Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-11-26
.LABORERS N0NTlDDOW
Crushed to Death By a Train in a
Dense Fog.
ELEVEN KILLED, FIVE INJURED.

The Men, Jumping From One Track
to Escape n Train, Leaped In Front
of q Local Rushing Along Mt Forty
Miles an Hour.
Jersey City, Nov. 19.-In the gloom
Of smoke, storm and fog that darkened
the rails of the Pennsylvania railroad
yesterday morning between Jersey City
and Harrison belated suburban train
dashed into gang OF workmen, killing
II and injuring four. Five others had
remarkable escapes. All the victims
lived in Jersey City.
The dead are: Frank Bodoski, aged
IS; Giuseppe Colasurdo. 81; Thomas
Doherty, A.; Thomas Flanagan; Jo-
seph Faggea. As; Michael Lawless, 81;
Nicola Lucci, 81: Frank Ludowski, Il;
Angelo Puggo, 25; Frank Slumsky, 80;
Giuseppe StInzlano, 90. Bodoskl and
Slumisky leave families. Frank Swaz-
kowski is dying at st. Francis hospital.
The accident happened about two
and one-half miles west Of Jersey city,
just beyond the Haclkensack river
bridge At that point there are four
tracks. two devoted to passenger anu
two to freight traffic. AT the north
are the shops and the tracks OF the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
railroad. Foreman Quirk took out
gang of IS men at 8 a. m. to repair
track No. 4-the westbound freight
track-at that place. Quirk saw that
the fog might mean danger, so he sent
ahead two men, Lawless and Doherty,
to give warning Of approaching trains.
Lawless was to go west and Doherty
east, and cover all the tracks. They
were to shout warnings at the approach
of trains. The passenger tracks were
kept busy with incoming suburban
trains, and the dense smoke and steam
from these trains helped to make the
atmosphere more dense.
Suddenly, about $50. there was
shout from Lawless, who was the ad-
vance guard of the gang. Train on
No. g." he cried. 1t was an eastbound
freight train that came along slowly,
leaving behind it heavy pail of smoke
The men. who were scattered along
the track. jumped out of the way. AL
most all of them jumped over to track
No. l. the eastbound passenger track.
The heavy smoke enveloped them, and
the men, many OF them new hands on
tie road. shivered with fright. for they
could not see and could scarcely hear
the approaching trains that followed
the freight.
Lawless, too. had jumped across to
tract, No. /. keeDing all the time a
sharp lookout Suddenly there was
rumble Of wheels and the shrek OF
whistle. The Milestone local. delayed
by fog. was coming along at the rate
of 40 miles an hour. Lawless was
struck and thrown 30 feet away, man.
gled and bleeding. On went the train.
Engineer Van Nostrand had scarcely
noticed the mans body flying through
the air when the engine struck Doher-
ty: then 1t ploughed into the mass OF
covering men, who stood huddled to-
gether on the track.
ut was an awful sight" said the en-
gineer later There was mass OF
legs and arms flying through the air.
was drenched with blood. 1 knew
that something terrible had happened,
and put on the air brakes as hard as
possible"
When the train came to standstill
the passengers rushed out. The track
was drenched with blood. The mead
ows and the track looked like battle
field covered with bodies. The shrieks
of the dying drowned the cries Of the
Mortified passengers. Women tainted
and men turned away in horror. OF
the 10 men nine were dead and six
wounded.
Someone telephoned quickly to Jer-
sey City. Many of the bodies still
writhng in mortal agony, were placed
on the train and borne to the city. Two
Of the wounded died on the way. A
relief train brought back the others.