1911 — Jan 31, pontoon caisson air pressure loss/water enters, Passaic Riv., Newark NJ–11
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 5-9-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–11 Blanchard. Though we show sources noting 10-13 drowning deaths, we choose to follow
the Newark Evening Star of February 1 which provides the names of 11 fatalities, and also
notes that none of the four survivors had serious or critical injuries.
–13 Newark Evening Star, NJ. “Caisson Disaster Probe is Begun…” 2-22-1911, p. 1.[1]
–12 New York Times. “Chronology of the Year,” Dec 31, 1911.
–12 Olean Evening Times, NY. “Trapped Like Rats in Tunnel,” Feb 1, 1911, p. 1.
–11 Newark Evening Star, NJ. “Corbitt is Held Without Bail in Caisson Disaster.” 2-3-1911, 1.
–11 Newark Evening Star, NJ. “Eleven Drown in Caisson.” 2-1-1911, p. 1.
–10 Warren, M. “The worst disaster in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties.” NJ.com, 2-25-2019.
Narrative Information
Warren, M. “The worst disaster in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties.” NJ.com, 2-25-2019:
“Newark caisson collapse – On February 1, 1911, 10 workers were killed while working on a new Centre Street bridge across the Passaic river in Newark when the caisson they were working in collapsed. All of the killed were black men working as ‘sandhogs.’”
Newspapers
Feb 1, Newark Evening Star, NJ. “Eleven Drown in Caisson.” 2-1-1911, p. 1:
“The Dead.
James Jackson, 40, foreman in charge of the caisson, married; lived in Kenilworth.
James Houston, 40, married and leaves three children; lived in Kenilworth.
John McKamey, 37, married and leaves three children; lived…this city.
Frederick Bailey, 35, married, lived at Second avenue and 122d street, New York.
John Reed, 32, single; lived at 30 Seventh avenue, this city.
William Shanes, 46, married; lived at 80 High street, this city.
Joseph Clinton, 35, known in neighborhood of Seventh avenue and High street as ‘Baltimore.’
Richard Johnson, 135th street and Lenox avenue, New York.
Samuel Boyd, of 122 East 127th street, New York.
Michael Clemens, 45, address not known.
James Stevens, 21; lived with John McKamey, another victim.
….
“Eleven men employed in possibly the most trying as well as dangerous pursuit known to the modern world, died at the bottom of the Passaic river at Centre street late last night through the carelessness of one of their number. Four fought their way to safety when a steel bucket weighing over a ton crashed down in the air-tight chamber. Many times caisson accidents have claimed lives, one, two and three at a time, but never before have there been so many souls ushered into eternity through one mishap of this character.
“All of the fifteen men in the compartment when the accident occurred were negroes, and in their homes, several of them were Newarkers, there is today unutterable woe, grief that is only heightened by the knowledge of their families that their work was of a sort that might bring death at any moment.
“The loss of life, horrible enough in itself, sinks into insignificance when the terrible battle for life among the entrapped blacks is known. Not until the water filled the caisson, drowning all who could not reach the shafts that meant escape, did the brutal struggle among the men cease. Then four of the men had fought back those who tried to climb up ahead of them and had saved their own lives.
“The prosecutor’s office was at work early today in an effort to fix the blame for the accident, but it is probable that culpability will be fixed upon someone now beyond the reach of earthly justice. It is rumored that the officials of the company doing the work are in possession of the name of the workman responsible, but will not divulge it, because the man is dead. The eleven deaths were caused by the fact that this man did not properly adjust the pin by which the death-dealing bucket was attached to the hoisting tackle.
“The caisson in which the men owe their death was part of the construction of the Centre street bridge for the new short line of the Pennsylvania railroad. Only yesterday had the construction progressed to the point where the workmen could begin their work of getting the piers for the span, and the men had been at work but a few hours. The accident occurred shortly after 10 o’clock, as the watch of one of the victims was found to have stopped at exactly 10:08 o’clock.
