The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-09
COLLISION ON THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.

Killed and u Number Wonnded-AlIeged
Gross CareIessness on the Part Of the Com
pany and Its Employees.
From the San Francisco Times, Oct 81
In the dispatches TO the Associated Press OF Wed
nssday was an obscure item from Wasatch, stating
that an accident had occurred and three passengers
were killed, one OF them named john Tustin, OF
Petalufna. Had the accident taken place on the
Erie Railroad, in New York, or on the New Orleans
and Lake Pontchartran, we should have been sup
piled with the horrible details the teescoping OF
the cars, the recklessness OF the superintendent,
had neglected to repair switch reported three
days as defective, ana the carelessness OF the eng
neer OF one or the coldlng trains who received the
danger signal full mile IRON the point where lie
rushed into wrecked train loaded with passengers.
Our contemporaries would have commented upon the
enormity OF permitting roads to be demorallzed by
spectators like vanderbilt ana James FISK Jr, ana
perhaps would even offer useful suggestions based
upon the observations OF European travel as 70 the
Importance OF sounding the wheels" at the end OF
reirained from comment until we could receive
details OF the sad affair, and then show clearly where
tne blame lay.
A PALACE TRAIN OFF TIE TRACK.
The train which left Omaha al ten A. NJ. Monday
and Two Pullman palace cars made up In tue order
In which we have mentioned them the baggage cars
IN front and the Pullmans IN the rear OF the train
ton, coming towards Wasatch distance eight and
naf miles, the forward wheels Of the engine were
thrown OF the track by defective switch, which
had been reported three days previously to the d.
vision superintendent as out Of order, and which
had not been repaired despatch was immedi-
atey sent back to Evanston for spare engine to
come and haul the cars on the track. The engine
came down, made fast 10 the rear end Of the rear
most Pullman car and hauled the train with Its
engine up on the track. she then cast Oh and
moved back some three yards from the cars, where
she stood, when the emigrant tram came thunder
ing down. striking her aud driving her into the mo-
tonless train ahead.
THE wARNfSG
This emgrant train was running on her regular
schedule time eS mar hour behind the first train
wrecked tram sent back a brakeman with q red
nag to point full half mile distant, and where he
81 a
| eer Of the approaching train The brakeman says
that he waved the flag for danger but the approach
at the rate Of twenty miles an hour. This fact IL
not denied by the engineer Of the emigrant train.
| but he says that he whisued down his brakes aud
| the men did not put them down. IL Is merely all
surd 20 say that an engineer cannot get bis brakes
! put down during the minute and half that he ~
| running half mile. Az he passed the signal man
yelled to him to reverse his engine, and he did so.
smashed into the detached engine. and crowd Of
| wounded, dying and dead were crushed amidst
| the wreck OF both trains
| THE C01.LlslON-CARs Observation-Disclosures
CRUSHED.
| The detached engine was driven back against the
lug it up against Pullman No. . It was In tins car
| that the damage was done. The two Pullulans did
not telescope" but the second Pullman and the
rearmost passenger car did Both were rendered an
almost compile wreck. The luxurious stateroom in
the end Of the superb palace car was completely
mashed, and here the unfortunate MI. John Tustin
| lost his life.
party Of seven were standing on the platforms,
when one OF them CHANGED to lean out and look 10
the rear, when he saw the engine Of the emigrant
tram just coming round the curve He cried LOOK
jumping himself and rolling down the 'D emu
oankment Five Of the others all leapea
elderly man, was less active In getting OF. He
| had swung about one-haf OF his body on beyond
left hand and was already IN she act Of letting 20
when the cars came together catching just one af
n s Soa aq se na
bone. Here the body remained for three hours
before 1t could be extricated, while his unhappy
| widow (who was slightly woundedl was compelled
to remain in the train, IN knowledge Of the horrible
event. OF course Mr.. Tustin's death was instanta-
| neous; we may mention, as lnstancng how shock
ingly he was mangled, that wnen his body was
released, his heart was found to have been forced
completely out Of the cavity OF his body Mr.. Tustin
was prominent citizen OF Petaluma, an old resi-
dent, and wen known through all that section OF
country.
We have mentioned the almost miraculous escape
At the same moment an officer Of the navy. v who t
was one OF the occupants OF the destroyed state
room, was in the act OF coming out upon the plat
FORM lie had opened the door saw the others leap,
stopped for instant irresolute the next the cars
came together and he was thrown backward into
| the saloon OF the Pullman, painfully bruised, but
| not seriously injured Following Is the list OF the
wounded, all OF whom were In the Pullman car
| with details Of the injury sustained by EACH
! Mrs. j. Tustm, OF Petaiuma, widow OF deceased
bruised painfully IN the face.
| Mrs. +. A. Horton Of New York, shoulder dislo-
| Gated. IL was set on the spot.
Mrs. George X. Gluyas, wife Of Mr.. George X.
Guyas, chief engineer OF the California Steam Nayi-
| ton Company, injured in right arm.
Mlss Mamie Gluyas cut seriously, but not danger
ousiy, in forehead
Miss Maggie waters. of Dewitt Iowa, Injured in
the back She was severely Jared, but 1t + noped
| has sustained no internal injury.
a. p. Andrews, OF sacramento was wounded, but
| not severely In the arm, breast and hip.
! Mrs J. W. Cofroth, also OF SacI amsntO, wife OF
the State senator IRON that city, slightly wounded
! and also her child.
Lieutenant Commander Alfred Hopkins, OF sara.
toga, N +; wounded slightly , IN arm and neck
| KILLED On THE EMI6RANT TRAIN.
| The rear train was loaded with Mormon emigrants,
and here the fatality was greater but we have less
detail as to the injuries sustained Three OF the
wretched emigrants were Killed outright two were
fatally wounded and large number were more or
less injured, some very severely. 1t VIII be noted
that "a usual IN cases Of collision Of the sort the
| damage the cars ''teescoping" worse than in the
! train which Is stationary.
GATHERING UP THE PIECES
| The wrecked cars were fastened together with
| chains and run slowly down to Wasatch. The dis.
aster been telegraphed to the division superin
! tendent at that point, who at once communicated
with the train from California eastward bound, ana
| found that there were two or three surgeons on
gers, and three hours afterwards forwarded on
to attend to the suerngs OF those board emil
not sooner sending forward tins relief is also &C.
verey criticised. lie himself stated IN excuse that
he was expecting back the locomotive which had
! After waiting three hours without its coming to
hand he forwarded the surgeons by another ocomo-
| tive.
| AN ODD CONVERSATIONAL RECKLESS ENGINE DRIVER.
! We have mentioned the gentleman who discerned
the approaching train, and cried to the others to
| sjump" He was talking to the unfortunate Mr..
Tustin at the moment and with regard to the acci-
dent Mr. Tustin had SAID in jocuiar vein, that he
might have 'got even" on the life insurance COM
panies for he was insured for $4,000; the gentle
man replied that Mr.. Tustin had gone one bettern
than himself, for he was insured for 81, 900; the
same breath he looked back and saw tue emigrant
| locomotive.
IL appears also that the engineer OF the latter bears
| reputation much like that watch blank Monk
| used to enjoy In the days or pioneer coaches and
| klngsbury grade lie IL accounted q reckless ana
! daring fellow, and his conduct In the present in
stance IL such we might expect froil
| such q one. He says that ne saw the signal
| and whistled: this should have been mile or
! less from the point of collision. The passengers on
| the forward train heard no whistle. Had he wnis-
| tied within that distance they ought TO have heard
IL. knowing that he was close to their heels they