Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1897-10-30
TRAIN FALLS into RIVER.
A Terrible Accident on the New York
Central Railroad.
BANK CAvED At GARRlSON'S, NJ

An Engine and six Cars Plunged Into the
Hud-on-Nost OF the Dead Were
Drowned-Som~ Passengers Rescued
-. Day Coach Floased Down the
stream-Horror- Attended the Disaster
GARRrsox's. y. Y. (SpeciaD The worst
sccident on the New York Central Railroad
since the New Hamburg disaster OF 1871
happened sunday morning. Just before
daylight between Garrison and High
lands. The Official statement Of the com
panv shows that n least nineteen persons
lost their lives. and probably a. many moro
were injured. The wrecked train. the Buff
fslo and New York special was running
along level and straight stretch OF track
when. without an instants warning. and
for some reason 30 utterly unex xplain able a. .
10 almost warrant suspicion that the
railroad embankment was blown up.
the solid bank gave way. carrying with II
wall Of stone ore than a yard tSick and
the engine and SIX ~ the car. OF the heavy
train plunged into the Hudson River. A.
. midnight seventeen bodies had been taken
/ out 81 the wreck. Ten were Identified.
Fifteen persons were seriously injured.
i Ihirty--ix survivors have been accounted
for. The officials say there were 100 per-
sons on the train. Three bodies We're un-
der the mass Of wreckage IN the river.
The cause OF the accident is a mystery IN
the eyes % the officials OF the road who
gave out tho following official statement
with regard 10 Il. The emhaRkment sup
porting the track slumped OF into the
river
The only two men who could have told
how the accident occurred were John Foyle
and John Thompson. the engineer and IRE
, man. but they are both NJ the bottom OF
the Hudson with their engine.
The train was made up OF engine No S71
tender - IA ~
one combination baggage ami smoking car
and SIX Wagner @ie@pinQ ,.ss. "a The order
named. The train left Buffalo az 4 o'clock
on Saturday afternoon. aud pulled out Of
East Albany few minutes after o'clock
, sunday morning
IL was then a few minutes late. aud
after leaving Poughkeepsie. twenty-five
: miles above the scene Of the accident was
e running at high rate Of speed in order
n 20 make up lost time. The accident came
without the slightest warning. There was
heavy lurrh. and then the track seemed
/ 10 give way beneath the train.
a The engine passed over safely. but ths
q cars Immediately behind dragged IL from
v the track and into the river. With fear
ful crash the huge weight OF iron role,
n from the emhankment and disappeared int,
- the river. carrying with II the engineer an
d the fireman % the bottom OF the river
4 where IL now lies.
"a The express car. the day coach. tho com
d hinatiOn smoking and baggage car an
=
70 70 the river. The drst two broke thel
70 fastenings and noated down the river. on
he two hundred yards and the other about
mile. when they ran against the shore.
fs The three rear sleepers remained on th
ri track. Their occupants were severel
"a, shaken up. a. the cars We're slightly crusss
a. az the ends by the shock.
Ia The only witnesses OF the disaster wer
&C tbs cfsw OF passing tugbOat. who "a
that after the crash came the cries an
groans OF those who were imprisoned
the floating cars or who had been throw
from the ears by the shock.
The passengers OF the three cars that a
49, not leave the tracks rushed out ia the
N niSht-clothes. calling for help as their ey
l. fell on the appalling scene before thei
ty- The express car and the day coach were 4
ready floating away from the shore.
The day coach had turned its 81
and some OF the passengers who happen
10 be on the upper side had struggled pa
way through the broken windows. SoE
of them were shouting for help and wavL
their arms toward the shore. Others, a.
eye-witneSses say that these we're In Z
majority. were trying TO drag the less Il
tunate out OF the fast falling 10 I
side that was clear OF water.
1t was in the day coach that the great
loss of life occurred. Most OF those "
met death there were drowned while
car hoated that short two hundred var
The crew of the passing tugbOat G
loose from their tow and went TO the T
cue. They cut open the roof with a
and in this way rescu ID a number OF p
sengers.
From the day coach were taken the bod
OF four men and two women. The boo
of eight Cinnamon were taken from
smoking and baggage car. In this
As there were fifteen Cinnamon. Two OF
- seven who got out alive were taken
Peekskill, badly hurt. and one ofthem af
ward died.
Most OF the bodies Of the dead were IA
from the car toward night, and so iden
cation was not made until late b.
There was one exception. In the persol
Samuel Williams. OF Buffalo, who
- thrown from the smoker as IL made
y. plunge and who had his arm torn
When the rescuers reached him he was
- breathing, but he died a moment later
~ The list of killed was at last account
pN follows ". ). Becker, Newark, n. \.
Foyle. engineer. nfty years old, Alb
al married. T.. A. Green, Chicago. vii
Ii. G.. Meyer, Passaic. y. J. Gilbert G..
Kay. twenty-three years old, New
married. private secretary TO Edgar
Etten. General superintendent OF the
York Central Railroad. Thomas Refill,
Louis. John Thompson, fireman, TIVE
Ave years old Fast Albany sincla-