The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-07-28
Fearful Accident.
Twenty-One Persons Buried-Seven Rescued
AEve-The Others Still in the Tunnel
Days Required to Reach Them BY
Means Of Another Tunnel-The
Cause of the Accident.

surrounding a deep well leaolng 10 Tue
entrance Of the Hudson river tunDei:
in the course of construction at the
foot Of 18th street, in this city, ca7eo
in, carrying with it an immense quan,
tity of earth. Tweuty-one persons
were buried, seven Of whom were soon
taken out alive, and fourteen remained
underneath the earth. Water FROM
the river flowed 10 rapidly, and steam
fire engines were set to work to, II
possible, save those who might still be
alive from drowning The workmen
resided in the vicinity of the tunnel
and a very large and excited crowd of
persons soon congregated. Last night
a gang of thirty men, including As.
sistane Superintendent Woodward and
two 6remen, entered the shaft at y
j o'clock, the hours Of work for this
gang being from II to s O'Clock. The
depth of the shaft is 65 feet, and
while the most of the men were EN-,
ployed at the bottom of the shaft,
about one-third of the gang was en-
gagged on brick arch of the wall, 20
feet higher. It vas the latter squad,
who were all bricklayers, that escaped,
except two. The main arch Of the
tunnel runs cut from the shaft dis
tance Of abont 80 feet. when it opens
into two distinct arches that are to
form the tunnel. Through some neg
kgenee Of the men it is supposed that
the air dock vas not ospropeEly adjusted
ghen the process Of shifting CON-
menced. The brick wall connecting
the Two arches gave away. and the
water. rushed into tbs cave. The su'
oerintendent thinks the air IN the
tunnel must have escaped through the
st;lt. He has put gang Of one hun
dred men at work to dig new passage
to the tannel, bnt they will not be
able to reach there in less than three
days.
The following is an official report Of
the Hudson River Tunnel Company,
through its engineers, Messrs. Spell
man and Brush, relating to the acci-
dent to the Hudson river tunnel
which occurred at the foot Of FIT
.eenth street, Jersey City: "This
morning, about 4::SO o'clock, while the
men were changing the shifts, that
portion of the iron roof adjoining the
Shaft of the connecting chambers be-
taeen the TWO tunnels and the sinking
shaft, felln, Twenty-eight men were
in the tunnel al the time, of whom
eight escaped through the sir-lock
and twenty were killed. The accident
occurred at the connection Of the iron
plates saish the brick wall Of the
working shaft, which, during the
changing Of the shifts, were probably
not watched by the men as closely as
it shouId have been, and the compress
ed air was allowed. to escape. This
compressed air is relied upon to as
sist in supporting the roof, which was
also sustained by a strong timber
bracing, and the escape of air has al
ways been prevented BY stopping any
leaks with waste silt. AS the roof
!, fell the plate closed the door of the
air.loek into the tunnel, and the va.
ter, rising rapidly, cut off the escape
of twenty men, who were killed."
The building of this connecting
chamber, though q difficult piece Of
work, progressed until aoW. The
roof was all in position and securely
boleed. The connection of the iron
plates With the shaft was being made
at she time of the accident. The
work will be prosecuted night and day
with all the men that can be adVan-
tageous!y employed, until the bodies
are recovered, which will probably
take about three days. Tie accident
will probably delay the work for
three weeks. The following state
neat was made by one Of the men
who escaped: After eight men escap-
ed, one man in trying to pass through
the door leading from the air.locks in-
to the temporary chambers of the
tunnel was damned in the doorway,
and in spite Of the efforts those ahead
of him could not be brought ont, as
the door closed on him fast. Peter
Woodland, assistant superintendent,
told the men to try and get ont, and
when the ninth man was fastened
in the doorway he called out to those
who had escaped, telling them to hur-
~ and try to get assistance 20 help
the rest and himself, 7ho were left
behind. He refused to leave himself,
saying that he would stay and make
every effort TO get the rest out, and if
60 it we're not possible, that those who
were escaping must try to get the rest
and himself ont alive, if possible.
Almost all of those killed, as we'll as
those saved, resided il jersey City.
The men who were rescued did not
reach the surface moment too soon,
fer the water rushed after them with
amazing rapidi;y, until it reached the
level within Eve feet Of the top Of the
shaft. The survivors were so beWil-
dered that they seemed to have lost
all presence of mind, even if assistance
could be rendered to the poor fellows
IL the pit. Nearly g. the men en-
ployed in the tunnel lived in close
proximity to the works in Thirteenth,
Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets, and
the friends and relatives rushed to the
place in most excited frame Of mind
The news Of the disaster spread like
wild fire through the surrounding
cities. From all points immense
u %bo oe - ho