New-York tribune., 1896-02-04
UNDERMINING THE TRACKS,.
LATEST PHASE OF THE RAILWAY WAR IN
JERSEY CITY.
xropxvEN HAZARD THEIR LIVES BY DIGGING
UNDER THE HEAVILY LOADED cARs-THE

,,,opxvrN HAZARD THEIR LIVES BY DIGGING
UNDER THE HEAVILY LOADED cARs-IhH
CARS FALL. BUT NO ONE IS INJURED
Tho Junction Connecting Railway Company began
Yesterday 10 remove the distractions placed IN 'ie
wav by the Pennsylvania Railroad al the rum. Va
rocks Jersey CITY, and the employees were aston
,ahd that M forcible resistance offered Wheh
tho dav was finished one Of the cars on the fer"-
vD,,vanIa tracks that was loaded with heavy stones
wa. living a wreck at the bottom OF the einpa"N
ment and another was dangling over the e''o "
the embankment and held from railing py s'ou'
coupling pin that united 1t to heavy passehsei
car The force Of the Pennsylvania Company o'u
not attempt molest the rival force 1t Is evident
that the PENNSYLVANIA road does not Intend 10 re-
sort to Violence unless the Junction people 'reSp''
or fail to adhere rigidly to the terms OF 'ne IN
junction. or else the Pennsylvania Is waiting ior
a pretext on which to base an application 70 .ne
courts and again arrest the construction OF INC
Junction Company's tunnel The present injunction
permits the Junction Railway TO interfere VIII"
three Pennsylvania tracks at a time. but no more.
and 20 Gu, a swath In the Pennsylvania roadped
afty-ive feet wide but not to exceed II an men e
line has been distinctly marked and Is ciose'y
watched by the Pennsylvania officials Inc juno
ton road cannot trespass on the Suri~ce Du' mus"
burrow under the tracks.
The Pennsylvania Company's roadbed Is ." rect
wide and 1t has forty-seven tracks on the line Oh
the Junction Company's proposed tunnel IL ioaoeo
the southerly tracks. where tho work OK ou'dihs
the tunnel was begun, with the gondoas or nat
cars filed with powders. and heavy cars that nave
seen long service The injunction does not restrain
II from occupying the tracks. and the object Is pa
pable for as soon as the roadbed Is undermined
the heavily frcghted cars sink into the gap ih's
rendered the work OF excavating 80 hazardous tha'
IT was expected the Junction Company wouid eA-
perience great difficulty in securing men who would
be- willing 10 risk being buried In the excavation OF
crushed to death under the weight OF tho cars
The Junction Company had forty laborers at Work
sarv Yesterday digging into the embankment un-
der the outer tracks. There were omnous olspiace-
ments OF earth. and the men proceedea CAUTIOUSLY.
About o'clock the outer tracks began to SINK ana
IN. laborers retired quickly. few minutes Iater
t%he % tracks gave way and two gondolas sank partly
into the gap until the cars formed in the shape ott
a ~; Their load OF powders rolled on and fei'
harmiessly into the debris below. , =,
The Junction Company had two engines couped
peted TO a hundred feet from the embankment. A
stout hawser was thrown over the ouners OK OK h ,he
two goudoIa cars. This hawser was attached 10 lle
roar engine The engines started but the hawser
snapped like piece OF ,wine. The sond9ias were Were ~
nr,,lv v..ds ed that they not moved an men.
several attempts made with hawsers' put
they parted without dslodsing the cars CAME ne
was tried and broke. Then chain was useu' anu
this brought down one OF the cars The other was was
lcft hanging over tho gap It Ioosta nd spa1es
and by direction OF the engineer. Slater. who was
acting under the advice Of counsel they psean 70 20
exravatc near the surface under the second set OF
racks on which rested heavy. but old. cars that
had been built strong and stout for the use OF an
ovnrees company The workmen had undermined
these cars but had not finished the task whch the
dav closed Operations will be resumed early to-
day. - J., -..,,o,,,,, =
The plan OF the Junction Company Is evidently 70
treat as obstructions all the cars that are iu, on
IN. tracks 10 impede their work. and they VIII drag
.hcnn down and out OF the way. one OF the men
said Yesterday: we are going ahead II We have
to destroy all the Pennsylvania company ro""s
stock" -, , ,,.,,.. .,o..
The digging Of tho tunnel Will be painfully slo%'
os fhe deeper Il gets into the Fennsylvanas road.
bod tho greater Will be the difficulty Of getting rld
~ ,hn old cars and several months may eapse
before the tunnel is completed - ,., l.,
There IS an impression that the Pennsylvania -
endcayorlng 10 force tho Nanderhilts ana the
c,,,dnrd on Company into agreement TOR n
80 ,'rr,her %, wears - prevent N" heavy raf.
4, now controls from being diverted by means OF
,ivai lines The hght has been going on In the
courts for years.