Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-06-27
THE RAvEaA DISASTER.
The Coroner's Jury Investigate the
Affair-The Evidence and Yer
dict N10.

The Coroner's Jury Investigate the
Affair-The Evidence and Yer
dict, If
At 8 o'clock last evening, a jury of
six was impanneled ut the morgue, to
inquire into the death Of Mrs. Katie
Betger at the railroad accident at Ra-
yena. 4 tLtAS q Aa4Ss II
III. MAcKEY,
Conductor OF trains No. 81 and %, emf
grant, sworn, testified that he took No.
% north on Monday. Pulled into Ra.
vena at 20 =. IT. to take on coal. Can
not pass that station without receiving
orders. While coaling, I went into the
Office, and got orders at l:S5 P. NJ, to
run to Lancaster. While coming out
saw special light engine No. l6, s. p.
OF N. NJ, run into the rear of my train
Mrs. Betger was killed. and her
husband. George Betger. seriously
wounded. Thomas Williams and wife,
All Men, John Fitzgerald and z. r.
West were slightly wounded. We were
at the station. A sharp curve leads to
it. An engine properly managed could
stop in time. The grade is il6 feet to
the mile. The special engines have
orders to run avoiding regular trains
Mr.. Mackey identified the body as the
one killed in the collision, and read the
rules on the time table for the govern.
ment Of trains. There were ton brakes
set. yet the shock pushed the train six
feet. Could have seen No. l6 one hun
dred yards off. Was forty minutes late.
Didn't know there was an engine be-
hind, but suppose the engineer knew
we were late. Mrs. Betger died in half
m hour. Her body was found in the
center Of the caboose. She talked until
ten minutes before her death.
@. g. cRAru,
Ons OF the brakemen on No. 22, sworn,
testified that he was engaged in cosling
up at the time the crash occurred.
Jumped on the cars and ran back to the
caboose. Helped to extricate the pass
engers. Carried deceased to the freight
house and laid her on the bed. Engine
No. I8 did not whistle. I couldn't see
her coming from the coal-bin. iden-
tify the body. Heard no whistle or bell
from No. l6. Heard nothing until the
crash. When / left tho car she was in
it. Hsr husband was asleep.
=. Z. ROWLAND.
Engineer of the wild engine, testified
that he was running No. l6. Southern
Pacific of New Mexico. Left Los An
eeles at Ills A. NJ. on Monday. with
orders to run to Mojave at twenty miles
an hour. Was running on time, when I
saw the caboose of No. % on the sharp
curve at Ravena. Could not stop in
time to avoid collision. The caboose
was 200 feet distant when I saw it.
saw it at the first part of the curve. l
could not sooner. 1t is the sharpest
curve on the division. Didn't exceed
twenty miles an hour. 1t is 6fty-one
miles to Ravena. Was not notified that
No. % was late. Passed No. 2l at New.
hall. The train hands didn't tell me
about the delayed train. whistled at
the curve. At that time No. % should
have boen at Vincent. nine miles further,
on top. of the hill. had orders to
avoid regular trains. Tried to avoid the
collision; reversed the engine. and put
on steam. The reversal threw me into
the tank and hurt me. Left Newhsll at
1857 p. ". At that time No. % should
have left Ravsna twelve minutes before;
No. % didn't know was behind, they
didn't hear my whistle. Wild engines
whistle ct all curves. Should have
passed No. % at Lancaster, at 8 p. N.
II had been running at twelve miles
per hour, as before reversal. would
have telescoped. both cars, and killed
every one; it was No. 22's duty to
answer my whistle.
G. W. BuRoE,
Fireman OF No. 10, shut off the steam
at the whistling post. Rowland gave the
signal to get water at Ravena. Both of
US saw the caboose at the same time on
the curve. Set the brake and Rowland
reversed the engine. Were running
twelve miles an hour around the curve.
1t was about 200 feet to the caboose. 1t
is impossible to stop in that distance.
The two engines on No. % were separ.
ated to coal up. Don't know II all the
employees were on No. % or not.
c. N. ham,
Brakeman on No. 20, was busy in the
coal-bin. It was about l:3o o'clock ?.
". We were all in the coal-bin. Didn't
hear the whistle. There was too much
noise. The conductor couldn't hear it,
as the engines were "blowing off," It
was heard from the rear end of the
train. We were forty minutes late.
Don't knowif we were late at Newhall.
Were detained at Lang by No. 81.
This completed tho evidence and the
jury retired to deliberate, shortly after
presenting to Coroner Nadssu the fol-
lowing
VERDICT.
"We. tho jury. end the death Of Mrs.
Bstssr to be accidental. caused ty a
special engine striking the caboose of
the emigrant train, in which said de
ceased was. We further Hnd that
neither the conductor or any Of the en-
ployes on said train. or engineer Of said
light engine are to blame, but believe
the fault to be at headquarters or with