New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-18
CAyE-IN ON THE WEST SHORE.
THE LIMITED NEARLY WRECKED.
PART OF THE ROOF OF THE WEST POINT TUNNEL
CRASHES DOWN UPON THE MOVING TRAIN.


CRASHES DOWN UPON THE MOVING TRAIN
West Point ~ Y, Oct II (SpeciaD.-The caving'n
Of a portion of the West Point tunnel on the West
Shore road last night came near causing ano'ner
addition to the long list of railroad disasters gang
of Iaborers have for some time been busy strengtheh
ing the roof of the tunnel Immediately under former
ravne which is now filed up with gravel ana o,her
water washed material Tho insecurity OF THIS por'oh
Of the tunnel had been discovered by Cher Engineer
Katie, and he putting in huge iron arches 70
support the brckwork and its superimposed load
At 8 O'Clock last night the working gang left the
tunnel and half-hour later fully forty feet OK the
brickwork Immediately adjoining the spot where the
work Of the day had stopped, fell down, carrying WIN
It an avalanche of the loose dirt with which the raVho
Is filed.
The St. Iou,s Limited was at the time running
slowly through the tunnel and the whole weight OF
the cave-in struck the two baggage cars, crushing
their roofs in like nutshcns, and wedging the cars
themselves tightly into the tunnel. The passenger
coaches not touched. but the whole train' OF
course, came to a sudden stop The passengers were
shaken up by tho shock, and for some moments were
almost panic-stricken in their anticipation OF I'M
pending disaster The expected ruin did not arrive
however and they were shortly reassured.
The locomotive IN the meantime was completely
shut of from the rest Of the trafn and the engineer
after ascertaning this fact, continued on his way
The crew os the baggage coaches, as by miracle
were unhurt, though the middle OF each car was
completely crushed in. The men were easily got
out Of the wrecked cars, and the tralnmen az once
proceeded to take out the baggage and to flag ap-
preaching trains while the conductor went southwark
of the tunnel TO a signal station, and sent for new
locomotive Within two hours, the passenger, ,r cars
ferred to weehawkcn over the Erie tracks, The Tn.
passengers groped their way out Of the tunnel ana
train which had been held at West Point were taken
to Cornwall by ferryboat
A RAD NIGHT FOR THE NEw-JERSEY CENTRAL.
Easton, Penn, Oct. IT (speciaD.-There was a chap
ter of accidents on the Central Railroad OF New
Jersey last night above segfelds Bridge coal
train failed to stop when slgnaled By fagman, and
crashed into the preceding train wrecklng dozen
cars, badly damaging the engine and burning
the caboose. It will take $4,000 to
cover this loss. slippery track Is ascribed as the
cause.
At point near bloomsbury, misplaced switch
threw coal train from the track, wrecked ten cars
and blocked the tracks for three hours. Michael
Sullivan, brakeman, had his foot caught In the
guard Of rail- and before he could extrcate himself
S eN We run snd a1S 5oseph Miller Both
brakemen lost arm each while coupling cars
General Manager j. D. Lang said yesterday after
noon The road will be blocked for some time
In the meanwhile we have arranged with the Erie
to run our passengers and freight over their line from
Newburg to Weehawken The local trains are running
to the south end OF the tunnel and the passengers
are transferred by omnbuses to another train waiting
at the north end. The delay is trifing"
Colonel Katie said: The cave-in is exactly below
what is known as Execution Hollow, in the West
Point parade ground. l was much surprised TO see
that part of the bottom Of this hollow had sunk ap
preclaby There is kind of funnel above the
break which is filed with gravel, and which acts
like huge filter when 1t rains. The wa,er sc
cumulated at the bottom and loOsened the brckworh
We certainly shall get the baggage cars out tomorrow
but it will take ten days for repairs Chief Engineer
Church. Of tho Aqueduct has kindly given me gang
Of experienced tunnel mel and that is great help
tn