The Indianapolis journal., 1883-01-22
Additional Det lis,


SAN Francisco, Jan. 21.-A Los Angeles
dispatch says: at is now ascertained that at
the time the train broke loose and ran down
the grade, the air brakes had been taken off
and the men who tended the hand brakes
were away from their posts, one attending to
a switching engine and the other relighting
his eXtinguished lamp The train gathered
headway quickly, and was soon dash
ing down the grade at the rate
of mile a minute. AT sharp curve of
the road the coach and the smoker, which
were ahead, broke the coupling and separated
from the rest of the train, making the turn
safely. The sleepers, the mail express and
baggage-cars were dashed against the high
bank. Three of the cars were thrown back
and rolled down the embankment. The
lamps and stoves at once set fire to the
wreck, which was instantly in blaze
Harry Connors the news agent, who was
sleeping in the baggage-car, was awakened by
the movement of the car and aroused James
Woodruff, the baggage-master. just as the
cars made the jump. The roof of the car
split open, throwing both men out severely
bruised. Connors, while lying on the
ground unable to render any assistance, saw
the train enveloped in flames, heard the
shrieks of the dying victims, and saw them
vainly endeavoring to escape from the burn
ing ruins
Mr.. Porter as he and his wife occupied
alone the drawing-room OF one of the sleep
ers, was awakened by the crash. They sue
ceeded in getting out without injury, but of
the sixteen other occupants of the car not
one is believed to have escaped.
In the meantime, the occupants of the
coach which kept on down the grade sue
in win ha of
some forty occupants of that and the smok
back to the scene of the
accident, but found only the smoldering
remains of the train and few who had
| escaped with their lives lying bruised and
bleeding in the darkness, shivering in the
piercing cold night all, or rendering assist
ance to each other Relief soon arrived from
Tehachapi, four miles distant and as soon as
possible medical attendance was sent from
Sumner and Bakersfield, and subsequently
from Los Angeles. Search for the dead soon
| showed that twenty-one persons had
perished. Eleven were beyond all recogni-
| ton, only headless bodies and charred limbs
being found. Of the body of Mrs. Downey,
only the head and bust remained, and was
recognized by her jewelry. All the bodies
and fragments are gathered up and cofined
The wounded are removed to the baggage
car, and on the arrival of the relief train
from Los Angeles, sent to that ci4y. OF the
dead, the colored porter, Wright, was
crushed; the express messenger, Charles
Pierson, had his head shattered;
five were burnt but recognizable, viz: Miss
Mamie E. Squres, Mrs. H. 0. Oliver, Mrs.
Downey NJ. Wetnered, and Mrs. James Cas-
sell. Two men, unknown; but supposed to
be discharged soldiers, were found dead but
not burnt; one body, of a large man, was
badly charred; it is supposed to be the re-
mains of Colonel Larrabee, ex-congressman
from Wisconsin. Governor Downey says
Larrabee was on the train, and he is missing
since the accident. The remaining eleven
are still unidentified. The list of wounded
is not changed from the previous report
The inquest is in progress but no news has
yet been received from it. No one but rail
road and county officials are admitted.
DR.. Carson, a young physician of this
place, who took the train on Friday night
which was wrecked, is supposed to be among
the unidentified dead