On Aug. 14, 1897, Paterson firefighters rescued workers trapped by 1,200 tons of coal that slid out of a storage bin at the Edison Electric and Illuminating Co.
The falling coal also crushed the plant's steam pipes and plunged Paterson into darkness.
The shovelers ``were caught in the rush, but it came gradually at first, and no one was injured by it,'' according to The New York Times.
``No one could get out, and a dozen men were pinned in the coal, but they were quickly gotten out by the firemen who were summoned,'' the Times said.