The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-12-15
SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD
Wreckers Hard at Work at the
Little Ferry Draw.

All the afternoon and last night two
wrecking trains and a xrecking steam
boat were at work endeavoring to find
The bodies of the three men and to raise
the locomotive and twenty-three cars that
plunged into the open draw at Little
Ferry, on the New York, Susquehanna
and Western road, yesterday, as exclu-
sively reported in last nights JERSEY
CITY NEWS.
| called at the office of the company
last night and was there told this story
OF the disaster by one of the employees:
1t was in the binding snow storm at ten
minutes to twelve O'Clock yesterday
morning when three men went to their
doom.
At this hour the coal train, with crew
of six men, a conductor, three brakemen,
an engineer and a fireman, came dashing
across the meadows bound for West End
to deliver over thirty car loads OF coal.
Across the great stretch of meadow land
nothing could be distinguished but fierce
binding and beating snow that was
dashed by the wind against the train with
a force that reminded those exposed to it
of hail stones.
The train rolled on at its usual speed
and drew near the bridge over the Hack
ensack at Little Ferry. Here there is Il
draw and on the bridge is q signal sta
ton.
William Nixon, of Hoboken, was the
engineer of this train He stood with his
hand on the throttle peering through the
window for the signal 1t is supposed he
thought he saw the signal OF safety
through tue drifting snow and without
Stacking the speed Of his train proceeded
TO cross the bridge.
When too late his fatal error was dis
covered. The wheels were reversed and
down brakes frantically whistled. TWAS
IL
sudden stop and the momentum was
great. Before Nixon and his fireman
could jump to the bridge the engine gave
q lurch as ii trying to jump the open
draw and plunged to the bottom of TWEEN
ty feet of water into the mud, burying the
men with it. And on came car after car
until twenty-three were piled upon the
grave.
Head Brakeman w. Seeley was on one
of the forward cars, and he too was
dragged to his death at the river bottom.
1t is thought that the steam cansed by the
fires in the furnace killed Nixon and Fire
man Harrigan even before they could
drown.
The three other men in the crew were
on the rear cars and they jumped to the
bridge in time to save themselves had the
entire train gone over. They all received
severe bruises, but not serious ones.
The news of the wreck was at once
| teleHTdplcu 10 lu6 COliipduy dI inc OItC6
in this city and wreeking train was inn
mediately despatched to the scene of dis
aster. Jan order was given that every
thing possible should be done to find the
| bodies of the missing men. The wreck
ers, as soon as they saw the extent of the
disaster, telegraphed for more help and q
| wrecking train from the west side of the
bridge was sent there as was also 4 steam
| boat wrecker.
All the afternoon the three crews
aided by a corps of men under COM
mand of the superintendent of the
company were at work. but with no
| visible progress. The work was not to be
stopped during the night, and before the
! debris is removed and the bodies are
found perhaps three or four days will
| pass
The officials of the company have not
had time to make q thorough investiga-
ton Of the cause of the accident yet, but
| now they attach blame to no one but
/ Engineer Nixon. This unfortunate man
! lived with his wife and three children on
| Hudson street, Hoboken Harrigan,
| the fireman, lived at Wortendyke, and
Brakeman w. Seeley's residence could
not be learned last night.