The Portland daily press., 1883-01-23
CALIFORNIA.
The Wreck on the Southern Pa
cific Railroad.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT BY a SUR
VIVOR.

SAN Francisco, Jan. % -Howard Tilton
OF Yale, Brush Columbia, Freight Agent of
the canadian Pacific Railroad, who was on
board the Southern Pacific train at the time of
the disaster, says: was asleep in the lower
perth when the accident occurred; was awak
ened by the terrible speed and rocking of the
car; thraw up the curtain and looked out of
the window. The train was dashing down
grade with frightful rapdity, at the rate prob
aoly OF ~ miles an hour, and realized that a
disaster was imminent. / lay down again to
wait for the inevitable, with feeling a man
must experience when he is standing on a
scaffold in expectation Of the fall of the trap.
| Ii seemed only an instant when the crash
came, and was hurled from my berth on the
LETT side of the car, which fell upon the right
| SIDE, and was covered to my waist with mat
tresses, woodwork and debris, but found no
alInculty In recovering myself. Smoke passed
through the car giving timely token of im-
pending peril. To the right aud in my rear /
saw Mr.. and Mrs. Porter 4she perfectly free,
put MISS Petersen's maid was buried under
ABOUT SIX feet OF debris, on top of which was
the water cooler and wash basin. Mis-. Ashe
endeavored to extricate her, and 1 assisted in
| Clearing away the rubbish. We soon succeed
| ed in pulling her out. They were the only
persons in sight. pushed up the window on
| what was then the top of Nhe car end found
| them to work perfectly, not pane being crush
ed. crawlsd through and drew Miss Petersen
| out and Mrs. Ashe followed. 1 asked Porter
Ashe to th,rw out some blankets. which he did
and then crawled through himself Mr.. Ashe,
Miss Petersen and myself bad only our under
clothing on, but Mrs. Ashe wore seal skin
sacque. The cold was intense.
A deep stiffness followed the crash, and we
| heard only one scream while we were in the
car. As emerged from the car l saw Mr..
Hatch and his mother climbing out of another
window ran along and found we could
reach the ground by the platform. lowered
Miss Petersen, Mr.. and Mrs. Ashe lesping to
the ground. The upper part of the car was in
flames by this time. Passing along by the
sleeper saw the legs OF man protruding
from the car. He was piteously calling for
help. He was cool and thoroughly conscious of
his position. succeeded in partially extriacat-
ing him, when train man came to our assist
auce and we saved him from a horrible death.
He proved to be John r. Cassel cf San Fran
CISCO, and Was the only person taken from the
ruins alive. Ali human efforIswereolsuo further
avail, as the sleeper was in sheet of flame.
We left the spot and limped down to the bot
tom of the ravine, some 30 feet ebelow, where
had now collected Ex-Governor Downey, Mr..
Oassell, Mr.. aud Mrs. Ashe, Miss Petersen,
Capt. Waterhouse aud daughter. few per-
sous were scattered about us, shiyering in the
blast. Among the rocks on the steep side of
the slope lay Wright, the porter, wounded to
death and begging bitterly for help. At the
time there were some big, strong men. fully
dressed, parading up and down, who were APP
pealed to for aid by the injured, bat who took
no notice whatever of the cries of the suffer
ing l attempted to assist Wright, who was
dying, but being worn out, could do but little.
A brakeman named Mckenzie did all in his
power for us. A locomotive soon came to our
relief and conveyed MS to station, where we
arrived two hours after the accident occurred
Here we were kindly cared for by railroad Off
cials and others. Medical aid was rendered
and everything done TO relieve our necessities.
The locomotive then returned to the scene and
brought to the station the injured passengers.
Miss Squiers, who was killed, occupied berth
opposite mine In front of the berth of Miss
Squiers, Mr. Oliver, County Clerk, Lake Coun-
His wife was not with him. The next berth
but she was killed. A physician occupied the
burned to death and the remains could not be
exception of Mrs. Ex-Governor Dowpey wero
saved Porter Ashe, wifesand maid occupied
a drawing room car. Ia the sleeping ear
lady and her daughter, who l believe
were Mrs and Miss Brown. Capt. Water
house, wife and two children wer- also in this
car Only few persons in the dining car es-
capped, aud they were more or less injured. One
OF the tramps who was killed jumped from the
train white it 6as moving at lightning speed,
and another was crushed horribly 10 thewreck.
j. w. Searl and Capt. T. FL. Thatcher, who
were reported among the injured, escaped un-
hurt. Both were on the coach which kept the
track. do not know the cause of the acci-
deut and can give no reason for it. The engi-
neer and fireman Hill of the locomotive deserve
great credit for their untiring efforts in assist
ing the wounded"