“The caisson in which the men were at work is an oblong box of 12×12-inch timber. The chamber is fifty feet long, twenty-five feet wide and between six and seven feet high. Because it is below the surface of the water it is necessary to keep the air within a high pressure to prevent the water from rushing in at the bottom while the laborers are at work. The release of this air-pressure, through the breaking of the air-locks, caused the death of the men.
“According to the survivors and officials of Arthus McMullen & Co., the contractors in charge of the work, the catastrophe was of a character dissimilar to any that has ever occurred before. The bucket, enormously heavy itself, was filled with mud and rocks and was hauled out of the working chamber by a cable operated by a derrick from a scow anchored nearby. The bucket was attached to the end of the cable by a pin that is supposed to engage with a ‘shackle’ in such a way that its slipping out is practically impossible. It is apparent, however, according to the experts who are probing the accident, that the man adjusting the pin did not slip it far enough into the shackle to catch. The result was it rested on the rim of its socket and a tremor of the cable was sufficient to jerk it out of place and precipitate the bucket back into the caisson. This is what occurred when the bucket was half way between the lower iron door, which is kept closed by the air pressure in the working chamber, and the outer door to the shaft through which the bucket was being raises.
“The bucket fell, crashed through the iron door that held the air pressure, as though it was tissue paper, and fell among the terrified negroes, who were even then in the act of filling another bucket to be raised to the surface. The release of the compressed air was instantaneous, and immediately the water began to creep in under the bottom edges of the caisson.
“The condition of the bodies in the morgue is such as to indicate that none of the workmen were struck by the falling bucket, but in escaping that death the men did not fail to realize that the grim scepter still reached out for them. They were trapped in a box that would soon fill with water and in a moment there was pandemonium.
“One means of escape presented itself, the manhole beside the bucket shaft through which the men descended when their day of work was over. Every one of the fifteen…knew that their only chance lay in that direction, and there was a concerted rush for the opening. Then ensued a battle for life in which all the primitive instincts of men, brutalized by their labor, came to the surface, and self-preservation, the first law of nature, was obeyed to the letter. It was a case of no quarter given or taken. The strongest came off victorious, with life as the trophy.
“At the top of the man-shaft were two tenders, John Green, the only white man employed at the caisson, and Aaron Bryant. When the cable, minus the iron bucket, shot up into the air they realized that a terrible accident had occurred and that there was nothing that they could do. They accordingly notified police headquarters, and a score of policemen in patrol wagons were sent to the scene. The hospitals were also notified, but it was necessary to take but one of the survivors to the hospital. This was Richard Corbitt, 42 year old, of New York, who was found to be suffering from exposure.
….
“When the police arrived County Physician McKenzie was notified, and preparations were made for the recovery of the bodies. Just as this was going on Mr. Melvin appeared on the scene and took charge of the work of recovering the bodies. The compressed air pumps were set in motion again and the shaft closed up. Soon the water was out of the compartment and men w4re sent down to see what could be done to bring out the bodies.
“Under the leadership of John Bennings, James Shepherd, William Fogarty and Steven Fogarty, all of New York, were sent down into the compartment and the work of recovering the bodies began at the risk of their lives.
“The derrick attached to one of the scows was put to work and a chain stretched down the shaft, to which was attached a hook and chain. The bodies were fastened with the chain and then attached to the hook and hoisted to the scows, from which they were taken ashore and sent to Mullin’s morgue. It was two hours after the accident before the first body, that of John McCambridge, was taken out, and shortly after the second victim, James Jackson, of New York, was brought to the scow.
“The men worked all night and one body after another was brought to the scows and sent to the morgue. According to the workers, it would take many hours before all the bodies are recovered, but there is no let-up on the work, and every employee of the company that could be located was hurried to the scene and put to work.
“With the exception of the body of Samuel Boyd all of the bodies were brought up before daylight today. It was then thought there had been but fourteen men in the caisson, but Jahue Brown, a survivor, insisted there was still another victim at the bottom of the river, and about 11 o’clock this morning Boyd’s body was recovered….”
Feb 1, Olean Evening Times, NY: “Newark, N.J., Feb 1 – Trapped like rats, 12 workmen, all negroes, were suffocated to death here late last night in a caisson in the Passaic river. The victims constituted a night shift engaged in work preparatory to the reconstruction of the Center street bridge between here and Harrison.
