The evening times., 1899-07-04
PASSENGERS IN GREAT PERIL.
Locomotive and One Car Plunge
Into n Pond.

Into Pond.
New York. July 4.-Forty passengers,
held as helpless prisoners in car which
went crashing down steep embankment,
had narrow escapes in an accident on the
Rarttan River Railroad. near South Am
boy, N j., yesterday AFTERNOON. Locomo-
tive and passenger car went tnmbling down
the embankment into a pond, but all of
those aboard the train were fortunate
enough to escape death.
Those most severely injured in the
wreck were Judge C. T. Cowenhoven, Of
New Brunswick; Mrs. Edwin Furman, of
Sayreville; Miss Mary Archer Miss Jennie
Archer, and Miss Sarah Morris, of Mill
town; and James Parton. Mr.. Parton's
ankle was broken. He was thrown yio-
lently from his seat against the side of the
car, and was taken to South Amboy for
treatment.
The train started from South Amboy for
New Brunswick at 5:25 O'clock Richard
Sullivan was in charge of the train as
conductor, and w. l.. Mulford was the
engine driver. The other members of the
crew were John Sullivan, fireman; James
French, baggage master, and James Welsh,
trainman. The train was more than usu-
ally well filled with passengers, as many
persons were on their way to the country
cant seats in the train.
Engine Driver Milford had the train 60
ing rapidly long before he approached a
point, three miles out of South Amboy,
where the railroad is built on an embank-
ment twenty feet above a deep pond. There
is a sharp curve in the road at this point
and from the centre of the curve switch
m ,laa,. Ii,i-;n af,
sylyania Railroad three miles distant.
This SWITCH Mulford discovered when it
was too late to check the speed of his train,
had been turned ReaiiZing the inevitable
result of the sudden shift to the other
track, the engine driver shouted to the
fireman to jump, and he at the same time
shut off the steam, reversed his engine and
applied the airbrakes. Sullivan leaped
from the cab, and Mulford, after doing all
he could TO stop the train, also jumped.
Both men escaped just in time to avoid
going down the steep embanlsment into the
pond with the locomotive
AS the engine careened and plunged down
the embankment it dragged with it the first
passenger coach, in which were forty per-
sons many of them women, AS the coach
struck the bottom ii fell back and finally
rested between the locomotive and the
efnbankment The passengers were terror
stricken They found themselves help
lessly imprisoned and their fears were
augmented by a great cloud of escaping
steam that filled the car. Many had been
thrown headlong across the car in the
descent, but some managed TO save them
selves from serious injury by grasping hold
of the seats.
The train crew distinguished itself by its
prompt work in rescuing the imprisoned
passengers. Acting under the direction of
Sullivan, the conductor, the men quickly
opened a way to the wrecked car, and one
by one the passengers were helped cut TO
places of safety. Word already had been
sent to the main Office of the company in
South Amboy. and relief train. on which
were several physicians, soon was on the
way from South River. Frank Hoffman,
superintendent of the road, went 10 the
scene OF the wreck and personally directed
the relief work. The injuries of the pas
| sengers were attended 10 and the victims
of the wreck then were taken TO South
River.