifting COM
meaced. The brick wall connecting the
Two arches gave way and water rushed into
the cave. The ,erintcndeut thinks the
air in the taanel must have escaped through
the SILT He has put gang OF one hundred
men at work TO dig new passage to the
tunnel, but they will not be able to reach
there in less than three days.
The following is the official report of the
Hudson River Tannel Company, through
its engineers, Messrs. Spcelman and Brush,
relating to the accident to the Hudson
River tunnel, which occurred ut the foot Of
Fifteenth street, Jersey City: This morn
ing about 4 30 while the men we're chang.
ing the shifts Of that portion of the iron
roof adjoining the shaft of the connecting
chambers between two tunnels and the sink.
ing shaft fell in. Twenty y-eight men were
in the tuhnel at the time, of whom eight
escaped through the air lock aHd twenty
were killed. The accident occurred at 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 tho men rs closely as it shold
have been and compressed air was allowed
to escape. This compressed air is relied
upon to assist in supporting the roof, which
was also sustained by strong timber bracing.
and the escape Of air has always been pre-.
vented by stopping any leaks with waste
silt. AS the roof fell the plate closed the
door Of the airlock into the tunnel and
water rising rapidly cut off the escape of
the twenty men who were killed.
The building Of this connecting chamber,
though difficult piece of work, progressed
until now. Th. roof was all in position
and securely boted. The connection of the
iron plates with the shaft was being made
at the tim, of the accident. The work will
be prosecuted night and day with all the
men that can advantageously be employed
until the bodies are recovered, which will
probably take about three days The acci-
dent will probably delay the work for three
weeks.
The following statement was made by
one of the men who escaped: After eight
men had escaped, one man in trying to pass
through the door leading from the air lock
into the temporary chamber Of the tunnel
was jammcd in the door. way, and, despite
the efforts of those ahead could not be
brought out, as the door closed upon him
aud held him fast. Peter Woodland, assis-
tant superintendent, told the men to try
aud get out, and when the ninth man was
fastened in the doorway, called out to those
who had escaped, telling them to hurry and
try t. get assistance to help the rest and
himself, who were left behind. He refused
to leave himself, saying he would stay and
make every effort to get the rest out, aud if
it were not possible, that those who were
cseaPins must try to get the rest and him
scaf cut alive, it possible. Almost all Of
those killed, as well as those saved, resided
in Jersey City. The men who were res.
cucd did act reach the surface moment
TOO soon, for the water was after them with
amazing rapidity tili it reached level with
in FIVE feet of the top of the shaft. The
survivors were SO bcwildercd that they
seemed to lose all presence Of mind, even it
assistance could be rendered to the poor
fellows 10 the pit
Nearly all the men employed in the tun.
ael lived in proximity to the works. in 18th,
l4th and 10Th streets, aud their friends
and relatives rushed to the place in a most
excited frame Of mind. The news Of the
disaster spread like wild fire through the
surrounding cities. From all points i'm
mense crowds thronged to the scene Of the
calamity, and about the fatal excavation
the awc.struck spectators stoo!. \ Gordon
of police officers were stationed about the