Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-07-31
Narrow Escape for Many South
Amboydns on Train Returning
from ParIin Powder Works
: Spike Caused Accident.
gpec{af to the EVENING NEWS


South Amboy, July 31.-One per-
son was injured others shaken up and
the lives of more than eighty peo-
pie were imperiled when Raritan
river railroad train left the track
under the Main street bridge at what
is known as the Whitehead stop here
shortly after Z O'Clock this morning
jeremiah Minnick, engineer of the
train, was hurled against an abut-
ment of the Main street bridge as
his engine left the track and turned
over against the side of the bridge
and he was so badly bruised that for
a time it was thought he was Sc
riously injured. Both trucks Of the
coach directly behind the engine left
the track and the passengers, en-
ployes at the Parlin powder factories
were thrown about and shaken up.
While there were reports to the con-
trary railroad officials say none of
the passengers were injured. Super
intendent G. M. Himmelberger, of
the Raritan River railroad, express
ed belief shortly after the accident
that some person had wilfully placed
a spik, on the track to derail the
train. Had, what appeared to be the
plan of the culprit, resulted, Sc
ri~us fatal accident would probably
have occurred, according to the rail-
road officials, owing to the fact that
the accident happened as the engine
was under the bridge and the re-
mainder of the train was about to
pass under.
Engineer Minnick was attended by
DR.. E. H. Eulner, Of this place. The
physician made a close examination
and afterwards announced that he
could find no broken bones or other
serious injury. The victim was then
removed to his home in South Am
boy. Edward Clark was the fire.
man, who occupied place on the
engine tender at the time of the
wreck and Walter Mullen was the
conductor in charge of the train.
Both are also from South, Amboy.
The wreck occurred as the train
!, No 10, made up Of a locomotive and
Two passenger coaches, carrying
about eighty powder works employ
es, was being backed into the White
head stop at about 7:13 O'Clock this
morning. The train had started from
the station here at 7 o'clock AS the
engine was being run backwards
the tender came first 1t appears
that the two forward wheels of the
tender left the rails first, presuma-
bly, when they struck railroad
spike. The tender and engine In
stantly swerved to one side and both
turned over against the side of the
Main street bridge, the tender hit
ting the bridge proper and the engine
going up against an abutment About
the same time, the trucks of the
leading passenger coach left the
track. There came confusion in the
train as the passengers were shaken
up, but no serious disorder resulted.
Railroad employees were quick to no.
tify the passengers of the absence of
danger. They believe that the bridge
walls prevented far more serious
accident, as had the engine and ten
der fallen over completely, a fatal
ity might have occurred.
Passengers on the ill-fated train
left 1t Immediately after the accident
and reached their destination by
conveyance on the Pennsylvania line.
A wrecking car Of the Jersey Central
Traction Company went to aid the
railroad men and it was expected
that the wreckage would be cleaned
up by noon today.
superintendent Himmelberger
states that the engine had recently
been overhauled and that the tender,
coaches and rails were in first-class
condition. A large railroad spike
was found at point where the
wheels first left the track and it is
believed by the official that some
person maliciously placed it on the
track.