Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-06
RAIL AND TIE.
Enquiry into the San Fer
nanGo Disaster
TO BE CONTINUED TODAY
Progress OH Branch Lines Con-
structiOn-Gleanings from i.
all Quarters.

u
Inquiries at the Sisters Hospital
yesterday regarding the sufferers from
the San Fernando wreck elected the
fact that they were all doing as well
as can be expected. Luna's injuries
are the most serious, as he is hurt in
ternally, having been canght by one
of the broken seats of the work train.
Gregorio will not. be able to move
about for q long time to come as his
thigh is badly crushed and fractured
in two places. Fitzgerald is resting
easily and will be out Of bed in two or
three weeks. Dorman, the fireman
who pluckily brought engine No. 1876
to standstill, is still at the Southern
Hotel, Newhall, and will remain there
until it is possible to remove him to
the hospital.
The remains OF Engineer Wester-
field were inferred yesterday at the
Rosedale Cemetery. The funeral
cortege formed at his late residence,
No. II Adobe street, and all of the
Brotherhood men whose duties would
permit were in attendance. Brooks
will be buried to-day in the Evergreen
Cemetery, the hearse leaving Garrett
& Neitzke's undertaking rooms at
10 A. M.
A large gang of men is at work at
the wreck, and the track will be in
its usual condition in two or three
days. Traffic is not at all impeded
by the catastrophe, the subsidiary
track answering admirably the pur-
poses required.
THE INQUEST.
At 7o'clock last evening Coroner
Meredith commenced his investiga-
ton into the cause OF the disaster. A
number of witnesses were on hand,
and the following evidence was elic-
tied:
James Mackin was sworn and testi-
fed: "I reside in Los Angeles. am
locomotive engineer by occupation
l work for the Southern Pacific Rail
road Company. On the afternoon OF
the 3rd OF April l arrived at San Fer
nando with my engine. l came from
the west. 1 got orders to get my
engine ready and help train No. "a
west from San Fernando. got ready,
and we left San Fernando at about
$50 M. We followed the Santa Bar.
bara passenger train west. We got
up to whistling post that was about
two miles and half from San Fer
nando. 1 blew long signal whistle
for the crossing. knew the work
train was at the tunnel, and
I wanted them to hear us
coming, and did not want to be held
by the work train, as it would prevent
us from getting to Newhall ahead Of
train No. 10. We had fifty minutes to
get from San Fernando to Newhall.
The only order we had was against
freight train No. 81 to Saugus. Train
No. 10 was said to be OH time. Trains
are supposed to be on time unless we
get orders against them. think train
. No. "a was about three hours late
leaving San Fernando. We had no
orders against the work train. knew
it was there, and that is the reason l
blew a long whistle to notify them
we were coming. The work train is
supposed to take the sidetrack for all
regular trains if on time, and protect
itself against all extras and late trains
with flag. To protect with flag is
to send man ahead in either direc-
ton with a red flag to signal any ad.
vancing trains. After blowing the
whistle we started around the curve,
a d the first thing saw was pas
senger coach coming toward us, and
men jumping from it in all directions.
l got up and blew the whistle for
brakes, and then stepped out of the
front window on to the Iunning-board,
intending to Jump. About that time
something hit me in the back like a
thousand-pound sledge. think it
was the tender OF my engine. l was
Knocked from the engine to the
ground and was insensible for proba-
bly five minutes. When l recovered
consciousness found the water from
the tender Of my engine running over
me. The steam was escaping from
the engine. l scrambled up
the bank, and when some OF
the other men called to me
to help to get the dead and injured out
of the wreck, l answered that l was
too badly hurt myself to be of any
service. 1 was bruised very badly
about the back went toa FIRE which
had been lighted and dried myself
At the fire 1 heard one of the men
from the work train say that it was
carelessness on the part of the con-
ductor of the work train to start out
without tagging ahead. There was no
telegraph station at the place where
the construction train was at work.
1t is against all known rules of rail
roading for a work train to proceed in
the manner this one did. 1t should
have come down cautiously, projected
with a flag sent out ahead. The en-
gineer and conductor of train are
equally responsible for the safety Of a
train. l afterwards heard some of the
men on the work train say that they
were told by the Santa Barbara train,
which preceded US, that it had passed
our train, No. "a, at San Fernando
/ did not see the engine of the con-
struction train. only saw the pass
enger ear, in advance Of it, coming
towards us few seconds before the
collision. l have been a locomotive
engineer for about fifteen or sixteen
years." ;.
J. L. Butts was sworn and testi-
fed as follows: II reside in Penn
sylvania. have been here about five
months. lam machinist by trade
I have been following railroading for
some time. have been firing an en-
pine on the Southern Pacific. The
day before vest rday I left Los An