From the December 23, 1896 Issue of the New York Times:

Two Killed in a Wreck - A Double Accident on the Erie Railroad

In the collision of a passenger train and freight train on the Erie tracks, in Hackensack Meadows, last night, John W. Bogert, an engineer, and Hugh G. Hallock, a fireman, were killed, and many New Jersey commuters and Christmas shoppers badley shaken up.

The accident occurred at 7:40 o'clock, just east of Berry's Creek, seven miles west of Jersey City and two and one-half miles east of Rutherford. The local Erie train for Waldwick left Jersey City on time at 7:14, in charge of Conductor Davis, and with Engineer Bogert and Fireman Hallock in the cab. The train comprised a combination smoker and baggage car and two coaches. On board were about 150 passengers, many of them commuters, and a score or more of women returning from a day of Christmas shopping in New York.

The train was on time when it reached the point of the accident. The eastbound freight train crossed the Berry's Creek bridge just before the passenger train reached it, and at that point broke into two sections, the forward car of the last half was lumber-laden. In backing up, the first section struck this car with sufficient force to derail it, throwing the forward trucks toward the opposite track. Another report is that an axle of the derailed car was broken. The passenger train, running at moderate speed, arrived at this juncture, and its engine struck the derailed car with force enough to throw the engine into the ditch. The combination car left its trucks and was thrown across the track, with one end in the ditch.

Conductor Davis and the first of the passengers to recover from the shock found on going forward that the engine was lying on its side, with the engineer and fireman still in the cab. When their bodies were taken out it was found that Engineer's Bogert's head was crushed beyond recognition, his body mangled and one leg broken. Fireman Hallock had been scalded to death by the escaping steam. Both are married men. Bogert was forty-five years old, and had been employed by the Erie Company twenty years. He lived in Passaic. Hallock was a younger man and lived at Waldwick. The last act of the engineer had been to apply the air brakes.

The combination car was badly wrecked, and all the glass was broken out of the windows of the second car. Passengers were thrown violently against the seats. So far as could be learned last night, the only passenger injured was a Mr. French of Ridgewood. He was cut in the face by flying glass.

The first news of the wreck was sent to M.W. McGuire, Division Superintendent, at Paterson. He responded at once, by special train, with physicians from Paterson and Rutherford. A special train was also put at the disposal of Chief of Police Murphy of Jersey City, who proceeded at once to the scene of the wreck, with Capt. McNulty, Police Surgeon Nevin, and Drs. Gray and Stout. The bodies of Bogert and Hallock were taken to Paterson by the Coroner of Bergen County, and Hallock's family at Waldwick was notified of his death.

There was a scene of wild terror amoung the passengers at the first shock of the collision. Peter Straub of 236 East One Hundred and Sixth Street, New York, who was on his way to Rutherford, said after the wreck, "I was in the second car when the shock came. It threw everyone violently forward. Everybody began to scream, the men as well as women. A dozen men and several women tried to force their way through the windows. Conductor Davis's coolness reassured them after a few minutes, but the panic was terrible while it lasted."

Both tracks of the Erie were blocked with trains before messages could be got by the nearest stations. The passengers of the wrecked train were delayed several hours. A wrecking train and crew were sent out from Jersey City, and a large force of section men from Bergen, to clear the wreck. All local traffic was very much delayed, but some trains were sent over the road by the Newark and Paterson branch.