The Placer herald., 1869-11-20
TERRIBLE RAILROAD DISASTER.


halcpast nine o'clock Sunday morning last, on
the Alameda and San Lcandro Railroad, some
three or four miles of which is also used by the
Western Pacific road. The collision occurred
between the eastern bound passenger train oil
the Ncstern. and a passenger train from nay
ward bound to Alameda The Western faclhc
train was made up rs follows: The locomotive
aud tender, the express and mail coach, bag
gage car, smoking car, two ordinary passenger
cars, and a sleeping car. The train from Hay
ward was made up follows The locomotive
and tender, a freight car, box Car and Two pas
sengcr cars.
There were but few persons on board the Ala
media train, and the other train was fortunately
not crowded either.
At SIMPSONS Station il seems there was a
switch tender who swears that he had y time
table but did not know how to read, had got a
boy TO read it to him once; did not know whett-
er the Alameda or Western trains had the right
TO the track; that he had been hired and recelv-
ed all his instructions from MIR Stevens, master
OF transportation on the Western Pacific. This
Mr.. Stevens, in employing this Incompetent
switch tender it would seem. has been the real
cause of this fearful and fatal disaster by which
some seventeen lives were lost and some thirty
persons woundel; at all events the responsibility
rests with him and his switch-tender. The story
is started that dense fog prevailed at the time
Churchill. lawyer of San Francisco who was
on The train and says:
II saw a house to the left of the track. at
least a mile and half off. | could see the win
dows plainly. | noticed them particularly to see
II | could recognize any of the places | was IA
miliar with. | looked down the track and could
see plainly ior some distance"
Seeing the windows of house plainly one
and half miles, settles the fog question.
We append the following list of the killed and
wounded.
LIST OF THE KILLED.
Judge A. W. Baldwin. of U. S. District Conrt
OF Nevada He had left the hndmost car Of the
Western Pacific train and had gone forward: He
was terribly crushed and mutlatcd. His mother
is residing at Oakland with her son-in-law, j B.
FELTON,.
Edward Anderson, engineer of the Western
Pacific train.
Monsieur Boull"t, Of Oakland Principal of the
Young Ladies' Seminary.
j. B. Mcdonald, Roidmaster of the Vallejo and
Sacramento Railroad. He was riding on the en-
zine with Anderson.
Charles Martin, fireman of the Alameda ira in.
George Thompson, fireman OF The Western Pa
citic train. He was taking instructions from the
regular fireman, who saved himself by jumping
eff.
David Wand, of San Francisco, dry goods mcr-
chant on Second street.
Robert Owen. conductor on the A lameda train
was first carried to the Halfway House, and was
aterward removed to the residence OF a friend
and died.
James Connolly, o: Corral Station, San Joa-
quin county.
Max Ehrman, a merchant of San Jose Mission.
D. A. Fox, OF Banta Station, San Joaquin
county.
ii. = eterson, OF Corral Hollow.
+. u. Mlliken, brakeman on the Western Pa
cifc train.
G.. L. Owen.
An unknown man.
LIST OF WOUNDED
Fourteen Of the wounded were taken to the
Alameda Asylum. Their names are as follows:
NJ. J.. Taylor. of DcKalb, Illinois; injured in
tcrnally and it is supposed fatally.
Seth bromley, OF Sacramcnto-piiot OF Steam
navigation Company brother of George T.
Bromley; right leg crushcd-aiterwards amputa-
ted.
G.. Leighton, Of Roeklin, Placer county; broken
leg
Phillip Riley, of Stockton; shoulder badly in
jurcd
Neal Langtoc, carpenter of Western Pacific
Railrord; both legs injured.
Simon Melochc; disocation of The hip.
Thomas McNelty, No Il Sixth street shoe
makcr-iracture Of the knee pan and flesh wound.
j. r. llelens, San Francisco lett leg severely
injured.
j, f. Kapp of Pleasanton; right leg severely
injured, and head and face lacerated
Patrick Mchan, OF Oakland; leg and breast
badly bsa;scd.
E. F. Fitch, Of the Cosumnes school teacher;
leg fractured
q. E. Necdham, of Banta's station, leg frac-
tured. j. NJ B. Haley, OF San Francisco; leg
injured.
Joseph 7. Perkins, railroad cmployc; n legs
injured.
j. j. Hill was injured in one Of his hips and
hands, having been thrown up into the car 4 dis
tancc OF four er five seats. lie was in the fourth
car
A boy 10 years Of age, whose name we failed
to learn, had his foot badly crushed.
One man S arm was torn entirely off, He died
soon afterwards.
j. Ii. Downer was wounded in the head. knee,
and hand but was able to come TO the city OF
the G:30 train
There were many other injured who were able
10 proceed to their homes, return to this city or
were taken to the residence of their friends.
Among them were the following:
". Campbell, United States District Attorney
Of Nevada; fracture of right leg.
}. p. Lowell of Sacramento; both legs badly
injured.
George Cadwaladcr, of Sacramento; two flesh
wounds on the lett thigh and la Grafton of the
tace.
Captain Wadsworth; badly crushed.
Two Cinnamon were badly hurt.
One lady was severely cut in the face
There were number OF others wounded whose
names it was impossible to procure.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COLLISION
The testimony before the Coroners jury says
the Chronicle, summoned to investigate the
causes Of the railroad tragedy of Sunday last
will be found in our local columns. That given
by the swilchte tender is remarkable. lie could
not read the time table. lie did not know which
train was entitled to the track. Ii He did not
know whether the down train had passed or not
by what right OF law or humanity do railroad
companies appoint such men to responsible po.
sitions and thus daily jeopardize the lives of pas
sengers? Are they warranted in killing people
by such transparent neglect Of The commt rest
precautions? And do they hope to escape CEN
sure aud punishment, under the shallow excuse
that they cannot watch all who are in their en-
ploy? 1t is part. the most important part, of
their duty to test their employees before they
place them in positions of responsibility; and
until snch rule OF action is adopted we may
look for constant rcpetitio Of the sad calamity
OF Sunday last.