The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-01-22
DOWN GRADE T0DEATH
A SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT

On the Pacific st-ARuasuAy Traln Goes Ore
an Embaskmsat aad Burps up-rWsnty.
one Persons KIllsd-Tsrrine Ex.
plosIon OF q Powder MIL.
San Francisco, January 2o.-A terrible
railroad wreck is reported from Los Angeles
Shortly after midnight the overland ex
press by the Southern Pacific, which lef
here at s:2O A. NJ. yesterday, stopped neal
Tehacapa Station to cut of the extra engine
taken on at Tammen to assist in pulling VI
the Tehacapa grade. While making the
change, by some means yet unknown the
train got away and started down the grade
OF one hundred and fifty feet to the mile
The train consisted Of two engines, express
mail and baggage cars, two sleepers
one coach and the smoker. 1t went
down the grade at frightful speed
for about four miles, when the hinder
most sleeper jumped tho track, and went
over an embankment about fifteen feet
high, carrying with it the other sleeper
The mail, baggage and express cars, which
wers piled in a shattered heap, took fire
and were consumed. The coach and
smoker kept on down the grade, and were
stopped without leaving the track about
two miles farther on. all on board were
uninjured. The scene following the wreck
was terrible. A number OF persons were
iammed amid the ruins of the train, and
roasted to death before the eyes Of those
helpless to save them. At present 1t Is
impossible TO give the loss Of life accurately,
but It Is believed from twelve to fifteen per-
SONS were killed or burned to death.
Los Angeles, January 2l-1t is now as
certained that at the time the train broke
loose and ran down the grade the air
brakes had been taken of and the men
who tended the hand brakes were away
from their posts, one attending to switch
ing the engine, another re lighting his ex-
tinguished lamp.
SPEEDING TO DEATH.
The train gathered headway quickly and
was soon dashing down grade
at the rate OF a mile q minute.
At a sharp curve the coach and smoker,
which were ahead broke the coupling and
separated from the rest OF the train, max
ing the turn safely. The sleepers, mail,
express and baggage cars dashed against
the high bank, and the three thrown back
and rolled down the embankment. The
lamp and stoves at once set fire to the
wreck, which was instantly in ablaze.
Harry Conners, the news agent, sleeping
in baggage car, was awakened by the,move-
ment OF the car, aroused Jas. Woodruff,
the baggage master. Just as the car
made the jump, the roof Of the
car split open throwing both men out
Severely bruised, Connors, while lying on
the ground, was unable to render any as.
sistance, saw the train .enveloped in
flames, heard the shrieks Of the dying vic
tins and saw them vainly endeavorlng to
struggle from the burning ruins. Porter
Ashe and wife occupied alone the draw
ingroom OF one OF the sleepers, and were
awakened by the crash. They succeeded in
getting out without injury, but OF the six.
teen other occupants Of the car not one is
believed to have escaped. Meantime the
occupants OF the coach which kept on
down grade succeeded in stopping it, saw.
ing the lives Of some forty occupants Of
that and the smoking car. They imme-
diately walked back to the scene OF the ac.
cident, but found only the smouldering re-
mains OF the train and q few who had es.
capped with those lying bruised and bleed.
ing in the darkness, shiyering in a pierc.
lug cold night air, or rendering assistance
to each other. Relief soon arrived from
Tehachapa, four miles miles distant, and
as soon as possible medical attendance
was sent from Sumner and Bakersfield and
subsequently from Los Angeles.
SEARCH FOR TIE DEAD.
Search for the dead soon ,showed that
twenty.one persons had perished., Eleven
were beyond all recognition, only headless
bodies and charred limbs being found. OF
the body Of Mrs. Donley, only the head
and bust remained, which was recognized
by the jewelry. All the bodies and frag-
ments were gathered up and cofined. The
wounded were removed 10 the baggage car,
and on the arrival OF the relieftrain from Los
Angeles were sent TO that city. 0fthe dead,
the colored porter, Wright, was crushed,
Express Messenger Charles Pearson had
his head shattered. Five were burnt but
recognizable, viz: Miss Mamie Esquires,
Mrs. FL. o. Oliver, Mrs. Downey. Mrs.
Wetherel and Mrs. James Cassell. Two
men unknown, but supposed to be dis.
charged soldiers, were found dead, but not
burnt. One other, the body Of
is supposed to be the remains
OF Col. Larrabee, Ex-Congressman from
Wisconsin. Governor Downeysays LARA
bee was on the train, and he is missing
since the accident The remaining eleven
are still unidentified. The list OF the
wounded is not changed from the eprevious
report. The inquest Is in progress, but no
news has yet been received from it. No
one but railroad and county officials are
admitted.