The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-01-26
RAILWAY HORROR.
Terrible Accident on the Southern
Pacific Road.
Many People Crushed and Roasted to
Death.

A telegram from Tehiohipa Cal says:
Shortly after midnight Friday night the
overland express on the Southern Pacific
railroad stopped near here to take on an ex-
ira engine to assist in pulling up grade or
40 feet to the mile. While making the
change by some means the train, consisting
Of express, mail and baggage cars, two
sleepers one coach and smoker became
free and started to run full speed down the
grade The air-brakes had been taken on,
and the men who should have been tend
ing hand brakes were away from their
posts, one attending to switch
ing the extra engine, and the other
relighting his extinguished lamp. The train
gathered Roadway quickly and was soon
dashing down the grade Mt the rate OF
mile a minute. At sharp curve in the
road the coach and smoker, which were
ahead, broke their coupling and separated
from the rest of the train, making the turn
safely. The sleeper and the mail, express
and baggage cars were dashed against
high bank, then thrown back and rolled
down n tifteen-foot embankment The lamps
and stoves at once set fire to the wreck,
which was instantly in blaze. Harry Con-
nors the news agent, who was sleeping In
the baggage-car, was awakened by the move
ment of the car, and aroused James wood
hull, the baggagemaster, just az the car
made the lump. The roof or the car split
open, throwing both men out severely
bruised Connors, while lying on the ground
unable to render any assistance, saw the
train entirely enveloped in flames, heard the
shrieks of the dying victims, and saw them
vainly endeavoring TO struggle from the
burning ruins Porter Ashe and his wife
occupied a lone drawing room OF one of the
sleepers and were awakened by the crash
They succeeded in getting out without in
jury, but OF the sixteen other occupants or
the car not one IL believed to have escaped
In the meantime the occupants OF the
coach which kept on the down grade sue
ceeded in stopping 1t, thus 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 smoldering ruins of the train and
the four who had escaped with their lives
lying bruised and bleeding in the darkness
shivering i'll the piercing cold night air and
rendering assistance to each other. Word
was sent here at once and assistance soon
arrived AS soon as possible medical attend
ance was sent from Sumner and Bakersfield,
and subsequently from Los Angeles Search
for the dead soon showed twenty-one had
persisted. Eleven were burned beyond all
recognition, only headless bodies and charred
limbs being found OF the body of Mrs
Downey only the head and bust remained,
and these were recognized by her jewelry
All the bodies and fragments were gathered
up ana put In cONnS, Inc WOunucu were
remov, d TO the baggage-car, and, on the ar
rival of relief-train from Los Angeles,
were sent to that city. OF the dead the
colored porter, Wright was crush d; Ex-
press Messenger Charles Pierson had his head
shattered; five were burnt. but were re-
cognizable viz: Miss Mamie f. Squires
Mrs IL o. Oliver, Mrs. Downey, NJ. Wethered
and Mrs. James CasselL Two unknown,
but supposed to be discharged soldiers,
were found dead, but were not burnt One
other body, that of large man, was found
badly charred 1t is supposed TO be the re-
mains of Col Larrabee, ex-Congressman
from Wisconsin. Gov Downey says that
Larrabee was on the train, and he has been
| missing since the accident The remaining
eleven are still unidentified
The wounded are birs. Capt j. X. Brown
and daughter Ida, Lee Waterhouse Mrs A
l. Warehouse and two children, John L.
Cassell eX-Gov. Thomas Downey, James
Woodall +. W. Dougherty Mrs p c. Hatch,
Mrs. t. Hatch, the maid of Mrs Porter Ashe,
! II. C. II ms Stephen Coffin, j. w. Searls, and
Capt T. H. Thatcher The mail included
one pouch of registered letters for St Louis.
Mo, and 100 small packages Of registered
letters for other places