Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-02-08
FEARFUL. FLAMES
That Followed a Terrific Railroad
Collision
On a High Bridge Over the RaritaU
River.
Burning Oil Flowing Like Water On
House Tops
And Threatening the Whole City OF
New Brunswick
With a Swift and Terrible Destruc-
ton BY Fire.
Two Thousand Men Idle as One
Result.

NV BRUNSWICK, N. j., February AT
5 o'clock this morning an extra freight
train from Philadelphia. owing to a broken
truck, stopped upon the the bridge over the
Raritan river for repairs. While waiting
a through southern freight, which left Phila-
delphia at 1890 P. m, came dashing
| through the city, and not until within five
hundred feet of the caboose Of the extra did
the engineer see it. The freight engine
struck the caboose of the extra and tele-
scoped it. Then it struck an oil, tank of
which there were four in the train, and an
explosion followed Immediately.
Burning Oil.
The burning oil and 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. The oil ran over the ice down the
canal to the wall paper manufacturing es-
Enlistment of Janeway ( Co., and this was
soon totally destroyed. Seven dwellings
opposite the immediate vicinity of the col
lision and just under the long railroad
bridge and a building used as a box factory
by the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company
were also destroyed. The flames spread
to the main f factory of the company which
was wholly destroyed.
By 6 o'clock this morning the flames
were under control. The wood work OF the
bridge was burned. The damage to that
structure has not yet been estimated.
Are They Dead:
Engineer French and Fireman Harrison
of the regular freight jumped from the en-
CINE, when they saw the inevitable collision,
and escaped with but few bruises.
The brakeman on the front Of the train,
Frank Dumas, OF KensiRgton, Pa, failed to
lump and was carried down in the wreck
age into the street below.
Patrick DoughertY, Jr a Young me-
chanie of this city, foolishlY entered the
burning building Of Jsneway x Co. in
search of tools and has not been seen since.
1t is feared he, too, has been a victim Of the
most terrible fire this city has ever seem.
But for a favoring wind the whole manufac-
turing part of the city would have been de-
stroyed. At no point on the whole road
could the accident occurred at so disas-
trous a place. The burning oil and cars
were literally poured over and flung upon
the roof of manufacturing establishments.
Only the battered locomotive and the I'M
exploded oil tank stand upon the track.
The Loss.
1t is now thought two brakemen on the
oil train we're also burned to death. The
loss is estimated at between eight hundred
thousand and a million dollars. The FIRE
engines were sent to aid the burning city
from Elizabeth and Jersey City.
Only one span Of the bridge is damaged.
The bridge was the finest on the Pennsyl-
yania road. All travel on that road will be
greatly delayed as long as detours have to
be made.
CarelessnSsS.
The collision so far as car be learned is
due TO the carelessness Of the conductor Of
the forward train. The train consisted OF
freight and oil cars, the latter being in the
rear and was east bound. For the reason
stated above, the train stopped onthe bridge
with TIE tail standing on the shore spans.
No Aagmen, as alleged, we're sent back to
warn the approaching train Of danger. The
result was the locomotive of the fast
eastward freight train plunged into the rear
of the oil train. The shock was terrific,
and caused the explosion, Streams Of
burning oil speedily overspread the bridge
and ran down into the street below, igniting
everything combustible in its course. Two
brakemen of the oil train fell through the
bridge to the street with the car in which
they were, and were burned up.
Terrific Explosion.
The shock of the explosion aroused the
people of this city from their slumbers, and
attracted by the blaze Of the burarng cars,
they ran to the bridge and attempted to
stay the progress ofthe flames. The entire
fire department also was out promptly, but
the cutters were filed with burning oil,
winch could not be turned from its course
| toward the river, and soon Janeway i Coz
immense wall paper factory, close to the
bridge, caught fire. The Chief of the fire
department, recognizing the desperate
straits in which he was placed, owing to his
small force telsgraphed to Elizabeth and
| Jersey City for assistance, but before steam
ers from those places arrived JanewayS
factory was burned to the ground.
Thousands Idle.
By the destruction of the two factories
more than 1000 men are thrown out Of
employment. 1t is believed they were
partly insured. Among the cars burned
were two, each containing twelve horses.
| All east and west bound trains on the
Pennsylvania railroad were cut of from di-
rect communication with the city. and COM
PEELED to make wide detour. Philadelphia,
Washington and western trains now going
| via Elizabeth aud the Bound Brook route.
Incoming trains come by way Of Monmouth
JUNCTION and South Amboy. Wrechng
trains have been sent to the scene Of the
disaster, and the Superintendent Of the di-
vision says that all trains will be running
regularly BY noon. The bridgeisore Of the
finest along the line Of the Pennsylvania
road.