Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-01-23
A SAD STORY.
An Account OF the Tehachapa Disaster
by q Survivor.

An Account OF the Tehachapa Disaster
by q Survivor.
SAN Francisco, January 22.-A Tehacha-
pa dispatch says the coroner's jury found
a verdict in the train disaster case that the
victims came to their death by the neglect
of Conductor Reed and Brakeman Patton.
Two bodies were identified as those OF
Thomas Keigan and Ferdinand Gremfort
discharged soldiers of Company H, Sixth
cavalry. John F. Carroll, one of the sleep
ing car passengers, arrived in the city yes
terday. He said: l think it must have
been but few moments after the train
started that woke up. realized we were
in danger, but how could not tell. We
were rushing along the mountain side at a
fearful velocity, and in few seconds the
crash came, over we went and thousand
spinters and pieces of debris completely
buried us. Quickly as possible was on
my feet, working to make exit through the
masses under which we were buried, to
save myself and the other occupants of
the train. Everywhere | found myself
hemmed in by masses Of wreckage. My
wife, think, was killed by the first shock,
as
Her Hands We're Cold
when touched them and my calls re-
mained unanswered. closed the passage
way along the hog chains for some seven
teen feet, till reached place near where
Miss Squires was imprisoned. | heard her
scream for some one. She told him she
was uninjured, but merely unable to get
out. The flames began breaking through
where was working and was driven back
TO where ] knew no hopes for escape exist.
ed and re,reating merely TO avoid fiery
death. | went back to my wife for the
fourth time, and now could only grasp her
hair. Again and again l called to her ior
one sign of life, but in vain. The gases and
flames now drove me from her side, and as
last resort buried myself in the debris
when hope had left me. Men working from
the outside suddenly Accidentally came
upon me and drew half of my body out
but then became lodged. Our combined
efforts proving unavailing to free me from
the debries finally succeeded in dropping
througe hole made for me by the rescu-
ers. was the only one who ever reached
the light of day from under that heap Of
ruins.
The scene at the Giant powder works
this morning was one of de vastGtion and
death. In the semi-Circular excavation
where the packing houses are located, the
ground is COY cred with debris and timber.
Huge rocks, which were thrown by the
violence of the series of explosions, are
seen on all sides. Lying on the ground are
the manged bodies of twenty.one China
men. One Chinaman died last night in
the temporary hospital. So far as known
at noon one white man and twenty-five
Cinnamon were killed. The white man
killed is Ferdinand KopsPf, assistant su-
perintendent. He
Could Have Saved Himself,
but remained to try to save the works.
When the first explosion occurred, he ran
to the nitro-glycerne house TO turn on the
water to eXtinguish the tire. He was kill
ed by the explosion of the nitro-glycerine
house. 1t is thought eight or ten bodies
are in the ruins The cause o. the explo.
sion still remains mystery. Whether
the powder in every one OF the packing
houses exploded, can not be told. They
Ill cd 4 ahric