The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-27
WAS IT DYNAMITE /?
Fearful Suspicious Regard
ing the New York Cen
trail Disaster.
TWENTIETH VICTIM FOUND
Clare's Story Of Unsafe Roadbed
Strongly Denied = Boulder
on the Track.

ouSpiCloiI WHICH WAS OIiiy piSeDehSN -
whispers last night that the terrible dis
aster to the state express on the New
York Central Railroad on Sunday morn
ing, which sent twenty souls to eternity,
was the work of a dialbolical plot, gained
strength among the railroad men TINS
morning, and the opinion was expressed
by more than one official that the tram
was sent to it's destruction by human, or
, to speak more fittingly, inhunan hands.
eff the embankment of the railroad was
torn up by dynamite, the motive OF those
who did it was not robbery, but revenge,
was the startling statement made by one
official of the road.
The suspicious of the railroad company
having been aroused, rigorous investiga-
ton is being made, and at least one man
may be arrested today.
When the party of twenty-six roadmas-
ters of the New York Central system ar
rived at the scene early Monday morning
and commenced critical survey of the
section of the embankment which has
been either washed or blown out, one OF
the roadmasters-a man with great ex-
perience in the use of dynamite-said to
his fellow :, officials that @ the ts 0a o
dynamite. He has used this powerful
explosive great deal in his work on the
ADIRONDACK DIVISION OF ulle TdllTOau, diiu Is
consequently familiar with its effects.
The tendency of dynamite is to blast
downward. rather than upward or out
ward, and one of the most expert track
builders of the railroad says that very
light charge of dynamite would have col
lapsed a section of track fully as exten-
siye as the section In question.
The locomotive was found in the river
at least thirty feet south of the depres-
sion in the track which makes it seem
reasonably, certain that the engine leaped
the space before it started in it's plunge
into the mud bottom of the river. 1t
is known that the engineer had shut off
his steam and applied the air brakes to
the train before the crash came, and
those circumstances lead the officials to
believe that Engineer Foyle saw that
something was wrong with the track in
time to apply the brakes before he went
into the river with his engine. Still it
is admitted that he would have instantly
applied the brakes the moment that he
felt his engine sinking.
The Associated Press representative
was informed this morning by gentle
man who travels from Garrisons to New
York every morning that three weeks ago
this same train, No. 49, had narrow
escape from being wrecked at point
about two miles south of the spot whele
it finally met its fate.
A huge boulder, weighing two tons, was
discovered on the track just in time for
the train to be stopped
L made the remark that morning that
believed some one had put that stone
tnere, ana still think So" said this per-
The boulder must have fallen from the
top OF the mountain, for it cleared the in
land track in it's fall and landed suuarely
in the down track
1t looks to me as il some one bears a
grudge against the railroad company, but
who it is / cannot say"
The suspicious of the railroad officials
are being quietly followed by Chief De-
tective Humphrey
Little remained of the debris of the
n0E n 1fC ma ,fr,<r H. 81
ing embers of the cars, all of which had
been raised and burned along the shore
A diver appeared on the scene at O'Clock
and went down to search for the botlies
of Engineer Foyle and Stenographer Nc
Kay, their bodies being the only ones
positively known to be still in the river
the diver commenced thorough search
tive was lifted yesterday. This hole is six
feet Deep and after searching in it for
fifteen minutes, he returned to the sur
fallen into the hole after the engine was
taken out of it. He said that the depres-
sion contained number of mattresses,
seat cushions and stuff of similar ma
ture, but no bodies were in sight He
was sent down again, with instructions
to make more thorough search.
A steam dredge is on its way from New
York, and if the diver fails to find the
bodies the mud will be dredged in the
hope of bringing the bodies UP In that
The officials of the New York Central
deny most vehemently the statement
made by Michael Clare of Cold Springs,
that he resigned his. position as section
foreman because he knew that the road
bed was unsafe, and did not wish to long
er take the responsibility for it.
The officials say. that Clare was dis
charged for drunkenness and neglect of
duty. General Superintendent Toucey
and others state that they saw Glare only
last evening In very intoxicated condi-
ton.
Only one body remained unidentified in
Cold Spring this morning, it being the
woman who was last night thought to be
Mrs. Mary Thiers of Cleveland A de-
spatch from there states that she has
been accounted for.
Michael Clare the former section hand.
has been subpoenaed to attend the cor
oner's inquest tonight. 1t was rllmored
this morning that Glare went away last
night. but Coroner Wood found him at
his home this morning and served a sub
poena on him.
The inquest will be held in the town
hall this evening.