New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-16
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dimly seeing the black shape Of the flying loco
motive in the distance. the brakeman lost his
presence of mind. Instead of running as fast as
he could toward the oncoming train and waving
his flag 10 warn the engineer. he rushed back to
the rear car Of the express train and shouted:
Jump for your lives, everybody! The train
behind will be on us IN a minute
There was still time for some Of the men in the
rear car to escape. and in the wild scramble
which followed the brakemans warning half a
dozen men shot out of the doors and leaped from
the platforms Then followed the collision with
the terrific crash, tine splintertng Of cars into
matchwood. the bending and breaking of iron in
the shock and the crushing Of human bodies,
which meant sudden or lingering death to .
number and the manning of many more.
Hoffman and Metz. looking forward from the
swiftly moving locomotive Of the local train,
had caught sight of the red lights at the end OF
the express train at a distance Of perhaps 200
feet It then too late for the engineer to
slacken the speed of the heavy train. but he
mechanically applied the brakes and then he
tried TO jump from the locomotive but he was
Knocked senseless on the floor of the cab by the
shock of the collision. Metz also tried to save
himself by jumping from the cab, but he did
not escape serious injury.
THE CRASH HEARD AT KEARNY.
The shock of the collision was so terrific that
the crash heard plainly at Kearny and at
Marion on the east side Of the Hackensack River.
As the locomotive Of the local train poughed
its way into the rear car of the express train,
the air was filled with flying splinters and chunks
of wood. The rear platform OF the car was
smashed into small fragments and the pilot Of
the locomotive crushed through the solid floor Of
The car for a distance of ten feet and shattered
the partition between the smoking and baggage
compartments. The car, shattered from end TO
end hurled forward, te escopng the next
car, No. 2i6, which in turn partly demolished car
No. 3l4. One side Of No. 24s was completely
torn away and the roof and iloor were broken.
while the seats We're torn from the floor and
hurled with the passengers toward the forward
end or out Of the car.
The entire express train. with the locomotive,
was moved forward nearly 100 feet by the force
Of the blow Cars Nos 50 and 246, which had
been wrecked completely were packed together.
and the locomotive Of the local train with its
smokestack. bell and sandbox broken off. re-
manned sticking fast in the end of car No SO.
No steam escaped from the battered locomotive.
fortunately the injured in the wrecked
rear would have been scalded TO death. The
forward cars of the express train and all of the
cars of the local train had escaped serious in.
jury
When the two trains came to a standstll
after the collision there presented a scene
Of horror such IS seldom Witnessed even in
railroad wrecks. dozen badly injured men.
who had been hurled bodily through the broken
side Of car 30. 246 lay wrthing the ground
between the railroad tracks. Beside them were
the bodies Of several men who had been killed
instantly in the wreck. Some Of the bodies had
beer mutated by splinters Of the car, and the
frosty ground being Redeemed by blood that
flowed from the fresh wounds. From inside the
wrecked cars came groans and frantic calls for
help
II am being crushed to death. Help me, some
body" one man was calling
Lend hand here. or l will be smothered!'
another cried
DELAY IN ANSWERING APPEALS.
The pitifu appeals could not be answered inn
There was no means for calling aid
on the embankment. shut off by the
marshy and desoate meadows from the neigh
boring towns Passengers left the forward cars
of the express train and ran back 70 the wrecked
ears. where they were joined by the passengers
Of the local train. All had been shaken rudely
and were in a state of bewderment The
conductors of the two trains and the brakemen
went to work 10 rescue some of the injured per-
sons still in the wrecked cars, ana other men
aided best they could. but the work was oi
sort, and number OF the men en-
gagged in it were well-nigh helpless because their
nerves were unstrung by the shocking and sick
ening spectacle OF the dead and dying The
cushioned seats were carried out Of some OF the
cars and placed on the emDankineht as teni-
porary beds on which the wounded were laid.
Men who knew nothing Of surgery tore their
haudkerchiefs Into strips and bandaged the cut
L.. 4 hD
two physicians on the express train. DR.. Thomas
y Gray Of Brick Church. Orange, and Dr.
Reynolds, both Of whom fortunately had escaped
injury and they performed heroic work In tho
emergency one Of the brakemcn had been sent
to telegraph for a wreeNng train and Tor physi,,
clans to be sent from iloboAen' but the needed
relief was slow In arriving.
Iv direction of Conductor George the forward
ars Of the express train were converted into tenn
porary hospital wards, and as rapidly as possible
The injured men who had been rescued were
,arriel 10 the cars. Bodies of the dead were
taken into the same cars also.
In about half an hour a wrecking train arrived
m charge of William Keenan, and fifty men went
l., work under his orders - tear apart the
wrecked cars and release the imprisoned dead
and injured men still in the wreck Ropes were
attached To the top of ear NJ. 2i6. and the roof
+ th, ear was dragged by the Wrecking engine
'or distance of about fifty feet toward the
bridge and then thrown over the embankment
,esid. the west bound track. As soon as all OF
ne dead ard manned bodies had been removed
rom the wreck the forward ears OF the express
rain were sent on - HobOken
Meanwhile several hundred persons had walked
across the meadows from Kearny TO the scene
f the collision. and hundreds more were walking
rom Marion and from West End along the rail-
.oad tracks over the bridge. The news of the
disaster had spread in each place. and in
IIohoken like wildhre train that left ioboken
A. $40 A. IN. was stopped at The bridge and the
passengers left the cars 10 walk 10 the place.
Manv of the passengers who had escaped in
lry on the wrecked express train and on the
ocal train walked over the hill TO Hoboken,
4 =, renr ba al a
han usual \ number of physicians who had
zone To the wreck from Hoboken were carried
)ack on the train with the dead and injured.
)thers remained at the scene of the collision
lnul il was made certain that no more bodies
we're i'm the wreck. The wreckers remained 10
ear apart the crushed cars. The floor and
In mayed sides Of ear No 246 were dragged over
he embankment on the north side Of the tracks
md left i'm the marsh on the other side of the
we"e thrown the broken smoke
tack and connecting rods Of the locomotive.
the nnglneer. had boon removed from