Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-01-26
A FIRRmAN,s HEAD CUT OFF.

/ A FIREMAN,S HEAD CUT OFF.
A Locomotive Crashes Into n Fire
Engine I'm Jersey City - The Head
Found Two Hundred Feet From
His Mangled BODY A Woman
Probably Fatally Injured - Horses
Killed.
JERSEY CRY, Jan. 25.-As engine No.
was returning to its house at Mercer and
Barrow street from the fire at Essex and
Greene streets. Saturday night, an alarm
came in from box at Pavonia and Grove
streets, fire having broken out in the
hardware store of George Boltwood. The
engine started up Mercer street. On the
box acting as driver was Stoker Daniel
Oman. As he neared the railroad CROSS
ing on Railroad avenue Oman refined in
his horses and kept a sharp lookout for
the watchman's warning of approaching
| trains.
The horrible accident which occurred an
| instant later was witnessed by several
persons, whose accounts for the most part
agree. Oman whipped up his horses and
started to make the crossing. His horses
had barely set foot on the down track
when they were swept down by the engine
of an express train.
For few moments there was such con-
fusion and noise, mingled with the screams
of men and women, that few could tell
what had happened, as the train dashed
by and out of sight down the track. Then
those who rushed to the spot found an
overturned fire engine badly wrecked, one
horse terribly mangled and the other in
its death agonies. Further down the
track in the darkness the searchers came
across the headless body of Oman, and
fully two hundred feet further his head
was found. The body was terribly mang-
led.
The body of Oman was removed to Bra
dy's morgue in Newark avenue. Oman,
who was thirty, was married man and
leaves a wife and one child. He also sup
ported his widowed mother. He had been
member of the fire department for ten
years.
Mrs. Thaddeus Sneed of No. $50 Barrow
street, a young colored woman, was stand
ing on the sidewalk to the south side of
the crossing, when piece of iron from the
wrecked fire engine struck her on the fore
head and knocked her down. She had an
infant in her arms, but the baby was unin-
jured. Her two-year-old child was also
with her, but escaped injury. Mrs. Sneed
was taken to her home in an ambulance,
and was still unconscious at late hour
last night. Her injuries are serious.
NARROW ESCAPE OF INMATES.
The steamer was returning from the fire
in the old frame tenement house at the
corner of Essex and Greene streets, which
was filed with people. The first efforts of
the firemen were directed toward saving
the tenants, who consisted of six families,
having many children. Only a few cue
ceeded in escaping by means of the stairs
and the crowds surrounding the fire were
Mortified to see faces at nearly every win
dow on the Essex street side. The prompt
work of the fremen in rearing ladders res
cued many of these without Injury, but
several casualties occurred.
The saddest accident was that to old
Mrs. Flannen. She was driven by the
flames to the window and was forced
to jump. She struck on an empty piano
box, crashing through it and was picked
up for dead, but recovered consciousness
and it was found that her right leg was
broken and that she had sustained internal
injuries. She may recover.
An old man named Cullen lived on the
top floor of No. 80 Greene. He had been
paralyzed for years. When the fire broke
out his aged wife attempted to carry him
down stairs in her arms, but found her
self unable to do so, and as the smoke be-
gan to fill the halls she was seen to rush
into the street and implore the crowd to
save her husband. Two fremen hurried
up and carried the old man down in safe
ty:
When the firemen reached the top floor
they were shocked to find the body of
John Guseman, who with his wife and five
10
not known how he came to his death, as
the rest Of the family were out of doors
at the time. It is supposed he had been
suffocated by the smoke, as the flames had
not reached his body.
CHIEF ENGINEER KILLED.
Another fatal fire this evening resulted
in the killing of Chief Engineer Henry E.
Farrier and Daniel Oman, stoker of No. 8
engine, and in serious injuries to several
other fremen. The fire broke out in tho
cellar of Charles Boltwood's hardware
store, No. 200 Pavonia avenue. Its origin
is unknown. The firemen got their hose
at work and fought their way into the eel
lar, when terrific explosion occurred.
Two barrels of turpentine had exploded
with force enough to SKATER the plate
glass windows on both sides of the store
huu 10 Suhho JI10 LII Luc NlClulGy.
There were several firemen in the cellar
when the explosion occurred, and it was
feared that all of them had been
killed. A cheer went up from
the crowd as Michael Whalen of
No. 2 Hook and Ladder was seen
to emerge to the street carrying
an unconscious comrade on his back. The
injured man proved to be Hoseman John
Mcdonald of No. engine company. He
was badly burned about the head, face and
hands, and is thought to have inhaled the
fire. He was removed to St. Francis hos
pital, where his condition was pronounced
extremely critical. Assistant Chief En-
gineer John Denead and Hoseman John
Farrell of No. 4 enginee, were also scorched
and cut by flying glass. The fire was
finally drowned out after a damage esti-
mated at $25, 900 had been done mainly by
water.
The fremen were taking up their hose
when inquiry was made concerning Chief
Engineer Farrier. The cellar was searched,
and partially concealed by large case that
had fallen upon him, the chiefs dead body
was found. Death had been caused by suf
location.
The Seine Over Its Banks.
BRUSSELS, Jan. 25.-A thaw has set in
and floods have resulted. The river Seine,
which flows through this city, is much
swollen. 1t has overfowed its banks for
miles and the low-lying suburbs of Brus-
sells are flooded to depth of five feet.
THE GILLIAN REVOLT.
A Conference without Result-Busi-
ness in a State of Paralysis.
BUKNos AYREs, Jan. A.-News has
been received here from Valparaiso that a
conference between President Balmaceda
and the Gillian deputies has taken place.
Many people believe that the president
would take advantage of this meeting to