The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-03
EXPRESS STRUCK OpEA DRAW,
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Aa the sgusd ~usion ~ tho ssa,buund
~ iStits esnFeW duo ~ affive ~ tn Penn.
ayivania Haiifgai detu, m Jersey City ~
~ " o'Ioch yesterday a%ftefnOon. waa ap.
pfoactlne The bgidap ovpr tho HachenesrH
River as the rata n forty.avs miles an houf
ths bfidne engineer started a. OteH the
draw 10 II, q tug and tow tsapp through
end tbs eSptesa was derailsi, The loco.
motive plouehei ovpr The ties aofyaa the
span and took = heeoler lnto tho river al
the ens' end ~ the draw The engine
tank came Ia q stop On tho draw With tho
firm, wheels ~ the forward truck hanging
over the water. The engineer Jumped
from the right side of HE cab 90 the pilot
shot ovt over the water and he landed on
the bridge, teceivlhe only slight injuries,
The fireman went over With the locomotive
and had 10 swim for HE life,
Two Pullman sleepers and q Pennsyi.
vania Railroad dining car we're derailed,
the first two leaving their trucks and aiding
over the ties on the draw. The dining
car came 10 q stop on top Of the trucks
Of the cara ahead and tilted over against
the south side VI the draw. The steel
framework prevented II from going into
the water.
The train consisted Of locomotive 52e.
one Of the Pennsylvania latest engines Of
r 2 Atlantic type, the sleepeTs Tarentum
and Woodbridge, a dining car, two ordinary
day coaches and two United states mail cars.
Engineer Joseph II. Ellis Of Philadelphia,
one Of the oldest employees Of the road,
was ct the throttle and Fireman william II.
.--.. - DIllAl-l-ltn - - AL. laft ILL
Of the car. Conductor Frank Farber OF
Newark had charge Of the train.
When the express reached the tower
on the meadows about $500 feet west Of the
Hackensack bridge the signal was set to
indicate that the draw was closed, and the
engineer sent his train on at the usual
express speed.
At the same time the tugboat Lila May
Hardy, in command Of Capt. Frank Jayoox,
was coming up the river with a p. Sanford
Ross Company scow in tow. The tug was
bound for the Snake Hill landing, whore the
Pennsylvania Ia making improvements for
It's approaches to the tunnel.
According to Capt. Jaycox he blew three
whistles as a signal to the engineer in his
room high up on the drawbridge that he
wanted to 60 through, and the bridge engi-
neer responded with W whistles as a
warning to stop.
Il was about 500 feet down the river"
said Jayoox. and slowed up when / got the
whistles. Then I saw q westbound passen-
ger train cross the bridge and supposed
that I would be allowed to pass through
I was having troubles Of my own just then
with the tow and wasn't paying much at
tention to things when I was Mortified to
see an eastbound train coming toward the
bridge at the moment that the draw started
to swing open. The engine struck the open
draw, shot across the bridge and went
overheard. The cars bumped over the
ties, the passengers began to tumble out
On the west side. They seemed to be too
bewildered to do any hollering. That train
appeared to me to be going fifty miles an
hour and it's a wonder to me that somebody
didn't get killed"
The draw had been shifted about three
feet to the south at the west end when the
express struck it. The locomotive ploughed
over the ties along the eastbound track
until it nearly reached the middle of the
draw. Then it SHE'D over to the westbound
track and broke loose from the tank. En-
gineer Ehis stuck to his cab until he saw
the water ahead Of him at the end of the
draw. He called to Fireman Messney to
jump and leaped where the end of the east
bound rails or the draw almost connected
with the rails Of the westbound track on
the bridge proper. Messner got ready to
jump, but there was nothing but water on
his side Of the cab. He went over with
the locomotive and came up a moment
later. He struck out for the bridge and
two railroad men pulled him out. Only the
cab Of the locomotive remained above
water, while the pilot was buried in the
muddy bottom Of the Hackensack.
There were thirty-one passengers In the
Tarentum and Woodbridge. All were badly
shaken up as the cars left their trucks and
continued sliding over the ties toward Jer-
sey City. Everybody felt the danger of a
smashup on the bridge, but it all happened
in so short a time that nobody had a chance
TO get out while the cara were in motion.
All hands alighted within two minutes after
the cars stopped and walked off the draw.
The oolored cook and walters in the din
ing car were imprisoned, but they managed
to crawl out through windows. The front
platform OF the dining car was jammed
Into the vestibule Of the sleeper Wood
bridge. The diner was badly splint cred,
as she was lifted six feet in the air on the
pile Of trucks Of the cars ahead.
The last lot cars Of the train did not
leave the track. There we're about a hum
dred persons in them, and all were severely
Jared by their sudden halt. The cars were
hauled back toward Newark and brought
into Jersey City over the freight draw
bridge just north of the passenger bridge.
About $50 feet from each end of the bridge
is what is called a banjo signal. which
works automatically with the opening and
closing Of the bridge. Railroad men said
that the banjo on the westbound track
was set -at danger" after the accident,
while the signal on the eastbound track
was at ~"olear." The railroad men seemed
to think that this fact showed that the
system wasn't working right.
The Pennsylvania Rail road officials
thanked their lucky stars that no loss Of
life or injury to passengers attended the
wreohing Of the fier on the bridge.
The train dispatcher said last evening
that the responsibility for the accident
would not be placed until an official in
quiry was held.
DnlIDC ri TTIV,g I-INrr.