Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-02-11
BROADCAST RUIN.
TERRIFIC COLLISION OF RAILWAY
TRAINS ON A BRIDGE.
Four on Tanks Explode and Scatter Their
~ Fiery fluid All Round-Four Men
Roasted, and OIL, 900, 900 In
Property Destroyed.

NEW BUNswIcK, N. j., Feb. AT
o'clock Saturday morning an extra freight
train from Philadelphia, owing to a broken
truck, stopped upon the bridge over the
Raritan river for repairs While waiting
the through southern bound freight which
left Philadelphia OF 1890 p. m. came dash
ing along through the city, and not unit
within 800 feet OF the caboose Of the extra
train did the engineer see it. Brake:
were applied, to no purpose The engine o1
the freight train struck the caboose Of the
extra, telescoped 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, the oil
ran over the lee, 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 building used
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 9 o'clock the flames were under control.
The woodwork Of the bridge was burned.
The damage TO that structure is not yet es-
i,nated. Engineer French and Fireman
Harrison, Of the regular freight, jumped
from tho 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 Ksnsington, 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, fool
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 victim Of the most horrible fire 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 Place. The burning
Gil literally poured over and was flung upon
the roofs of manufacturing establishments.
Only the battered locomotive and an unex-
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 at between $500, 900 and
$1,000 900.
Fire engines were sent to the aid of the
burning city from Elizabeth and Jersey
City. Only one span of the bridge was dam
aged The bridge was the finest on the Penn
sylvania road. All travel on that road will
be greatly delayed, as long detours have to
be made.
The shock of the explosion aroused the 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 & Co.'s buildings.
stock and plant, will amount to $175, 600; in
surance, SOL, ,000. The Consolidated
Fruit-Jar company's loss is $780,
600, fully insured. The loss by
the Pennsylvania Railroad company can
not be ascertained. The loss on dwelling
houses is $4,000, and on the dyeing depart
msnt of the hosiery company $1O, 900, fully
insured. Janeway & Co. will Immediately
rebuild. The insurance loss will fall on OUT
of-town companies, and is well distributed
Steps have already been taken to test the
liability Of the Pennsylvania Railroad COM
pany in 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 carelessness of the telegraph
operator on the east bank of the Raritan,
who operated the block signals. He cannot
be found.