The Jersey City news., 1906-06-04
LIVES SAVED BY
A MIRACLE
Engine Attached to the st.
Louis Express Plunges In
to the Hackensack River
COUPLING LUCKILY SNAPPED
THIS ALONE AvERTED A HORRI-
BILE CATASTROPHE, AS THERE
WEIRD SEVEN CARS ON THE
TRAIN

TRAIN
One of the most horrible catastrophes
| accompanied by the loss of many lives
was averted by what seems to have been
"a miracle when the locomotive attached
to the st. Louis express train of the
Pennsylvania Railroad leaped from the
/ trestle over the Hackensack River Sat
urday afternoon and plunged into the
river. There were seven cars in the
train. The swapping of the iron coupling
of the tender alone saved the passengers
of the cars The only man injured was
Joseph H. Ellis, of Philadelphia, the en-
| gineer. He jumped from the cab and
| fell on the trestle just as the ponderous
| into the river. He had yelled to his
| fireman. w. H. iMessner, of Philadelphia,
to Jump for his life" Messner dove
through the window of the cab into the
water far below. He came up uninjured,
however, and being a good swimmer
struck out bravely for the shore and
reached it in safety. New sof the ac-
cident rapidly spread on the western
slope of the hill and many people rushed
to the scene of the accident. All the hos
pital ambulances and the patrol wagons
police stations were rushed as near as
| possible to the scene of the accident only
| to find their services were not needed.
1t was 2.35 o'clock when Ellis ran his
train ON the western end of the structure
in the middle of which is a draw, which
turns on a pivot in the centre. Frank
Farber of No. 945 Broad street. Newark,
was the conductor of the train, which
was composed of locomotive No. 526. it's
tender, sleeping cars Tarentum and
Woodbridge. dining car No. 1856. day
COdCL anu tuIcS pOSldl Sdi6. hC IL an
was made up in the order named.
Where the west end of the drawbridge
section of the structure begins the loco
motive left the track, the tender, two
sleepers and dining car following. Ellis
and Messner stuck to their posts in the
cab as long as they could do anything in
human power to stop the train, but when
they felt the engine topplng over the side
of the structure. just as it reached the
eastern nd of the drawbridge they
jumped
narrow foot-passageway, used by the em-
ployees of the road, and it was to this
Ellis made his leap. He landed heavily
on one leg, which turned under him,
spraining his ankle. The fireman, how
ever, who is a good swimmer, saw bet
ter chance of safety from what looked
like certain death. Leaping far out from
the side Of the engine, he dived head first
into the deep water of the river on the
opposite side of the bridge from that he
felt the engine leaving. He went far
beneath the water finally came up and
struck out for the bank. which he reach
| ed in safety.
The locomotive simultaneously struck
| the water on the other side. There was
| a tremendous splash and a kissing sound
huge mass of iron and steel sank into
! the soft mud at the bottom of the river
until only the smoke stack and cabin
| were visible above the water.
When the train suddenly stopped sew
eral of the passengers made a rush for
the windows and climbed out on the mar
row foot passengerway. OF the derailed
cars the only one seriously damaged
was the dining coach. Windows were
broken and parts of the woodwork dam
aged by the sudden application of the
| brakes.
Both tracks across the bridge We're
blocked as a result of the wreck and nor
NAL traffic was not resumed until mid
night. Passenger trains meantime were
sent over the company's freight bridge
and the schedule was delayed from 20 to
so minutes. The injured engineer was
sent to his home on the first passenger
train that started for Philadelphia. 1t is
believed the locomotive is not damaged
seriously.
Toronto ......... 2 o 2 o O O o 2 0-6
Batteries -Milligan and McAllister;
McCafferty and loft.
/ STANDING OF THE CLUBS.
w. Z. PC.