The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-01-22
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT.
A Train Jumps the Track on the
Southern Pacific.
TwENTY-oNE PERSONS BURNED TO
DEATH.

SAN FRANCISCO Cal. Jan. 2O.-Sbortlv altar
midnight the overland express by the Sonthern
racine, which left here at $50 O'Clock a. m
Yesterday, stopped near Teh@hapi station to
cut out an extra engine taken on at Sumner 10
assist in ruling up Tehahapi grade. Wb;Ia
making the change, by some means vet mn
known, the tain got away and started back
northward on down grade OF 100 feet to fine
mile. The train consisted of two engines. ex-
press, ,Imall and baggage cars, two sleepers, one
coach and a smoker 1t went down the grade at
afrIghtful speed for about four miles, when the
hlneeimost sleeper jumped the track and went
over an embankment about 15 feet high carry
ing with 1t the other sleeper, mail, baggage
ana express cars. which were piled into a
shattered heap. They took fire and were then
consumed. The coach and smoker kept on the
down grade and were stopped without leaving
the track, about two miles further on, all on
board not injured. The scene following the
wreck was terrible. A number of persons
were 1ammed amid the ruins of the train and
roasted to death before the eyes Of those help
Tess 10 save them At present it is impossible
70 give the loss of life accurately but it is be-
neved from IL to is persons were killed or
snrned TO death. The dead, SO far known, are
Mrs. John Cassell, wife OF wel-known min
Ing man. burned. r. w. Pierson, express mes
ssdt8eG .1hs .pprtar Of one of the sleepers.
soon after.--Lawrence, porter of the other
sleeper was burned. 1t is feared
that the wife of Ex-Governor Downey,
who, with her husband, was on the
train, is among the dead At. 1880 o'clock
this morning seven bodies had been taken out,
some burned beyond recognition, The follow
ing are reported injured: Mrs. Capt. j. X.
Brown, Miss Ida Brown, r. A Waterhouse,
Mrs. I. A. Waterhouse and two children,
John T. Cassell, ex- Gov. Tom Downey, maid
of Miss Porter Ashe, James Woodall, f. w.
Dougherty, Mrs. P. c. Hatch, Mrs II. V.
Hatch. 1t is a remarkable fact that the
wounded are almost, without exception, but
slightly injured The following passengers
are unhurt: Porter Ashe aud wife, II. A. Oil
yer, Miss e Squiresland I. j. Oliver. Many
are missing and are supposed to have been
burned in the wreck. Asbe and his wife, who
is the daughter of the late Judge e. B. Crock
er, were on their wedding tour. They were in
the sleeper, which first left the track, and
their escape uniDjured is almost miraculous.
A special train has been sent to the scene fIem
Los Angeles, with physicians and an under
taker. The dead and wounded will be taken
to Los Angeles. Meantime every possible at
tention has been paid to them on the ground.
wrecking train has arrived from Sumner.
SAN FRANCISCO, jan q "A despatch from
Tehaehapi concerning the accident on the
Southern express train near there yesterday
confirms the death of Mrs. Downey and says
ex.Gov. Downey is badly hurt, but will recov-
or. Only few passengers left here on the
train. A number got on at way stations, but
as the list is not made up until Majove is
reached the full list cannot be made except by
personal inquiry. despatch from Los An
gees says il is now ascertained that at the
time the train broke loose and ran down the
grade the air braks 8 had been taken off and
the mel who tended the hand brakes
were away from their posts attending
to switching the engine and relighting
quickly, and was soon dashing down grade at
the rate of a mile minute. At sharp curve
of the road the coach and smoker, which were
ahead, broke the coupling and separated from
the rest II the train, making the turn safely.
The sleepers and mail express and baggage
cars were dashed against high bank and then
thrown back, rolling down the embankment.
The lamps and stoves at once set fire to the
wreck which was instantly in blaze Porter
Ashe and wife, who occupied the drawing
room OF one of the sleepers, were awakened by
the crash They succeeded in getting out
without injury, but of the sixteen other occu-
pants of the car not one is believed to have es-
capped. Meantime the occupants of the coach
which kept on the down grade succeeded in
stopping it, thereby saving the lives of some
forty occupants of that and the smoking Car.
They Immediately walked back to the scene of
the accident but found only the smouldering
remains of the train and the few who had es-
capped with their lives lying bruised and bleed
ing in the darkness, shivering in the piercing
cold night air, or rendering assistance to each
other Relief soon arrived from TebRhapi,
fonr miles distant, and as soon as possible med
lcal attendance was sent from Sumner and
Bakersfield and subsequently from Los ADge-
les. Search for the dead soon showed TWENTY
one persons had perished. Eleven were De-
yond all recognition, only headless bodies and
charred limbs being found. All the bodies
and fragments of bodies were placed in collins
and the wounded were removed to a baggage
car. and on the arrival of the relief train from
Los Angeles were sent to the city, The list of
the wounded is not changed from previous re-
ports. An inquest is in progress but as yet no
news has been received as to its findings.