The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-10-24
AN ExGlNEEA,y lIEnU4AM
Giving hix own Life ror the Sa arcty OF
No. Ills 800 Hnsscuvcrs


w. His 900 PnSscmgcrs.
NEw ionK, October 23-rhc train
on the Pennsylvania road, which left
Jersey City at Ills +. NJ. yesterday, was
made up Of ten passenger coaches, all oi
which were, as usual, crowded will,
people. It Is computed that there was not
less than 600 passengers .an-, the trnin.
Conductor Whelpley Ind charge, and tic
engineer was Joseph "A. seis, a married
man OF middle age, who lives in Jersey
City. Blythe time that the train had reuch.
ed Bergen cut its speed was about thirty.
five miles an hour. The smoking car,
which was next TO the tender Of the engine,
was crowded with men, many of whom
stood up i'll The aisle.
Suddenly,throush the front door OF the car,
which was open and let in Il current OF air,
came h Whit OF smoke, immediately fol.
lowed by u dense volume OF smoke and a
tongue Of flame. The passengers who ere
seated sprang up in alarm, and those who
stood near the front door silrunk back as
the smoke and fame increased. One man
grasped the door aud slammed il shnt.
The next instant it was dashed open again,
and two men threw themselves into the car.
One OF these was Seig, the engineer, and the
other WIS the fireman. Throug ii the binding
smoke that poured directly over the iron
tender the passengers could see that the
cab Of the engine Was i'll Flames, while the
open door OF the engine furnace was
mas OF fire. The smokin. car passengers
were filled with CONSERVATION. Those
nearest the rear door crowded out upon the
PLATFORM, only TO meet another excited
crowd issuing from the front door Of the
second car, the passengers Of which had
by this time become alarmed by the com.
motion and illumination from the blazing
cab. The other passengers raised windows,
and looked out TO see that the train was
dashing along ut a great speed, and that it
would be fatal to Jump. &5 n
Engineer Sicg stood near the front door
for an instant and looked back ut his en-.
gine, which was now without control. lie
realized that upon him depended the lives
OF GOO passengers. What Ind occurred had
only occupied few seconds OF time. lie
turned to his fireman and bade him to go
to the closet IN the rear OF the cur and use
the lever Of the mir brake which is there,
and which would have checked the Speed
Of the train. The fireman started 10 obey
the order, but he found his way blockaded
by an inpcnetrable mass of excited men,
jammed together in the aisle. What took
place then, Theodore Reeves, OF Newark,
who was in the second seat Of the smoking
car, described rs follows:
The passengers were all excited, and it
was impossible forsthc fireman to force his
way through them to yetto the closet. said
to the engineer standing near me: "What
is TO be done?' lie had no answer, but
turned his face to the engine, aud setting
his teeth together he sprang through the
door, and I saw him; indistinctly In the
flames beyond. The excitement in the car
continued. We felthow helpless We were
there, packed in like cattle. The only hope
apparently lay in tho desperate net Of the
engineer. l WAS revolving over in my
mind the feasibility Of dropping from the
car window near ME into the Hnckensack
River when the train should cross the
bridge. Presently we felt that the speed
Of the train was being !essened, un,l fin.
ally, with l,rch ind Il bump, it came 10
a full stop. We hastily clambered out,
and found tlat we had stopped on
the Hackensack Bridge. The flames
from the cab, released from tho strong
pressure Of air caused by the speed,
now mounted upward; About 200 people
were on the ties OF the bridge, and heads
protruded from the windows oi NIL the rear
couches in some OF which tho passengers
were ignorant OF the cause ofsthc sudden
stoppage. The passengers nearest the en-
CINE now saw tue head and shoulders Of Il
man appearing above the water tank on the
tender. Several men sprnng OH the tender
and drew him out. 1t was Engineer Sieg.
He was weak, and half unconscious. Tie
clothes were completely burned from him.
His face was disflgured and his hands
shockingly burned. His body was burned
80 badly that some Of the ileslrwas stripped
off in moving him. In the meantime
ready hands supplied with pals, drew
water from the river, and dashed it over
the burning cab, soon putting out tho
flames. Siee will probably die.