Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-01-23
A RAIL HORROR.

Eighteen Persons Killed and Cremated on
aCalifornia Railway.
San Francisco. January 2O-It is re-
ported that the southern express. which
left here yesterday, was wrecked near
Tehichipa and several killed and iniur-
ed. No particulars.
There being only one operator at Tehi-
chipa station, no press dispatches regard
ing the railroad accident have yet been
received, but the following was OBJ
tanned at the Office of the railroad COM
pany here:
Shortly after midnight the overland
express by the Southern Pacific, which
left here at 9:20 o. m. yesterday, stopped
near Tehechipa station to cut out an ex-
ira engine taken on at Sumner to assist
in pulling up the Tehechipa grade,
While making the change, by some
means unknown, the train got away and
started back northward down a grade
of 120 feet to mile. The tram consisted
OF two engines, express, mail and baggage
cars, two sleepers, one coach and q
smoker. 1t went down the grade at q
frightful speed for about four miles.
when the hindermost sleeper jumped the
track and went over an embankment
about fifteen feet high, carrying with it
the other sleeper and the mail, baggage
and express cars, which were piled in
shattered heap, took fire and then con-
sumed. The coach and smoker kept on
down the grade and were stopped with
out leaving the track about two miles
further on, all on board uninjured, The
scene following the wreck was terrible.
and number of persons were famed
amid the ruins of the train and roasted
to death before the eyes of those helpless
to save them. At present it is impossi-
BILE to give the loss of life accurately, bur
it is believed from twelve to fifteen per-
sons were killed or burned to death so
far as known are:
Mrs. John Cassell, wife OF we'll known
mining man, burned.
| F. w. Pitrson, express messenger,
| A porter of one of the sleepers, named
Wright; taken out alive but died soon
after.
Lawrence, porter of the other sleeper,
burned.
1t is feared that the wife of ex-Goy.
Downey, who, with her husband, was on
the train. is among the dead.
| 1850 a. m.-Seven bodies have been
out, some burned beyond recognition.
| The following are reported injured:
Mrs. Capt. j. K. Brown.
Miss Ida Brown.
Lee Warehouse.
Mrs. A. s. Waterhouse and two chill
dren.
John T. Cassell.
Ex-Gov. Tom Downy.
A maid of Mrs. Porter.
James Woodall.
F. Dougherty.
Mrs. P. @. Hatch.
Mrs. Il. L. Hatch.
It is remarkable fact that the wound
ed are almost without exception but
slightly injured. The following passen-
gers are unhurt: Porter Ashe and wife.
81. A. Olive, Miss E. Squires and T. J.
Oliver. Many are missing and supposed
to have been buried IN the wreck and
consumed. Ashe and wife, who is a
daughter of the late Judge L. B. Crock.
er, were on their wedding tour. They
were in the sleeper which first left the
track and their escape uniniured is al.
most miraculous.
scene from Los Angeles with physicians
wounded are to be taken to Los Angeles
Meantime every possible attention will
be paid them on the ground. A wreck.
ing train has arrived from Sumner.
Further adyices from Tehichipa give
the probable cause of the accident as
due to the fact that when the train stop.
ped the air brakes were applied, and on
detaching the engine the brakes relaxed
and the hand brakes were either left
open or we're not strong enough to hold
the train. The movement may have
been helped by the strong gale blowing
, tits now certain that eighteen passen
gers and two sleeping.car porters were
killed and ten or twelve others badly in,
jured. Seventeen bodies have been re-
moved from the wreck, one of them con
, sidered certainly to be Mrs. Downey
Captain Waterhouse, previously report
, ed injured, Is not expected to survive
The following were badly burned:
, Mrs. p. G. Hatch.
: Mrs. r. Il. Hatch.
} Mrs. Capt. Brown.
a R. @. Rons.
Captain 7. II. Thatcher.
3 Stephen Coffin.
I J. w. Searles.
f. w. Doueherty. and T. B. Woodall