The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-22
DEATH In A TUNNEL.
SAD DISASTER IN JERSEY CITY.
Twenty eight wOrlsmen Precipitated
Down shaft of the Hudson River
Tunnel, twenty of whom are
Killed Particulars OF the
Awful Catastrophe.

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carrying an itnu'ehso q""n''S VI '"''''
Twenty'one were buried seven were soon
after taken out alive. Fourteen Of the re-
mA,,dor remai, underneath The w,,ar
go 49, .,ra. a. /. ."nial, ~ So.
rom 'ue river Ao"eu III iap'uv anu s'esin
fro engines were set to work to, If possible,
save those who might still be saved from
drowning The workmen residing in the
vicinity OF the tunnel and avery large crowd
of persons soon congrsgated.
The Right gang Of thirty men, including
Assistant superintendent woodward and
two tiremen, entered the shaft at midnight
the hours Of work for this gang being from
IL TO 8 o'clock. The depth of the shaft is IS |
feet. While most Of the men were employed
at the bottom ofthe shaft, about one.third of
the gang was engaged on brick wall of the
arch, 20 feet higher. twas the latter squad,
who were all bricklayers, that escaped, ex-
cept two men. The main arch Of the tunnel
runs out Of the shaft distance of about 80
feet, where 1t opens into two distinct arches
that are to form the tunnel. Through some
negligence Of the men, II is supposed that the
air. lock was not properly adjusted. When
the process of shifting commenced, brick
wall connecting the two arches gave way, and
water rushed into the cave. The superinterd-
ant thinks the air in the tunnel must have es-
capped through the shaft. He has put gang
of 100 men to work to dig new pass tunnel,
but they will not be able to reach 1t in
less than thirty days.
The following is the official report Of the
disaster, through the engineers of the compa.
ny, Messrs. Spellman & Brush: About 4:S0
u. M, while the men were changing shifts,
that portion of the iron roof adjoining the
shaft of the connecting chambers between
the two tunnels and the sinking shaft, and
the caissoh fell in. Twenty eight men were
in the tunnel at the time, Of whom eight es-
capped through an air-lock and twenty men
we're killed. The accident occur.
red at the connection of the
iron plates with the brick walls of the
working shaft which, during the changing
Of the shifts, were probably not watched by
the men as closely as 1t should have been,
and compressed air was allowed to escape.
This compressed air is relied upon to assist
in supporting the roof, which was also sus-
tanned by strong Understanding and es-
cape. The air has always been prevented
from escaping by stopping any leaks with
water. As the roof fell the plates closed the
door of the air-lock into the tunnel, and the
water raising rapidly, cut off the escape of
the twenty men who were killed.
The building of the connecting chamber,
though difficult piece of work, progressed
until now; the roof was all in position and
secured and bolted, and tn connection of
the iron plates with the shaft was being made
at the time of the accident. Work will be
prosecuted night and day, with all the men
who can be a ivantageously employed, till
the bodies are recovered. 1t will probably
take about threedays. The accident will
probably delay work for three weeks.
The following statement is 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 temper Try chamber Of the tunnel
was damned in the doorway, and despite all
efforts those ahead could not be brought out,
as the door was closed upon him and held
him fast. Peter Woodland, assistant superin-
tendent, told the men to try and get out,
and when the niueth man WAS fastened in the
doorway he called out TO those who had
escaped, telling them to hurry and get
assistance to help the rest of the mon and
himself, who were left behind.
He refused TO leave himself
every effort to get the rest out, aud
those who were escaping must try
to get the rest and himself out alive, if pos
sible. All those killed as we'll as those saved
resided in Jersey City. The men who were
saved did not reach the surface any too soon
for the water rushed after them with great
rapidty till it reached the level within five
feet of the top Of the shaft. The survivors
were 80 bewildered that they seemed to lose
all presence Of mind even if assistance
. could be rendered the poor fellows in the
pit. Nearly all the men employed in the
tunnel lived in proximity to the works, OF
Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets
! and their friends and relatives rushed to the
place in q most excited frame of mind. New
of the disaster spread like wildfre through
surrounding cities. From all points immense
crowds thronged to the scene of the calamity
About the fatal excavation awe struck spec
tators stood. A Gordon of police officer:
: was stationed about the shed and engine
room to prevent any interference with thu
, laborers at work recovering the bodies
About the shaft-sheds, wives, mothers and
children gathered, stricken with anguish a
they sous BIT in vain the form that was never
. to be seen again alive.
Thomas VspNostrand, one of the men res
cued in the waste.lock gave reporter thrill
Ing account of his narrow escape. He sale
there were twenty-eight men at work in tn,
J tunnel. They went in at o'clocl
3 last night for The eight hour shift and were
. at work near the east end.of the waste lock
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