The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-07-22
BURIED ALIVE.
.~f.i rate sf rwe-sy-r~s LAbsrer.
ef New Jer.ey.
r.s cAisssu or the naasss River
Tunsei caves H.-
rs,rsy NE. B.risa. hur Eight H.-s.pe
slightly Hurt.


t
New York, July 2l.-At O'Clock
this morning the caisson leading 10 the
entrance OF the Hudson river tunnel.
constructed at Sixteenth street, Jersey
CITY, caved in, carrying with Il an im-
menss quantity Of earth. Twenty-ons
men were buried. seven were soon after
taken out bruised but not seriously,
and the rescuers were laboring hard to
reach the remaining fourteen; mean
while the water from the river flowed
in rapidly, and the steam flfe engines
were set 10 work 10 save those who
might still be alive from drowning.
The workmen resided 10 the vicinity
Of the tunnel and very large and ex-
cited crowd OF persons soon congre-
gated.
The Official rep6rt Of the tunnel dis
aster says: Twenty y-eight men were In
the tunnel when the accident occurred
Of whom eight escaped and twenty were
drowned. The cause given Is that pro-
bably the men did not watch the brick
wall Of the working shafts as closely as
they should. The accident win stop
the work for three weeks. There are
no other points la the Official report not
already covered. When the 8 men had
gotten out, another workman In trying
to pass throug the door leading from
the air lock into the temporary cham
ber OF the tunnel, was jammed in the
DOORWAY and despite the efforts Of those
ahead lie 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 and 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, and II 1t were
not possible then those escaping must
try to get the rest and himself out
alive.
The following Is the list OF those
saved: Thos. Brady. b. McGovern. A.
J. Moline, Thos. Cummings, Christ
Hausen, ]. Vannostrand, John Dayle,
James Hayes.
It now appears that twenty-five lost
their lives, while eight had almost mir
aculous escape. The night gang Of
thirty men, including the assistants.
Superintendent Woodward and two
fremen entered the shaft at midnight,
the hours Of work for this gang being
from IL to 8. Tho depth Of the shaft
Is ssiIty-five feet, and while most Of the
men were employed ut the bottom Of
the shaft about one-third Of the gang
was engaged on the brick wall Of the
arch, twenty-five feet higher. It was
the latter squad, all bricklayers, that
escaped except two. The main arch Of
the tunnel runs out from the shaft
distance Of about thirty feet, when It
opens into two distinct arches that are
TO form the tunnel. Through some
negligence Of the men 1t Is supposed
the air lock was not properly adjusted
and when the process Of shaftlng COM
menced the brick wall connecting the
two arches gave way and the water
rushed into the cave. The following il
list Of the casualties: Peter Wood
land, assistant superintendent; Frank
Aleston, foreman; Thomas Burns, fore
man,and twenty-five workmsn perished.
All OF whose names are given belonged
TO Jersey City except Burns, he resided
10 Hoboken.
The superintendent thinks the air In
The tunnel must have escaped through
The silt. He has put q gang OF 100
men to work. These win make an at
Tempt to enter the tunnel. They are
not expected to accomplish the task in
less than three days.
The workmen will not cease until
.hsy get where the bodies are supposed
70 be, but It is impossible TO force any
air into the tunnel, as all the mir which
mas been forced in 30 far has escaped
through the shaft. in which 1t has made
Tue water leap up two or three feet
ABOVE the surface. It Is feared this
aiternoon that only 2 men instead 8
=. nave been saved. rs one man. Thos.
"ummins, who was reported by one Of
'ne workmen to have escaped, is now