The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-27
Chauncey NJ. Depew Says the
N. Y. Central Wreck
Was Caused by an Explosion
Under the Train.
SAME VIEW is HELD
By a Detective and a Special
Engineer.
All Say There Could Not Have
Been a WashOut.

New York Oct. 27.-The Herald and
World this morning quote Chauncey NJ.
Depew, president of the New York Cen
trail railroad as saying that the wreck
at GarrisOns last Sunday was caused
by a dynamite explosion.
Anyone who is familiar with rail-
roading," said Mr.. Depew, knows that
the continual pounding of trains over a
rOadbed has the effect Of beating it
down till it is like rock That roadbed
has been in use for 40 years, and the
fact that it was like rock is shown by
the fact that Immediately after the
wreck, before the workmen had filled
in any, the break showed a clean-cut
perpendicular cleavage.
The popular notion that this was
due to a landslide is not borne out by
this When there is a landslide the
bank takes the shape of an inclined
plane. The fact that this was found as
it was shows that the break must have
been formed in an unusual way. The
only thing that could have done it
would have been a stick of dynamite
rammed down in the roadbed. That
would have done it.
L don't say that we have any evil
dence that such was the case, but when
L sent word to our detective Mr.. Hum
phreys, to make investigation along
that line he told me that he had rea-
sons to suspect something of the sort
before. So ordered that thorough
investigation be made.
You must bear in mind that an
hour before this wreck, another and
heavier train passed over the road in
safety; that 80 minutes before that d
train went upon the other track and
noticed nothing wrong, and that no
body heard any report. Whatever
caused the accident it is certain that
the engine went clear over the OBJ
struction and was injured after it left
the track
This view was corroborated later by
q special engineer who had come with
the party. He examined the engine
and found shat al its injuries are what
are considered superficial among rail-
road men. Neither the main nor side
rods were broken, and the pilot was
practically intact, showing Superin-
tendent Mccoy declared, that the en-
gine had only been injured in rolling
down the embankment after it left the
track
Cold Springs, N. Y. Oct. 27.-Presi-
dent DepeW'S opinion that the disaster
Of last Sunday on the New York Cen
tral was the result of a dynamite ex-
plosiOn planned by enemies of the cor
poration finds many uphOlders among
officials and citizens familiar with the
conditions
If the embankment was torn up by
dynamite the motive was not robbery
but revenge" was the statement made
by one official of the road. The party
Of 26 rOadmaSterS of the New York
Central system arrived at the scene
early Monday evening and commenced
a critical survey of the section of the
embankment which had been either
washed or blown out. One of the road
masters a man who had great expert
ence in the use of dynamite said the
excavation looked to him very much
like the work of dynamite. The ten
dency of dynamite is to blast down
ward rather than upward or outward
and one OF the most expert track build
erS of the railroad says a very light
charge of dynamite would have coll
lapSed a section of track fully as ex-
tensive as the section in question It
is known that the engine shut off steam
and applied the air before the crash
came and these circumstances led the
officials to the belief that Engineer
FOyIe saw that something was wrong
with the track in time to apply the air
before he went into the river with his
engine. Still it is admitted he would
have instantly applied the brakes the
moment he felt his engine sinking.
The Associated Press representative
was informed this morning by a gen
teman who travels from GarrisOns to
New York every morning. that three
weeks ago this same train had a mar
row escape from being wrecked at a
point about two miles south Of the
huge boulder weighing two tons was
discovered on the track just in time for
the train to be stopped
I made the remark then I believed
someone put that stone there and I
still think So" said this gentleman.
the top of the mountain for it cleared
the inland track in its fall and landed
squarely on the down track. It looks
to me as though someone bears a
grudge against the railroad company"
AaHa