New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-15
A TRAIN IN A RIVER BOTTOM.
THREE MEN KILLED BY THE FATAL PLUNGE
LOCOMOTIVE AND TwENTYTHEEE COAL CARS
GO THROUGH AN OPEN DRAwBRIDGE-THE
SNnASIGKM ERnRARLY RESPONsIRIE

LOCOMOTIVE AND TwENTY.THEEE COAL CARS
GO THROUGH AN OPEN DRAwBRIDGE-THE
sNowSTORM PROBABLY RESPONSIBLE.
The eastbund coal train, No, 80 on the New
York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad due at
Little Ferry, n. j., at noon yesterday, plunged
through the open draw of the bridge over the
Ovcrpeck River, a branch of the Hackensack. at
that place. and the engine and twenty
three loaded coal cars were piled on the river
bottom together with tie engineer and fireman
of the locomotive and the head brakeman of the
train. who was on the engine at the time of the
accident.
The drawbrdge was open at the time to permit
the passing through of tugbOat having IN tow
a canalboat The brdg-tender, it is said, dis
played the usual danger signals to warn engineers
that the draw was open. Although net definitely
known il is believed that the engineer of the coal
train did not see the signal, and in consequence
failed to stop his train. 1t was blowing hard az
the time The train made up of about sixty
ears and a caboOse, and in the latter were num-
her of the trainmen, while others were out on the
trainalthough none were on the twenty three cars
that went into the river. The remainder of the
train was left standing the track
The engineer on the tram was William Nixon,
one of the best-known and oldest men on the road.
lie lived at No. 81 Hudson-st, IlobOken where
he leaves a wife and several children The fire
man was Patrick Harrington, and it is believed
that he also lives at the sahe place and is married
The head brakeman was William Seeley. All
three were drowned, and the company sent orders
TO have divers employed to recover their remains
from the wreck.
The telegraph operator at Little Ferry made
desperate effort to warn Nixon of his danger
after he had passed the danger signal. The
operator was aware of the fact that the draw
was OPEN and his CONSERVATION was great when
he saw the train keep on just as II no danger
signal WAS displayed. He rushed out of his
office and tried TO signal the engineer, but the
train sped on and left him behind. The man a
moment later heard the crash come as the engine
won't off the bridge into the water, and as car
after car went over and piled on top OF one
another When the river bottom had become
filed up in the vicinity OF the bridge tne
momentum of the train WAS stopped by the
wrecked cars, which were piled up in the draw
opening. 1t will take some time to clear up
the wreck and open TO navigation the river
channel, which is now chOked up with cars ana
coal.
Word was teegraphed to Jersey City giving
information of the wreck, and soon gangs oil
men and wreckers were sent to the place 10 clear
away and open the road. There was delay
TO passenger travel of about an hour and a half,
and the Susquchanna Railroad mana cement at
once made arrangements with the West Shore
Railroad whereby ii enabled TO transfer its
trains over the West Shore tracks from New
Durham to Little Ferry Junction, and III THIS
way travel was resumed.