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 KILLED.

JERSEY CfTY, N. D., July 21.-At five
o'clock this morning the caissou surround.
lug the deep well leading to the entrance
Of tho Hudson River tunnel, in course of
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 aud fourteen remained un.
derneath. The water from the river flowed
An rapidly, and the steam FIRE engines were
set to work to, if possible, save those who
might still DO alive from drowning. The
wofkmen 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 firemen, entered
the shaft at midnight, the hours of work for
this gang being from IL to 8 o'clock. Tho
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 feSt higher. It was the
latser squad, who were all bricklayers, that
escaped, except two. The main arch of the
tunnei rans 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.
menced. The brick wall connecting the
two arches gave way aud water rushed into
the cave. The superintendent thinks the
air in the raAna must have escaped through
the silt. He has put gang OF ono hundred
men ut 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. Speelman and Brush.
relating 70 tho accident to the Hudson
River tunnel, which occurred ut the foot of
Fifteenth street, Jersey City: This morn
ing about 30 while the men were 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.eight men were
in the tuanel at the time, Of whom eight
escaped through the air lock asd 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 IL shoh
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 tho e.cape 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 air-lock into tho 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 oil in position
and securely bolted. The connection of the
iron plates with the shaft was being made
at the tins Of tho accident. The work will
be prosecuted night and day with all the
men that can advantageously be employed
until tho bodies are recovered, which will
probably take about three days The acci.
dent will probably delay the work for three
weeks.
Tho following statement was made by
ono 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
the efforts Of those ahead could not be
brought out, rs the door closed upon him
and 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 door way, called out to those
who had escaped, telling them to hurry and
try u get assistance to help tho rest aud
himself, who we're left behind. Ho refused
to leave himself, saying he would stay aud
make every effort to get the rest out, and If
il were not possible, that those who were
cseaPisg must try to get tho rest and him.
scH cat aTivo, It possible. Almost all Of
those killed, as we'll as those saved, resided
in jersey City. The men who were res.
cued did aer reach the surface q moment
too soon, for she water was after them with
amazing rapidity I'LL il reached level with.
In Eve feet ofthe cop Of the shaft. The
survivors were SO bewildercd that they
seemed to lose all presence Of mind, oven il
assistance could DO rendered TO the poor
follows 10 the pit.
Nearly all the men employed 10 the tun-
sel lived in proximity to the works, 10 18th,
14th and 10Th streets aud their fri,nds
aud relatives rushed to the place in most
excited frame Of mind. The news of the
disaster spread like wild FIRE through tho
surrouuding cities. From all points i'm
mease crowds thronged to the scene Of the
calamity, and sboat tho fatal excava:;c.:
the awe-struck spectators stoo,.: A Gordon
OF police officers were stationed about the
shed and engine room to prevent any inter
ference with the laborers at work to recover
the bodies. Through the broken windows
Of she shaft house the faces Of the distracted
wives, mothers aud children were seen dis.
torted with anguish as they sought in vain
for the forms that would never be seon again
alive,