Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-01-26


0vsrtuznsd Ceaehss - ~ seuthsr.
Paoins Railroad cstsh Hirs. Durnias
the Pssssngsrs 70 Dsath-rwsnty-ens
Lives Lest and fourteen Wounded.
SAN FEAEcIsoo, Cal. January n.
Shortly after midnight the overland ex.
press, by the Southern Pacific. which left
here 1t $50 = m Friday. stopped near To-
hachepai station to cut out an extra engine
taken on 1t Sumner, 70 assist In pulling mp
Tehachepai grade. While making the change
the train got away and started back north
ward down the grade Of l30fest 70 tho mile.
Tie train consisted Of two engines, the ex-
press, mail and baggage cars. two siespera
one coach and smoker. II went down tho
grade 1t q friyhtful speed for about four
miles. when the hindermost sleeper jumped
the track and went over an embankment If i
teen feet high. carrying With Il the other
sleeper. tho mail, baggage and express cara
which were piled I'm . shattered heap, took
1re and wore congumed. Tie coach and
smoker kept ON dovn the grade and we're
stopped without leaving the track, abouFtvo
miles further ON.
A Los Angeles dispatch says: II Il now as
certained that At the time the train broke
loose and ran down grade, the air brakes had
been taken OF and the men who tended the
hand brakes were away from their posts
One was attending TO switching the engine,
the other was relighting his extinguished
lamp. The train gathered headway quickly
and was soon dashing down grade at the rate
of mile minute. At . sharp curve OF the
road the coach and smoker, which we're
ahead. broke the couplings and separsted
from the rest Of the train, making the turn
safely The sloepcrs mail. express and bag.
gage cars were dashed against high bank,
then thrown back and rolled down the en-
banlmsnk The lamps and stoves At once set
fire 10 the wreck, which vas instantly In
blaze. III
Harry Conners. news agent. sieepins in the
baggage car. wakened by the move nent ot
the car. amused james woodruff, bagga ge-
master. 1ust - the cars made the jamp. The
roof Of the oar split open. throwing both men
out severely injured. Conners. while lying on
the ground unable to render any assistance.
saw the train enveloped IN flames. heard the
shrieks of the dying victims and saw them
vAlniy endeav0ring TO struggle from the
burning ruins. The porter, . he and hts wife
occupied alone the drsving-room OF one Of
the slespers, awakened by tho crash, sue
ceedcd IN getting out without injury, but Of
sixteen other occupants Of the car not one Il
believed 70 have escaped.
Meanwhile. the occupsnts Of the coach.
which kept on down the grade succeeded in
stopping Il. saving the lives OF some forty oc'
cupanss Of that and the smoking car. They
Immediately walked back 70 The soene of the
accident, bat found only fhe smoldpring re- I
mains OF the train and few who had eecapcd
With their lives Ning bruised and bleeding In
the darkness. shivering In the ptsrcing cold
nisht air or rendering assistance 10 each
other. . t#n
Relief soon arrived from 1shachcpai. four
miles distant and AZ soon - possible medical
attend ancs was oont from summer and Dakcrs-
field and subsequently from Los AngeleA
Search for dead soon showed that twenty
ono persons had persisted; eleven were bo-
yohd recognition. only hsadlens bodies and
chaued limbs being found. Of the body OF
Mrs. Downey only the head and bust re-
mstned. II was recognized BY tewe'ry. All
the bodies and fragments were gathered up
and comned- ~ wounded we're removed -
the baggage car and on the arrixnk- -ofehe 70
lief tsafa fFun Los Angeles sent TO tnne city.
Express Messenger Charles Pearson had his
head shattered. rive were burnsd. but recog-
nizabic. viz;
Miss NJ. y. squircs. Mrs. n. o. Oliver. Mrs.
~ weshered. and Mrs. James Cas-
sell; two mon unknown. but supposed % be
soldiers, we're found dead. but ma
burned; one other body of large man, badly
thnrrod. fs supposed 70 be the resnains a
Colonel Iazrabee. ex -Congreasmen nom Wis
consin. Governor Downey ys1Arsbre was
on the train. and be y missing slpce ne acci.
don't The rcmafning eleven ~ sein unidcn-
tined An inonest 4 n prououa. bos no ucws
b yet received fron u. Ne 90 bet raflroad
and county onlcials were sdmlsisd-