Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-22
THE TUNNEL DISASTER.


tuC Va tuC RoiGVh Va ShO
temporary entrance Of tho Hudson river
tunnel, at the foot of 18th street, Jersey
City, early yesterday morning. 81 persons
lost their lives. There were % men in the
tunnel when the accident occurred and Of
these seven rushed into the air-lOck and
escaped. The others were instantly killed.
When the roof gave way large volume Of
water rushed in, filling the tunnel and
working shaft. \ large force Of men was
Immediately set to work to dig down to
the shaft in order to recover the bodies.
1t is thought that the bodies cannot be
reached before Saturday.
Tho night shift OF twenty eight men
went on duty ut midnight, under the
direction Of Assistant Superintendent
Peter Woodland, and commenced work
| on the brick wall Of the arch, about
| twenty five feet above tho bottom of the
| shaft, which is sxty-fivc feet deep and
thirty five feet in diameter. The main
| arch of tho tunnel runs out from the shaft
about thirty feet, where it opens into the
| two distinct arches which are to form the
tunnel. The point at which tho accident
| occurred was 1T the connection Of tho iron
plates with the brick walls OF
the working shaft, forming the roof,
which fell in and allowing tho two walls
to collapse. permitted rush OF
wator, which Immediately flooded the
cave. As the work progresses, the walls
Of the opening are lined with heavy sheet
iron plates, the walls being previously sup
ported by heavy timbcrs, which arc remOv-
cd to give place to the iron plates. To as
sist this support compressed air is employ.
cd, with pressure II pounds to the square
inch, and it has been necessary to watch
this very closely, and to fill up with
silk any openings through which the
air ght escape: There is system OF
| airlocks to retain this compressed air,
which is also used to force back through
pipes accumulations of mud or water. 1t
is supposed that from some negligence at
the time Of shifting, the air-lock Was not
| properly fixed, and this sustaining power
| being removed, the superintendent mass
crushed in 4 few feet from the waste-lOck
| between the mon at work under tic river
and the workers near the lock.
These latter, eight in number, rushed
into the air-lock and out of the opposite
door, reaching the steps which lead out to
the working shaft. The opening of this
door caused a draft which closed the
other door, and the water following the
air, poured in and submerged the workers
below, of course, drowning them instantly,
! An attempt was made at once to pump
the water out of the caissOn, but with lit
| tie effect, and it could not under any cir
cumstances have rescued the unfortunate
| victims had it been successful.
The statement Of a survivor, Stephen
Van Nostrand, Is to the following effect
g. was at work near the east end of the
waste lock and in the west end Of the tun-
400 al hot
the bolts snap and the braces give way.
| At the same time felt rush of air in my
face. | started back with seven of the men
who were near me, and ran into the waste
lock. The air pressure crowded the door
shut at the east end. At first it was
blocked by .joist, which We pull
ed out, and then the door slammed to.
The lock has doors at both ends and glass
dead-eyes to admit the light. Through
the dcad-eyes We could sec the men inside
tho tunnel. The water was fast rushing
in. Peter Woodland, the city assistant
superintendent, stood at the door outside
the waste lock, which was stationary. 1t
would not move with us without knock
ing out the dead eyes. This would
be fatal to the men outside, as the
water would rush in and drown the
men in an instant. Woodland knew this,
but stood at the door. His face was ghast-
ly white and he realized the terrible dam
ger. He said to- me s. Tom Quick
Burst tho dead-eyes and do what you can
for u.s." knew it was death to us all if
did not, so l obeyed the order.
AS the glass broke the air rushed
in and the waste lock shot out
into the main shaft, leaving the men to
drown, as the space occupied by the
shaft filled with water in an instant. We
were wholly stripped of our clothes when
We crawied out. heard tho rush of the
water at our back. 1t filled in fast, but
the obstructiOns kept It back long enough
for us to escape from the main shaft. 1t
was all we could do to save ourselves.
Woodland was standing in water up to his
waist when last saw him. 1t was sure
death, and had to knock out the dead
eyes, as told you. He knew as we'll IS
that it was all over with them. shall
never forget the look ON his face or the
sound of his voice as he told us to save
ourselves, though the very act was to in