New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-15
SAVED BY OLD NO. 1853.
NARROW ESCAPE OF A PASSENGER TRAI
AN EXPRESS JUMPS THE TRACK on A TREsTLE AM
rs DRAWN OVER ON THE CROssTIEs

AN EXPRESS JUMPS The TRACK on TREsTLE AND
rs DRAWN OVER ON THE CROssTIEs.
Two hundred passengers on the New-YOrk
and Long Branch Railroad who left Red Bank at s25
yesterday morning barely escaped death twenty min
ues afterward The train is fast express, made up OF
one section from Long Branch and another from Lake
wood, New-Jcrseys winter resort The cars were filled
with New-York business and Eew-Jersey lawyers
and court officers quarter OF mile south OF Mata-
wan there is trestle thousand yards long. which
spans deep gully. Below is a marsby meadow and a
creek. few feet south Of the wooden structure q
short switch up into a briekysrd.
As the express came tearing along at thirty miles an
hour the wheels OF the baggagecar snapped the short
frog rail OF the switch and jumped from the track The
other cars followed IT, before the realized
what had happened the whole train WAS crashing
across the treste tearing up the erosses Men turned
pale ran up and down the oars aud some opened the
doors intending leap or glimpse at the chasm be-
low however. made it appear safer to stay with the
o,ting train. The car, which contained Lakewood
passengers WAS In most imminent danger The train was
taking serpcntne course across tho bridge and THIS car
acted like cracker OF wbp Parallel to the track are
wooden fastened TO the ends OF the ties TO pre-
vent the running IN they leave the rails
The Lakewood bumped from sie to the other OF
these tmbers. each shock breaking window glass and
making the passengers fearful At last the trucks
were torn away and the fell with crash upon the
tresile and was dragged on.
In this car was W. B. Huey. hat
manufacturer OF EatOntown, N. J. He
pulled the belrope The engineer. George Chickener
had his haud throttle but he hesitated 81 was
thinking" nc said whether I'd better stop her put
on more steam aud try 20 pull that bridge" He
decided to do the latter and pulling her wide open !"
the trese cleared. An old railroad man, VINO was
on the spot gave it his opinion that II the speed
had been slackened the whole train must have
gone over into the creek To pull across was the only
salvation; the en- gineer did right" he said
Tho engine had Just enough powor to draw its load
from tue point OF danger the Of the train being
only few feet from the bridge when It came to stand
stlll, No seriously Injured, though all were
shaken and bruised The suffered worse than The
mcn Their shrcks could be Leard above the crash or
breaking timOcrs.
Among Tie passengers were c. T. Meert sonin-law OF
Dr. Van Duren J. 4. Navarro, John Hone, who was
going the cy from ns home nj Sea Bright; Charles
i. nuai Thomas Mnrphy, eX-Cosctor OF the Port ~
New York. aud his Iichard Murphy aud Assembly
man Pintsrd. OF New-Jersey. .
The crew the wrecked train manned the train tnat
was thrown from the Little silver Greek bridge into the
river years ago. causing the loss OF several lives
Ehc engine too Inquired M these two wrecks IL was
not damaged aud u has been In almost daily use
Oh the road since. IL s duOwn as " Old No. lo3