Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-21
BURIED ALIVE.


1sss.syS%s " s;s..I Men E..9%Ssd n BY the c..,n'
but the Remainder Beyond Hope
ofRocovery.
JERSEY CRY, July 21.-At five o'clocl
this morning the caisson surrounding tn,
deep well leading to the entrance of the
Hudson river tunnel in course of construc.
ton 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 of whom were extricated
alive and fourteen remained underneath
The water from the river flowed in rapidly
and the steam fire engines were set to work
to save if possible the other men from
drowning.
The workmen residing in the vicinity
Of the tunnel and a very large and
excited crowd of persons soon cOngresated.
Gangs of men are at work digging new
passage, but will not be able to reach the
places where the men are supposed to be,
before three days. The names of the men
in the tunnel are: Peter Woodland, assist
ant superintendent; Frank Aston, fore
man; Thomas Burns, James Crcvy, A.
Erickson. Peter Fisher, Patrick Kerwin.
Charles Nelson, William F. Bagley, An
drew Jackson, Bryan Sheridan, Charles
Stevenson, P. Anderson, F. Burk, Mat
Mccarthy, Patrick Broderick, Otto Bes-
tine, John Jensen, Patrick Collins, Michael
Broderick.
The official report says seventy eight
men were in the shaft when it collapsed,
of whom twenty were killed. The work
will be prosecuted night and day until all
the bodies are recovered.
Details of the Affair.
The following statement was made by
one of the men who escaped: "After
the 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 jammed in the doorway, and
despite the efforts of those ahead could
not be brought out, as the door
closed upon him and held him
fast. Peter Woodland, the assistant
superintendent, told the men to try and get
out. and when the ninth man was fastened
in the doorway he called out to those who
had escaped, telling them to hurry and try
to get assistance to help the rest and him
self who were left behind. He refused to
leave himself, saying that he would stay
ana make every effort to get the men out,
and if it were not possible that those who
were escaping must try to get the rest and
himself out alive if possible.
The men who were rescued did not reach
the surface moment too soon, for the
water rushed after them with amazing "a
pidity till it reached a level within five feet
of the shaft. The supervisors were SO be-
wildered that they seemed to lose all pre-
sence of mind, even if assistance could he
rendered to the poor fellows in the pit.
Nearly all the men in the tunnel lived in
proximity to the works in Thirteenth,
Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets, and
relatives rushed to the place in a most eA-
cited frame of mind.
The news of the disaster spread like
wildfire through the surrounding cities.
From all points immense crowds thrOnSed
to the scene. About the fatal exca-
vatiOn curious and awe-stricken spccta-
tors stood. A Gordon of police officers
were stationed about the shed and engine
room to prevent any interference with the
labOrers at work to recover the bodies.
Through the broken windows of the shaft
house the faces of distressed wives, moth
ers and children were seen with anguish,
and they sought in vain for forms that
would probably never be seen again
alive.