New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-30
r. Fields and Hubbard. of Red Bank, and Crater,
nf Oca
GENERAL GRANTS RESCUE.

the knee, minus his hat, but with his cigar stlll
lighted, as imperturbabe as though enjoying
quiet smoke on the veranda of his cottage. He
took an active part in the work of rescuing his
less fortunate felow-passengers, and with
characteristic coolness directed the railroad hands
as to the quickest and most feasible methods OF get
ting the people ont of the wreck.
A wreckng train sent from Elizabeth as soon
rs the news of the accident received with every
'appliance for clearing away the debris, removing
the cars from the water. and otherwise repairing
the damage.
A great number OF the wounded, and some OF the
uninjured, came to Long Branch shortly after the
accident, while many of the business men pro-
cceded on the next tram to New-fork. People
came hockiug from all the surrounding towns To
view the wreck, which visited during the
afternoon by hundreds of men. women aud children,
who came in carriages or by train, while the waters
of the creek were dotted with sail and row boats
Viewing the wreck of the train, the only wonder is
that so few were killed and that no more suffered
severe injuries
EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE.
The bridge which was built O. 1875, IS
about 1000 feet long, with a double track
and no draw Trains. it is sad frequently
dash over it at a speed of fifty and even sixty miles
an hour. 1t is about SIX feet above high water,
and has protection at the sides. The three rear
cars as they lie III the wafer, about midway of the
bridge, are their right sides, close together.
The next car which also fell i'll the same
position, was about fifty feet III ad-
vance of the rear cars. and the
smokng-car was about the same distance ahead
of the fourth car Some of the trucks were torn
from the bottoms OF the cars and hurled some dis
tance away. The smolling-ca (which struck the
water near the north shore of the creek crashed
into some rocks at the bottom receiving the sever
est shock of all. 1t was in this car that Mr.. Dem
Arrest and Mr.. Woodruff received their fatal
injuries. The track was torn up nearly
the entire length of the bridge,
ties were crushed broken or entirely thrown out of
position and in the centre of the bridge two or
three of the heavy string-peces were carried into
the water with the wreck.
The cars, which were all made for the train on
which they were rum are badly dismanted, but no
one of them is totally ruined. The
damage to the cars and the bridge is estimated
by the officials of the road at from $4,000 to
500 600. A large force of men al work all the
afternoon putting down new ties and relaylng the
track, aud it was stated that it would he in cOndi
tiOn for trains to run over 1t by tomorrow. An
other gang of wreckers, assisted by locomotive,
were engaged in pulling ont the cars,
and by dark the smoking car and one passenger
coach nau been got Oh CIy Idnl
CAUSE OF THK ACCIDENT.
The immediate cause Of tue accident appears TO
have been the switch the south end of the dge.
This switch was put in to connect with the branch
track winch runs from that point to Monmouth
Park Here ofore there has been only single track,
connecting the branch with the main line, but an
increase of business had made necessary the laying
of q second track. The last splhes III the new
branch track. at its point Of connection with the
main track, were driven yesterday afternoon and
the brokers tram" was the first express which
has passed overit When the locomotive struck the
switch the rails spread every spike in the first
length of rail being thrown ont or twisted OF.
From this POINT the cars went crashing and bump
ing along the rails, first careenng to the right TO-
ward the water then to the left, and again to the
right, this lime carried by the momentum over the
side There was some trouble with the AIR
brake of the rear car. and its connection
with the engine had been cut off
by order of the conductor, but at the
first signal that the cars had boen deraied,' the
cngiI er applied the air brakes with full force,
thereby materially lessenng tie final force of the
plunge made Icy the five coaches.
Whether there was anything weak or faulty in
the work of putting in the new switch which
threw the train off, or whether the rails
which spread and drew their spikes were
carelessly or imperfecy fastened to the ties, will
be a subject for judicial inve' hgation Trainmen
and railroad officials who were willing to express
any opinion at all on the subject, all agree in tho
opinion that the switch was the cause of the dis
aster, but as to how - why it throw
the train of their views are widely divergent.
There appears to be no question as to the
fact that the switch was properly closed at TIL
time of the accident. Very naturally no one con
uected with the road or i'll the service of the com
pany cares to commit himself to any opinion that
will in any way suggest caleessness on the part OF
the workmen who put in the switch, or laid the
track or to views that may even by implication Grim
mate the corporation ON which they are dependent
for their living
William Neavers one of the men who has been at
work laying the new track, when asked as to the
stability of the work, said
"The track and the switch were all right i
dropped III the last spikes myself yesterday, and
put them IN solid. There nothing the matter
with the way the work done. No, 1t wasn't
the frog GUST south of the BRIDGE which threw the
train OFT was standing right here when the rain
struck the bridge and it all. 1t went OIL at the
switch. The rails spread and pulled the spikes.
Ihe hind car went off first. and that dragged the
others off The train was going like ball. The cars
>wayed to the east, then to the west, then they
jumped into the water 1t was all done as qdIck as
a fash. They nearly struck one of our men, and we
barely pulled him back in time to save his llie.
How did the switch throw the train off, aud what
made the rails spread Well, hats more than can
tell YOU. l don't understand myself; only sawit
and know it dId-and know the work that did
was put in good and strong"
BRAxEMANs EXPERIENCE.
Henry l.. Combs, a brakeman Oh the rear of
the wrecked train, who escaped with slightly
bruised knee said to The TRIBUNE correspondent:
" There were over 100 Ill the train, but / don't
think there we're as many as 200 passengers There
were only four persons III the rear car. We
keep that locked TIL we get to Red Bank and only