Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-07-29
The Fatal Accident i'm the Hudson
River Tunnel.
NEw YOpE .Jnlv 81

NEW IOhh, July Il.
AT an early hour this morning a Gals
son leading to the entrance of the Hudson
River Tunnel, constructing at Sixteenth
Street, Jersey City, caved in, carrying with
it an immense quantity of earth.
The following is the official report of the
Hudson River Tunnel Company through
Engineers Speilman and Brush:
This morning about $50. willie the men
were changing the shifts of that portion OF
Meeting chambers bttween the two tunnels.
the sinking shaft fell in. Twenty eight men
were in the tunnel at the time, of whom eight
escaped through the ar-lock and twenty
were killed. The accident occurred at the
connection of the iron plates with the brick
wall of the working shafts. which during the
changing of shifts was probably not watched
by the men as closely as it should have been,
and the compressed air was allowed to escape.
The compressed air is relied upon to assist in
supporting the roof, which was also sustained
by strong timber bracing, and escape of air
mas aiwaTs Deeh M t ny odf fni ths
plate closed the door of the air lock into the
tunnel and the water rising rapidly cut Off
escape of the twenty men who were killed.
The roof was all in position and securely
bolted. The 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 that can be advan
taeeously employed until the bodies are re-
covered, which will probably take about three
days.
The following is cleaned from statements
of survivors:
The eight men saved had been doing some
work above the tunnel for the night Superin-
tendent, Michael Birdsall, and were again
descending into the tunnel through the GYM
drical barrel, six feet in diameter and four
teen feet in length. This is called the air
lock, and serves to preserve the density of
the atmosphere Of the tunnel. which in turn
is secured by the forcing of air through pipes
from pumps. There is a door in each end of
the air lock. They both open inward. At
each side of the doors are round windows of
thick glass, through which, from outside the
air lock, a view can be obtained of the work
and workmen inside of the tunnel. Moses
preached the engine room. While nearing the
huge iron compressed air chamber he sudden
ly stopped with an ejaculation OF alarm, then
quickly running TO the superintendent, he
exclaimed: mike, for Gods sake what does
that mean" at the same time pointing out
Just beyond the mouth of the working Snaft,
near which both men were standing in the
glare of the lamps. A cloud of dust was
distinguished in the air, and in an instant It
as though by gust of wind directly from be-
meath, accompanied by a sound as of rushing
the men had gone down and soon reached
the bottom and fastened to one of the round
glass windows beside the door OF the air lock
and known as ''dead eyes" He tried the
door. 1t was fast because one at the other end
was open and the force of the compressed air
in the tunnel was full upon the one nearest
him As he looked he raped loudly on the
window and door. All of the eight men who
had last gone down had not yet left the air
<.
when, by motions and gestures, the Superin-
tendent signaled them to return. suddenly
he saw them start and turn their gaze towards
the work, and in the next instant heavy sue
cession of thuds was heard and felt, for they
shook the ground. A horrible fright in
flash appeared on the faces OF the
men inside and one with a crowbar
rushed to the outer headlights and in an
instant had crushed them outwards Ihis
gave vent to the compressed air that filled the
tunnel. 1t relieved the pressure on the outer
door, which Birdsall pushed inward, allowing
tue men in the air lock means of egress. No
yolition of theirs was necessary to carry them
cut, for amid the heavy thud of falling earth
ana crash of supporting timbers the more
terrible sound of rushing water came fast
upon them. The moment in which Super1n-
tendent Woodland with those who had gone
in cried out to those IN the a1r-Iock:
go, hurry, do the best you can for
yourselves. and then come for u.s. his voice
was choked by the rush of water that surged
through the air -lock-and swept eight men
into the working shaft where, with Birdsall,
they were lost to each other in the maelstrom
of frothing water that soon filled the shaft to
a depth of thirty feet. The men rose 80 the
surface and reached the ladders and sa ETY..
leaving twenty of their fellows crushed or
drowned.