Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-16
RAILR0AD MATTERS.
q Terrible Accident on the
Southern Pacific.
TWO BRAVE MEN KILLED.
rs Yards Of the s. P. Co. to bt
Enlarged and Side Tracks Put
In 1t Florence Notes.

A horrible accident, which resulted
ii the death Of two men, occurred
tvo miles west of Whitewater on the
Southern Pacific railroad, at 1850
o'clock Wednesday night.
The names Of the killed were Miles
Mcguire. conductor of the special
veet-bound freight train, and brake
man named Van Marten. The wound
"a we're couple Of Mexican tramps
vho were stealing ride. The follow
ine Is : correct account of the acci-
dent
a. Whitewater, Conductor Ma <uire.
..orclnded 70 run TO Cabazon. distant
about four miles, and meet the east
bound passenger train. which left
this city Wednesday evening at 6 Pm.
The run to San Gcfgonia, two miles
from whitewater, was made, when
the steam got very low and the
enQineer was forced to stop and
elbow up." The operation occupied
more time than was at first anticipa-
ted, and whom everything was ready
70 proceed it was found that they
would not have time to reach Caba-
xon before the passenger train left
that place. other words, the special
was running on the passenger trains
time, and if it did not at once turn
back terrible collision might result.
Without further loss of time, there
fore, the engineer reversed his lever
and the train started back
down the grade to Whitewater.
Conductor Mcguire and Brakeman
Van Marten were lying down in the
caboose at their ease, when the train
started back. When a pretty high
rate of speed had been gained the ca
boose plunged into a large band OF
cattle, asleep upon the track. The
shock of the collision threw the Ca
boose from the rails, and thirteen
freight cars followed it, piling one
upon another, before the train could
be stopped. Immediately upon strik-
ing the ground, the stove in the ca
boose upset and set the car on fire.
The trainmen FASTENED to the
scene of the confagration, calling
aloud the names Of the conductor
and the brakeman; they received no
response, and commenced hasty
search about that portion of the
wreck not then on FIRE. In the end OF
the caboose the remains of the con-
ductor and brakeman we're found, un-
touched by the flames, but perfectly
: dead. They we're carefully laid side
by side, and desperate attempt to
put the flaming cars out was begun.
The facilities for fighting the flames
were very limited, and after short
struggle the attempt was abandoned,
and the cars with their contents were
burned to cinders. It was reported
that between $75, 900 and 500, ,00C
worth of freight, destined for San
Francisco, was destroyed totally. Two
Mexican tramps were found consid-
erably bruised, and removed just in
time to prevent being burned. A
physician was sent from Tucson to
3 attend the wounded men. A coroner
was sent from Cotton yesterday to
hold an inquest, and an undertaken
went out last evening from this city.
Conductor Mcguire was one of the
Southern Pacifc's most reliable men,
and has 9 brother living here who
went with the undertaken to be pres
ent at the inquest. Brakeman Van
Marten, leaves q wife who lives in
this city. She was notified and was
heart broken. The remains will be
brought to this city to-day and be
buried.