The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-12
TWO DOZEN BURIED IN ROCK
Priests and Doctors Help Dig
Out Men Some Of the .
Rescued Ole.

4 HIohkn lne beFgen tilh WIS HlcteAscu
Ivy ten yesterday with the cAVe-iV or q
section Of tho adjoining old tunnel at
the western entrance 10 the cut just west
| Of the Hudson Boulevard. be,wesn Hop
kins avenue and Film street. Jersey City.
Ten men were killed and a. many more
were injured. soTEe ~ seriously that
the doctors AZ the hospitals believe they
cannot recover
| Ever since the Willard ConstrIction
Company completed the open cut the Erie
Railroad has bern putting the finishing
touches Ia the great engineering job
with the help Of a big gang % drillers.
labOrers and mucksrs who had worked
| for the conHf rIction company. For
several days the west end Of the old tunnel.
which was finished back in 81. has been
disappearing under the force Of dyna-
mite The plan was to take out the par
| tition wall and roof Of the tunnel for about
ion feet 80 as TO permit the laying OF .
fourth track Leading 20 the cut.
The drill drivers and rockmen put in n
hard days work on Saturday and had
broken up big section Of the trap rock
over the brick arch Of the tunnel Orders
were given - the drill drivers. helperu
and laborerr to clear away the broken
stone and thirty or more started on tho
job early yesterday morning. Al the ssmo
time big steam shovel tackled The debris
which bottled up the western end ~ tho
tunnel.
The brick arch or top of the tunnel
bore the entire weight Of the rock. The
men pounded the broken stones with their
sled gehRmmers aud pried with their GROVE
bars unconscious of any unusual danger.
tumblinR the stones down 70 the track
level TO the muckers In the meantime
derrickmen were yankinG great blocks
% rock from their resting places on the
roof Of the arch by means Of two derricks
standing On the ed &c OF the Gu, and swing
| ing them to spots where the drillmen could
further reduce their sizs.
At 1880 O'Clock while the men were tho
busiest and the steam shovel was bucking
| the pile hardest. q thirty five foot section
Of the brick arch suddenly caved IN its
entire width with duh bang Folks look
ing down from the Hudson Boulevard
bridge saw many men alp into the hois
with tons Of broken stone Most OF them
went down feet first with their handy
raised above their heads
Japitor James y. Browning Of Publi0.
School ~. two blocks away on the BouIe-
ward. saw the roof 81 the tunnel disappear
a. he was looking out of a window on tho
top foOr Of the school. He had been
wondering earlier in the day as he had
watched the men using their sledge ham,
m~ru and crowbars II the hollow shell
wouId he able to stand the strain.
He ran to the telephone in the school
building and found that IL was locked %
that nobody could use il except during
school hours Then he rushed 10 the
house of Patrick Connolly IN the Rouls-
ward and notified police headquarters
what had happened
He said he was sure thirty OF more men
were under the pile Of rock and head
quarters Immediately sent all the avail
able ambulances 81 the City. Sc Francis's
and Christ hospitals with all the reserves
OF the seven precincts to the scene
Mass had just been finished at 81 Johns
Catholic Church near by and the Rev
Father y. " smith. the rector. and his
assistants. Fathers W. Il. Dunn and J. y.
MulliGan. went to the c'st tn minister 70
the spiritual needs Of the dying. Among
the doctors who first arrived were DIR.
O. H. Mueller. Dr p. W Presley and DR..
Alexander Ferguson Of the City Hospital
The priests and doctors we're lowered
seventy feet from the top 81 the bluR In
4 errick box three and four at a tune
number Of lahorers who had preceded
them were already az work removing
rocks from the bodies Of tho in jursd and
dead.
A fast a. a wounded man was dis
covered the priests administered the last
rites Of the Church. and in most cases
Father hulligan and one q the doctors
made the trip W the bIuf in the derrick
box with the victims.
DR. Mueller. the frat physician To reach
the In jured. saw a mans leg sticking from
under a rock. He dived after IL and the
mans shoe came "a IN his hand.
The leg was hanging limp from the
hip and the doctor realized that = speedy
amputatiOn was necessary to liberais the
victim. He quickly performed the opera
ton and John James. a drill foreman.
was carried up in the bucket. He was
taken to the City Hospital. where he died
in the afternoon.
Dr. Mueller worked incessantly and
when he vas able to let up for the first
time he discovered that he had smashed
his diamond ring. q gift from his father.
into pieces against Q rock.
Dr.. Presley Of the City Hospital found
two men looked In each others arms
under a pls OF broken stone. He prtsd
thsm apart and carried one 70 the box
dangling on the end Of the derrick ropo.
A he stepped In tho man gaspsd and
died IN his arms. While digging out the
palr an excited Italian rolled . rooh> On
Or. Praslsy's lsfs wrist, badly lSrzianG &C.
To dooosTU lsfs 40 $40 o'olook @W4AS