The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-09
BROADCAST RUIN.
TERRIFIC COLLISION OF RAILWAY
TRAINS ON A BRIDGE.
Four oil Tanks Explode and Scatter Their
Fiery fluid All Round-Four Hen
Roasted, and 1000, 900 in
Property DESTROYED.

NEW BUNSWICK, n. j., Feb 9-At
o'clock Saturday morning an extra freight
train from Philadelphia, owing to broken
truck, stopped upon the bridge over the
Raritan river for repairs. Nhiie waiting
the through southern bound freight. which
left Philadelphia at 1879 p H. came dash
ing along through the city, and not until
within 500 feet of the caboose of the extra
train did the engineer see it. Brakes
were applied, to no purpose. The engine of
the freight train struck the caboose of the
extra, tetescoped it, and struck the oil tanks.
OF which there were four in the train, and
an explosion followed Immediately. The oil
tanks and the wrecked cars were thrown
over and down from the high bridge into the
streets below The burning oil ran through
the cutters down the streets into the Raritan
canal This being covered with ice, tho oil
ran over the ice, down the canal, to the wall
paper manufacturing establishment of Jane
way & Co. This was soon totally DESTROYED.
Seven dwellings opposite, and in the immed-
late vicinity of the collision and Just under
the long railroad bridge, and a building nsad
as box factory by the Consolidated Fruit
Jar company, were destroyed. The flames
then spread to the main factory of the com
pany, which was wholly destroyed.
By 6 O'Clock the flames were under control
The woodwork of the bridge was burned.
The damage to that structure is not vet es-
titnated. Engineer French and Fireman
Harrison, of tho regular freight, jumped
from the engine when they saw an newt
able collision and escaped with but few
bruises. a brakeman on the front of the
train, Frank Dumas, of kensington, Pa,
failed to jump and was carried down in the
wreckage into the street below and roasted
to death. Patrick DOugherty Jr., a
young mechanic Of this city, foo
ishly entered the burning building of
Janeway & Co, in search of tools, and has
not been seen since. 1t is feared he too has
been u victim of the most horrible ire this
city has ever had. But for favoring wind,
the whole manufacturing part of the city
would have been destroyed. At no point on
the whole road could the accident have oc-
CURED at so disastrous a Place. The buning
oil literally poured over and was flung upon
the roofs of manufacturing establishments
Only the battered locomotive and an uuex-'
ploded oil tank stand upon the track.
1t is now thought the two brakemen on
the oil train were also burned to DEATH The
loss is estimated al between $500, goo and
81 900, ,001
Fire engines were sent to the aid of the
burning city from Elizabeth and Jersey
City Only one span of the bridge was dam
agel The bridge was the finest on the Penn
| sylyania road. al travel on that road Will
be greatly delayed, rs long detours have to
| be made.
| The shock of the explosion aroused tue peo-
| pie OF this city from their slumbers, and at
| tracted by the bright light of the burning
cars they ran to the bridge and attempted to
| stay the progress of the flames By the de
| Struction of the factories more than 1000
men are thrown out Of employment. Among
the cars burned were two, each containing
twelve horses.
The loss on Janeway q Co.'S buildings,
stock and plant will amount to $l75, 900; in
surance, $6l, 900. The Consolidated
| Fruit-Jar company's loss is $500,
coo, fully insured. The loss by
| the Pennsylvania Railroad company can
not be ascertained. The loss on dwelling
house; is 10000, and on the dyeing depart,
ment of the hosiery company $1,000, fully
| insured Janeway & Co will Immediately
rebuild. Tho insurance loss will fall Cn out
of-town companies, and is well distributed.
Steps have already been taken to test the
liability of the Pennsylvania Railroad com,
pany i'll the matter of damages before the
Trenton courts.
The mystery is that the whole town was
not burned. The accident seems to have
been due to the carelcssness of the telegraph
operator on the east bank of the Raritan
who operated the block signals. He cannot
be found