CHARLES W. BLIZARD, Jersey City, New Jersey
Born in Minnesink, Orange County, New York, on September 10, 1844, Mr. Blizard attended school until his 17th year, and in 1862 enlisted in the 20th Independent Battery of Light Artillery, New York Volunteers, for three years of the war, remaining for three years, passing the first part of that time at Fortress Monroe, and the last year and a half on detached service in New York City, as message boy for General John A. Dix. He was never wounded, and was mustered out in August, 1865, at the conclusion of his term of service.

Following this he entered the employ of the Orange County Dairy Company, driving wagon for them until 1869, when he went to work on the Erie, firing a wood-burner on construction train for a year; then was on freight, firing for J. W. Rosencrans a short while, after this firing for Ed Haggerty for eight months and for Clark Caskey in 1871 and a part of 1872, being promoted on December 7 of that year to the charge of an engine, and given an extra freight run, which he kept for three months, then taking the old Danforth & Cooke "swallow tail" No. 243, on regular freight. In 1880 he was sent from Port Jervis to Paterson to take charge of a construction train, which he kept through 1881 and a part of 1882, being then, on completion of the work, sent to the Saddle River oil works to do switching until 1883. He then had a regular freight run until March 17, 1884, when he took the passenger run between Suffern and Jersey City, changing from this in 1887 to the run between Paterson to Jersey City until 1890, going then to the main line, where he remained until July 13, 1898, at which time he was transferred at his own desire to the Suffern run, which he still retains, his present engine being a cross compound Cooke, No. 469, the only engine of the kind upon the system.

Mr. Blizard was married at Waverly, N. Y., in 1870, to Miss Mary J. Casterline, who died in 1874, and in 1878 he was married to Miss Carrie Kunkel of Port Jervis, N. J., at that place, with whom he is still happily living at their own home at No. 261 Ninth street, Jersey City, their home being shared by their daughter. A member of Division 54, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers of Port Jervis, and also a member of the Masonic fraternity, Mr. Blizard has never sought for office in either organization. He is identified with no other orders, and does not interest himself in politics further than to fulfill the duty of a good citizen at the polls. Both himself and the members of his family are members of the Park Reformed Church at Jersey City.

Surely Mr. Blizard has been one of the most fortunate men on the road as to accidents, but it is usually found that those engineers whose record is the clearest in regard to accidents are also those who are known to exercise the best care and the best judgment. That such is his case is well shown by the fact that during all his long and widely varying service no more serious accident has come to him than the smashing of a brake-beam. This is surely an enviable record. He wears his years well, and bids fair to add many years of faithful service to the many already placed to his credit, and he has many friends who cordially wish to see this realized.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the April 29, 1879 issue of the Port Jervis Evening Gazette:
A freight train on the Eastern division of the Erie, comprised of oil and grain, Charles Boughner, conductor, Charles Blizzard, engineer, was wrecked one and a half miles west of Howells Saturday (April 26) afternoon, and partly burned. The accident was caused by the breaking of an axle, resulting from friction. After the breaking of the axle the truck veered round and threw the following car from the track and down the bank, followed by several of the rear cars. In some manner the fire from the heated journal ignited the oil in one of the tank cars, and in an instant the car was enveloped in flames. The cars in advance of the wreck were uncoupled and run to Howells, and a freight train approaching from the rear succeeded in removing the caboose and 12 tanks of oil from danger.

The fire communicated from one to another of the oil cars until eight were ablaze, and one after another they exploded, throwing the burning oil in all directions. Generally the domes of the tanks were forced off by the great volume of gas generated by the heat. The noise made by the hollow domes flying through the air is described as being almost unearthly.

The explosion of the seventh tank scattered the burning liquid toward the farm house of the Messrs. C.H. and H.C. Otis, directly opposite. This building had been on fire several times, but by the greatest exertion it had been saved until this time. The greater part of the furniture had been removed, the cattle had been let out of the out-buildings, and everything done in view of the threatened destruction of the buildings. Although the out-buildings had been several times on fire they were saved, and the dwelling was all that was destroyed on the premises.

The fire lasted three hours. Besides the eight cars of oil there were burned six cars loaded with wheat. The wreckers from Port Jervis were dispatched to the scene of the wreck, and with their efforts coupled with Cataract engine company of Goshen succeeded in reducing the fire, when the wreckers cleared the western track so that trains passed the wreck at 11 o'clock that night. The loss incurred by the Erie is estimated to exceed $20,000.

From the January, 1913 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
The New York Division has lost one of its oldest and most faithful engineers. Mr. Charles Blizzard died suddenly of heart disease at his home in Rutherford, N.J., December 6th (1912), at the age of 68. After the War of the Rebellion, in which he participated, he entered the service of the Erie Railroad and had been for 30 years an engineer, running passenger trains. He was a member of Division 135, B. of L.E., of Jersey City, and of Ramapo Lodge, F. & A.M., of Suffern, N.Y.