A Q&A with the director whose documentary examines the 1925 crash of Extra 1104. Watch video
Almost 200 passengers were riding the Extra 1104 that night in 1925.
Most of them were German-Americans, headed from Chicago to Hoboken where they planned to board a ship bound for Europe.
Fifty of them died horribly, essentially cooked alive as steam from a ruptured pipe blasted through the train cars piled on top of the overturned engine.
It was the deadliest disaster in Warren County history. And John General barely knew it had happened.
"Just the thought of a train wreck occurring just down the road from where I was born and raised quickly drew my attention," the Mansfield Township resident said. "Just about every day, I can hear the train go back down the street, but never once thought it was the site of terribly tragic disaster -- let alone the deadliest disaster in our county."
Two years ago, the senior visual arts major at Emerson College in Boston began making a documentary on the crash. The final product, the 30-minute-long "Extra 1104 -- The Story of the Rockport Train Wreck," will premiere 7 p.m. Aug. 29 at the township municipal building. A free online release is expected in September on General's website, www.johngeneral.com.
He answered some questions about the film ahead of the debut.
How did you become interested in making films?
I started making films when I was around 10 years old after saving up birthday money to buy myself a Sony camcorder. ... What really drew me to film initially remains a mystery to even myself, but once I did start filming ... I just felt like anything that came to my mind was possible through film, and so film became my main way of expression. It fused art and technology together, and I absolutely still love that about filmmaking.
What drew you to Extra 1104 as a topic?
I think I was scouring a website that was a forum for my local community, and somebody had mentioned this "Rockport train wreck." ... My dad had actually then mentioned to me that there was a monument erected at the site of the crash on Hazen Road, so I quickly jumped in my car and searched for the monument for what felt like a half hour. I did find it, but also discovered how overgrown the memorial had become; so much so that you really couldn't see it from the road. I don't think many people at all even knew it was there, which really prompted me towards the end of making this film to work with the town to beautify it. The memorial should be seen, and it should certainly appropriately memorialize the poor people who perished at the site.
What did you know about Extra 1104 before you started, and what did you learn doing this project?
Before I started the film, all I knew was that when the train crashed, the boiler had split open and funneled into the train cars causing the passengers to be steamed alive. ... As I got more and more into it, even my professor became shocked at how interesting the story is.
The story of the Rockport train wreck isn't your usual train wreck. ... Rockport was an actual village at that point in 1925. There was no electricity, no fire department, no police, no medical personnel (the closest hospitals were Easton and Dover at the time), and hardly any automobiles. So when a train crashes in the middle of the night when everyone on the train is sleeping and the people of Rockport are already watching Hackettstown's lumber yard engulf in flames from a lightning strike, all you can think about is that some people there must've honestly thought it was the end of the world.
I hate saying it but it's true that these poor people on this train were cooked alive from the scalding steam that had funneled into the train cars, which is a death unlike almost any other train wreck in history I would say. Not to forget either, the way that the people of Rockport stepped up to help those who were injured is incredible. I think you see it very much in our community still today, but the Rockport train wreck just goes to show that selflessness and courage go far back in this community and are part of the foundation that makes us who we are here.
How did you track down sources for your film?
One of my absolute favorite parts of making this film was tracking people down and actually talking to them about the train wreck. It all started with Frank Dale's book, which is in the Warren County libraries, "The Disaster at Rockport." Dale laid a solid foundation of knowledge about the wreck down for me. For interviewees, one kind of just led to another. ...
When I started making this film, I never thought for a second that I would be so fortunate as to talk to someone who grew up in Rockport and was alive at the time of the wreck, but ... I found Mr. (Alfred) Dellicker, and I cannot tell people enough how grateful I am to have been in the company of such a kind man with so many stories and insight into what Rockport was like "back in the day." ... Even if this film fell flat, I knew I was already beyond happy with how I got to talk to the wonderful and insightful people I interviewed for this film. Filmmaking is really just full of surprises.
What should people know going into your film, and what do you hope they take away?
Before going into the film, I think people should know that 50 people died in our town just down the road from where some of us grew up, and that these people had families who loved them. There were entire families wiped out in this train wreck. They really did die in extreme pain. And it's easy to forget how human they all were given how distanced we are in years from the train wreck itself.
But as much as mentioning how gruesome this disaster was makes for interesting conversation, I hope people take away more how selfless the first responders were and how many acts of heroism were displayed that night by porters, uninjured passengers, and the people of Rockport village despite the horrible situation. It's extremely admirable what was done that night in the face of death.
How is this accident remembered within the community, or how should it be?
About 20 years ago, the community had erected a memorial at the site of the disaster ... . This summer (with some assistance) my family and I were able to beautify the memorial so that it continues to appropriately memorialize the victims of this tragic disaster. You can't really blame people for not knowing about the train wreck because the memorial for years was overgrown and not much is written about it, but that's ultimately what I hope this film does. I've already had numerous people tell me how shocked they are to hear that this disaster happened in our town and that they never knew about it. That's not a bad thing. It just means we're moving in the right direction right now and making people more aware of the history that we live with in our town.
It really is fascinating, and it sounds odd but if you drive out to site of the wreck at night where Hazen Road meets Rockport's train tracks and just stare down the tracks watching them get swallowed up by the dark and imagine the screams and the confusion that must've filled the air in our town that night, it really can give you the chills. That's something I think everyone should try out because it'll really give you a new perspective on the whole event.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.