New-York tribune., 1885-02-08
RAILWAY WRECK AND FIRE
SERIOUS DISASTER IN NEw-BRUNswlcK.
FREIGHT TRAINS IN CoLLIsIoS-FAcToRIEs BURNED
Two LIVES LOSr.

SERIOUS DISASTER IN NEw-BRUNswlCK.
FREIGHT TRAINS IN coLLIsIoS-FAcroRIEs BURNED
Two LIVES LOST.
| NEw-BRUNswICK, Feb. Shortly before 8
o'clock this morning an extra freight train from
Philadelphia, owing to o broken truck stopped
upon the bridge over the Rartan River for repairs
While waiting the through Southern freight, which
left Philadelphia at 1890 p. M. came dasbing along
through the city. Not until he was within 800 feet
of the caboose of the extra train did the engineer
see it,
The brakes were applied, but to no purpose. Tho
engine of the Southern freight struck tse caboose
of the extra tran telescoped it, and then struck an
oil tank car of which there were four attached to
| the extra. An explosion Immediately followed.
and the wrecked cars and burning oil were thrown
over and down from the high bridge to the streets
below. The ignited oil ran through the streets into
the Raritan Canal This being covered with ice
the oil ran over it and down the canal to the wall
paper factory of Janeway Il Co., setting fire to 1t.
| The flames were soon beyond the control OF the :
fremen and the building was totally deHroyed and
| seven dwellings opposite were gutted In the inl-
mediate vicinity were the establishments of tho
New,Jersey Lamp and Bronze Works, the City Gas
| Works, and Garretson Bowne's machine shops.
| These were not harmed, owing to the favorable
direction Of the wind. In the meantime building
i
Jar Company, situated directly under the railroad
bridge. had been set on fire by the burning OIL
| This builing was entirely consumed. The flames
tneu spread to the main factory OF the Fruit Jar
| COMPANY Here the fremen battled bravely anu
| although they could not save this building they
| prevented the fire from spreading In the buildings
of the Norfolk and New-Brunswick Hosiery Com
pany the largest factory in the city, whose walls
| were Immediately adjoining.
| BY g a. m. the local fremen had the lire under
control, when relief came from Trenton in the shape
| of two fire engines and hose carts. In the meah-
time the woodwork of the railroad bridge had oeea
| slowly burning. The damage to the structure VIII
| not exceed IL 600.
Engineer French and Fireman Harrison, OF the
Southern freight, jumped from their engine when
| they saw that collision was inevitable, and
| escaped with n few brnlses. The brakeman on the
| front end of the tIain Frank Dumas, OF henslng-
| ton, Penn, failed to jump and was carried down
in the wreckage to the street. where he was roasted
| to death. his boiy was recovered. charred Mass
of llesh unrecognnabie except py an ',ue, ~ vonua
| mechanic while assisting the hremen Ia Janewsys
| building was overcome by smoke aud buried IN tne
| ruins His body had not been found las. night.
| Railroad officials from New-York immediately
came to the city and are superintendng the worS oI
transferring passengers etc. tetegptn.dd for
while But for the favorable wind the whole man.
ufacturng part of the city would nave oeea t
dpsfr 10
of the hill along the Raritan River At no point on
the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad could more disastrous
accident have occurred. The burning OH anu Cars cars
were literally poured over and nuhs upoh 'n0 ioo'
OF the factories.
THE DAMAGE S5OOOO0.
The loss on Janeway & Co.'s building, stock and
plant will amount to $150,O0O. The insurance
amounts to $6l 900. The Consolidated Fruit jar
Companys loss about 1900 000 fully insured nS
| N
impart information. Ihe loss on .ny uTos Tnt
houses is $1,000 The loss on the dye,g @ ctpar,- ~
ment of the hosiery company ~ Tl,Voo; iu,y IN III.
| snred The east-bound track was cleared ior tuo
passage of the first train at III a; m Previous "
| ths all the trains for New-iOrk had 10 go arDund
| by Monmouth Junction, Jamesburg. Sonth Ampoy
and Railway Junction before reaching the man I'm
line and all the trains for Phiiadcpnia h'u u 10
Thn tnta loss by the fire will not exceed 100000
Janeway q Co. will Immediately rebuild. lhe
Fruit Jar Company VIII MT up It's S'otenou'' ~ 0oA
tinue business al once. ,o,,u
Mostofthe insurance loss will fall on non COM
panes but it will be distributed widely STEPS n nare
already been taken to test the liability OF the Ienn:
| svlyania Railroad Company in the matter OF
damages before the Trenton courts,
An examination of the bridge shows that it Jas
not been weakened at all. Trans were running on
regular time last night Two OF the cars that wers
hurled over the bridge INTO the street coh'ained
horses These were roasted TO deatn
The corelessness which caused the accident Is
attributed to the telegraph operator on the easy
Of the Rar'am wRS the accident occurred
Enur bocks away from the scene of the accident,
the engineer and iFemeh Te bock s AWAY the red light
loomed into view, and the engineer coulo no. io-
speed Of the train in s to So ysa shs sSs
was displayed on the bridge.
paL.prrpnIA, Feb. THE following is the
official account of the fire at New brunswich' na"o
| by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company:
Inc accident at the New-Brunswck Bridge at o'clock
th, morning was caused by east-bound freight Tram
running into the end OF an east-bound OH uan
| lin on hp
engine Of the train and three oil cars were DAILY
the crnss-tics OF the bridge and varying tue
being N ol also IRON sne O building
closely adjoining the sss SnS ihe s ps
70 oo oss e econd Train was killed thus far his
name been ascertained nahoer mo , q. Sasnd
tpack Was ready for use at 1Os0 allowing the limited
express to pass the bridge All lpa,senger g s Win ~
out eienton East-bound passenger trains from phila
delphIa this morning were lrn via Montoah ,th b,s
little delay.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT IN JERSEY CITY.
At the office of Superintendent Petit In the fehn-
sylyania Railroad depot, Jersey CITY, Cnie1 CierA
r A Shirrefs had compiled the following state
ment from about one nundreu teicsiai"' ioe'~
ND to about D. m yesterday:
Ar $50 a. H. Extra SOC, oitrain consisting os
thirty three in charge OF CohSIS,9r Evira SS fast
frsght train of the Philadelphia, wilmington anu Da.
more Railroad, consisting OF tTenay.ne Tn3rarr FRENCH
at the west end OF the New Brunswick Bfiage. poea
trains were bound cast Brakeman frank Duma, a. -
killed and three OF the oil tram ana seven o ss %
the rast freight were totally destroyed Inc ofuse ss
on tho western approach TO the brdgo anu o o
saan wars burned the fire extended 10 the
dated Fruit Jar Company OF Janeway ,ow Jos ah hs
of the New brunswick Hosiery Company yei"
Hr,dsa nh the west side OF the canal bank mest'pos
through trains over the BouI1 ,rons
| srnv' Eiirabeth and eastbound through pa.s p.s
I rio Monmouth Junction South Amboy aud foisn
Amboy Junction. The first tram 10 cryI h,s, ,aSe &
| Was
Ncw-York at 1910 a. u ..,s
"Tbe iron bridge is practically ndestructibie''