The Washington times., 1905-02-20
Broken Axe Plunges
Cars Over an En-
banknent.
MANY OTHERS INJURED
Relief Trains Rush to the
Scene With Surgeons
Aboard.

PATERSON, n. j., Feb. 20.-The
Middletown way train on the Bergen
county short cut division OF the Erie
railroad jumped the track short dis
tanee beyond Warren Point Station
this morning. and four cars OF the
train rolled down a twelve-foot en-
bankment. One person, Miss Grace
Matthews, nineteen years Of age, a
stenogra pher OF SufTern, n. Y, was
killed, and forty-four others were
more or less seriously injured Among
the injured was a woman whose skull
1T is feared, was fractured. She will
probably die.
The train, which was composed Of an
engine. q tender, and four cars, runs
as an accommodation from Middletown
to Sufern, and as an express from that
point TO Jersey City. Most of the in
jured boarded the train at Suffern
The train was due to arrive in Jersey
City at S:25 o'clock this morning, and
the passengers were for 4 large part
persons residing along the line and en-
gagged in business in New York city
Breaing Of Axle.
At Sol O'Clock, when the train was
within 500 feet Of Warren Point Sta
ton and bowling along at good rate
an axle underneath the tender sudden
ly broke and the broken piece caught
in the frog Of a switch The car I'M
mediately following the tender bumped
against the broken axle, jumped the
track, and, followed by the other three
cars. rolled over the enbankment,
which at this point is about twelve
feet high The engine and tender re-
n,ained on the track
The passengers had no chance to
realize what had happened until the
train lay, partially broken ana win al
the windoWs s1Ilasnsd At I.se aoot ~ %
the embankInent Ih5st mere we're not
killed is little short CT a miracle.
Luckily for the imprisoned passengers,
the train did not eaten hre. nor ,i.S.7i,t were
many OF the injured making their own
way cut.
These passengers at once joined with
those who had collected at the scene,
and the work of rescue proceeded
Quickly One of the first persons To ken
out was Miss Grace Matthews. OF Suf-
fern. who had in all probability, been
Instantly killed.
Word of the wreck was al cnce te}e-
Eraphcd To Jersey city, Paterson, and
Suffern, ana relief was hastCned to the
scene A special train was made up at
Jersey City, and another at Suffern, ana
on these We're placed all the doctors
available. Other physicians We're pick
ed uD 2lcEe tie line.
Care of the Wounded.
When the relief trains reached the
spot temporary hospitals were nXeu up,
and the best possible attention giver
the injured. most OF whom suffered from
bruises and cuts about the head and
body. Eleven Of the more seriouly hurt
We're hurried 10 Paterson hospitals, and
seven others were sent to their homes
in Suffern The others had their in
juries attended to on the spot. and eithe.
returned to their homes or continued or.
their way TO New York.
Ore OF the injured. who suffered from
a badly lacerated ear, reached Paterson
on treilcv ear. He describes the ac-
cideiit IS follows:
we we're going along at q good rate
when tic accident occurred. A terrible
1o!t:Es rsAs tic first intination we had
that anything was wrong. and. then.
before we had fully realized that an
accident had occurred the whaie train
excepting tzS eCginc and tender, went
down the embanKa7cnt. The first car
turned completely over and lay up side
down. al the bottom of the q teh. Three
other cars turned over on their sides.
The trai: was we'll filled, and the ont.
thing that surprises me most Is that q
great nll-rbeT were not killed .