Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-05
WOEFUL WRECK.
Details of the San Fer
nandO Disaster.
CONDITION OF THE INJURE d
Scenes on the Spot - Terrible
Death Of Eng ineer Westerfeld
and Fireman Brooks.


Wednesday morning regarding ths
railroad disaster near San Fernando
were all corroborated yesterday, ant
proved to be the only authentic &C
count presented to the public. The
HERALD reporter remained at the
depot all night awaiting an oppor
tunity to proceed to the wreck. ant
this finally occurred at 7:l0 A. NJ. wher
No. 20, which had been held all nigh
for orders, was directed to proceed tt
San Fernando. Coroner Meredith
kept watch with the newspaper man
in his nocturnal vigil, and it was with
great relief thatthey found themselves
steaming away to the scene OF the
disaster. San Fernando was reached
about 8 :15, and there was a large
crowd assembled at the depot when the
train pulled in. The conductor was
directed to side track and await further
orders from the front, SO the HERAL o
man proceeded to obtain all the par
ticulars he could from the coDgrega-
ton at the depot. 1t appears that
the first Information that reached
San Fernando Of the disaster
was through the medium OF a traveller
who drove in and stated that an acci-
dent had occurred near the tunnel.
Shortly afterwards a man was OBJ
served limping along the track, and
he proved to be one of the victims
who had escaped with slight injuries.
An engine and csboose were at once
manned and went as quickly as pos
sible to the scene, where horrible
sight was awaiting them. A heap of
debris scattered all over the track,
men sitting about bloody and
disheveled, and on pile of cushions
lay all that was mortal of Engineer
Westerfield, who had left the city in
the morning full of life and hope, and
now was naught but bleeding
corpse. Groans of suffering men re-
sounded piteously, and laboring to
rescue their imprisoned comrades a
number of trainmen were hard at
work upon the pile of ruins that lay
upon the track. A low groan of hor-
ror went up as those engaged about
engine No. IDS brought to light the
mangled and almost unrecognizable
remains of Harry Brooks, one of the
most popular tiremen on the road,
and, indeed, it was a pitiable
sight to see so strong lie snapped
off in the very bloom of youth.
The foreman of the work-train was
the next discovered, and was quite
helpless as he was conveyed to a
temporary shelter made by the side
of +Io f,onI- 1rrrinoor Eao1olo
almost buried beneath q mass of tim
bers, but when extricated did not ap-
pear to be severely injured, and so
the work went on and all the aid that
could be extended to the sufferers
was given by willing hands. About
O'Clock warning whistle from the
south--yas heard, and at express
speed steamed up an engine and tour
lists car, from which alighted Doctors
Kirk patrick and Frost, MIR. j. Thomp-
son and a number of aides, who had
been recruited in the Los Angeles
yards. The physicians went 10 work
with commendable energy binding
up wounds, administering stimulants
to those whose injuries were serious,
and in every way possib relieving
the needs OF the afflicted men, who
hailed their visitors with delight.
Brooks remains were then placed by
the side of three of the most badly in
jured survivors, and with this sorry
load the relief train, accompanied by
the physicians named, returned to
Los Angeles. At San Fernando,
Brooks body was deposited in the
freight house, and the train proceeded
with the injured mon to Los Angeles,
arriving here about l 40 A. NJ. yester-
day, when the suff f-rers were at once
cent to the Sisters Hospital.
Such was the gist OF the informa-
ton in possession of the HERALD man
after hall an hours inquiries and as
there appeared to be no opportunity
to proceed, by means of rail, to the
wreck, the scribe hired muleteer to
convey him by road to the scene.
Crack went the whip and along level
road sped the light wagon at a rapid
pace, the beasts of burden being
urged on by whip and cry of the
Mexican driver, who was anxious to
earn a few pesos. 1t was about four
miles by road to where the accident
occurred and ct the journeys end
was indeed
A SCENE OF DESTRUCTION.
Eneine No. 1893, the huge ten.
wheeled locomotive that headed
height train No. "a, was complete
wreck and bent in twain like half
opened iack-knife. The pilot and the
tank were both embedded in the
ground and the center of the cab was
thrown up in mid air. The vehicle
Law on top of an embankment and by
its side lay the "hog" engine No. 25l,
which, however, escaped with COM
paratively small damage. Its pilot
was broken and the end of the tank
smashed, but the main part of the
engine was almost unhurt and it will
not entail very great expenditure to
put it in running order again. Four
empty box cars in shapeless mass
lay piled up and piece
OF the track was torn from its moor
ings. About half mile up the line
stood the engine of the work train
capped by all that was left of the old
messenger coach which was used to
convey the workmen to and from the
scene of their labors. A number of
men were hard at work putting i'll a
subsidiary track, and the wrecking
train which had arrived in the early
mart of the night stood conveniently
by to aid the laborers in their hercu-
lean task.
The HERALD man subsequently en-
gagged in conversation with section
foreman Tim Mcdonald, who was on
the wrecked train, and obtained from
him the folio ing statement: "We
were engaged in clearing out the tun-
mel, and having 200 feet to 90 had q
big job on our hands. we WORKED
until 6 o'clock, when the hour TO quit
All ~ LpOvr yuhot n dO