“The accident occurred on a floating pontoon, anchored on the Newark bank of the river and close to the bridge. On the pontoon is a double steel caisson which was operated by steam. The steam apparatus was also used to supply air to the interior of the caisson. The caisson was being sunk for the purpose of building a tunnel extension. Shortly after 11 o’clock and when the entire night gang was in the bottom of the caisson, the steam engine broke down. As a result the air supply of the men was cut-off and they suffocated. Hurry calls for assistance were telephoned by men at work on the bridge. There was immediate response, but the rescuers were powerless.
“One of the rescuers was lowered into the mouth of the caisson and he was able to pass a rope around one of the trapped men, but the victim, when hoisted out had been dead for some time. Another similar effort failed. It was then decided not to attempt further risk to members of the rescue party.” (Olean Evening Times, NY. “Trapped Like Rats in Tunnel,” Feb 1, 1911, p. 1.)
Feb 3: Newark Evening Star, NJ. “Corbitt is Held Without Bail in Caisson Disaster,” p. 1-2:
“Richard Corbitt, one of the four workmen who escaped when eleven…died in the caisson catastrophe at the bottom of the Passaic river Tuesday night, was held without hail when arraigned in the Second Precinct Police Court today, charged with being responsible for the accident. The complaint against him was for manslaughter and was signed by Captain Brown, after Detective Sergeant Walter Godfrey had placed…[him] under arrest at the City Hospital, where Corbitt was treated for concussion of the brain, sustained during the accident.
“The court proceedings were brief. Corbitt was taken to the Second precinct police station upon his discharge from the hospital and immediately arraigned. He displayed no emotion as the complaint charging him with responsibility for the deaths of his eleven fellow workmen was read. Under the statute Corbitt was not required nor permitted to plead and was taken immediately to the Essex county jail.
“Corbitt’s arrest is traceable directly to the admission made at the hospital that he was the man whose duty it was to set the pin attaching the bucket to the hoist-cable, by which the bucket was raised from the working chamber of the caisson. The authorities and officers of the contracting concern doing the work for the Pennsylvania railroad agreed that the misplacing of this pin caused the bucket to crash down into the caisson, releasing the compressed air and admitting water with the result that all but four in the working chamber were drowned. It was supposed, however, that the man who last handled the pin was among those who perished until Corbitt voluntarily confessed that he set the pin on the fatal journey of the bucket. He insists, however, that the pin was properly set when it left his hands and that it must have been jarred out of place after it passed the first trap-door in the shaft.”
[Have not been able to locate newspaper articles to follow the thread of Corbitt’s arrest.]
Sources
New York Times. “Chronology of the Year,” 12-31-1911. Accessed 5-9-2025 at: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=FA0D11FD395E13738DDDA80B94DA415B818DF1D3
Newark Evening Star, NJ. “Caisson Disaster Probe is Begun By Grand Jury.” 2-22-1911, p. 1. Accessed 5-9-2025 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/newark-evening-star-and-newark-advertiser-feb-22-1911-p-2/
Newark Evening Star, NJ. “Corbitt is Held Without Bail in Caisson Disaster.” 2-3-1911, p. 1. Accessed 5-9-2025 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/newark-evening-star-and-newark-advertiser-feb-03-1911-p-1/
Newark Evening Star, NJ. “Eleven Drown in Caisson.” 2-1-1911, p. 1. Accessed 5-9-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/newark-evening-star-and-newark-advertiser-feb-01-1911-p-2/
Olean Evening Times, NY. “Trapped Like Rats in Tunnel,” 2-1-1911, p. 1. Accessed 5-9-2025 at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=57892262
Warren, Michael Sol. “The worst disaster in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties.” NJ.com, 2-25-2019. Accessed 5-9-2025 at:
https://www.nj.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/02/6c318b30e95860/the-worst-disaster-in-each-of-new-jerseys-21-counties-.html
[1] The grand jury has begun its investigation of the Passaic river caisson disast4r, in which, on January 31, thirteen men were killed.”