New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-14
A FATAL RAILWAY COLLISION
RUNAWAY CARS CAUSE A WRECK NEAR
SHORT HILLS, y. j.
AN ENGINEER KILLED OUTRIGHT AND TWO
OTHER MEN INJURED-THE wRECKAGE
BCRNED-vARYING ACCOUNTS OF
THE ACCIDENT.

THE ACCIDENT
Three heavily loaded freight cars and ca boose
running Wild for two miles at terrific speed down
one Of the steepest grades on any railroad In this
part of the country. dashed into the engine Of a
fast combination train ea~ly yesterday morning
between Huntey and Short Hills, y. J. The
crash could be heard in Summit. two miles away.
The wreck complete. The engine and six
cars crushed, and then the cars were burned
with all their contents, being ignited by Goals
from the engine and stove in the caboose.
The engineer of the combination train was
killed instantly although he tried to save himself
by Jumping His fireman hurt, and was
the brakeman whose duty it apparently to
have been on the runaway cars. The dead man Is
Reuben Tiniall, of Washington, y. j. The in
jured are Hiram Rush. fireman. badly bruised
about the body and limbs. and Martin Nixon
brakeman whose leg was badly crushed
The runaways belonged to = way freight train
on the Delaware Lackawanna and Western Rail-
road. which left Hoboken at s:45 a. m, and was
due at Summit at 435. The train carried small
consignment OF mail for towns along the road
The mail was in the forward car and was not In
the wreck. The train into which the runaways
crashed carried a larger part of the mail destined
for distant points as far az Easton This mail
matter was also in a car next the engine Follow
ing the mail car in the combination train were
cars carrying New-York morning newspapers
consigned to various points along the road. This
train made fast time and stopped only signal
and at the most important stations Ii included
two passenger coaches and several milk cars.
The freight-train was behind time when X
reached Summit. There were several cars on
the sidings there to he taken into the train
and while the transfers were being made the
laip1
afterward ran away, were left standing on the
main track, with the rear brakeman out be-
hind to watch for danger Accounts differ as to
what happened next One report is that the
main section of the train backed down to the
three cars and coming too fast, struck them
with such force to start them down the
incline. Another story is that the main sec
ton was coupled to the three cars in safety
the brakes were unset and the start forward
was made, but that the strain broke the draw
head OF the coupling-pin, and, without brakes
set, the three cars and the caboose began
their trip
The accounts differ. too. to where the
rear brakeman. Nixon, was. One story says
that he had just been signalled to come In
and his way when the cars broke loose
Another is that ne had reached the cars and
in the caboose. but jumped when he real
lied what had happened. instead Of trying TO
about him, he made an attempt to board the
runaway cars they went past him.
There varying stories, too to what the
engineer of the train did. one story credits him
with rushing ahead to the station and imme
diateiy telegraphing TO the train dispatcher
Hinson at Hoboker, that three or four cars
were going down the grade Another story is
he lost valuable time by reversing and trying
TO catch the flying
When the message was sent TO Hinson at Ho-
boken ii went through Mburn, and top of
1t came Milburn's announcement that the paper
and milk train had just passed and could not
be recalled. Hinson ordered out the wreckng
crew at Hoboken and the were getting
under way when the of the collision ar
rived. The wrecking train made only one stop
the out that being at Rossville To pick
up Division Superintendent Reasoner who lives
there and had been called from his bed.
The fire made the work Of the wreckers
easy. There staying the flames as
barrels OF oil and rosin in the freight-cars fed
the fire. The rails under the spot were warped
and had to be replaced. This delayed west
bound traffic two hours, but the eastbound
track. the most used in the morning was
cleared and trains going TO New-York were
delayed, only by having to run slowly past the
wreckage.
Tndall had wife and four children He
not the regular engineer Of the train but
making special run with IL. He had
been employed on engines for tW Wenty years
His body taken to Summit.