Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-30
A FEARFUL AFFAIR.
The Wreck onthe Southern Pacific Rail
way Yesterday.
A Freight Train Plunges Full Speed Into a
Passenger Train-A Miracle Prevents
FrightfuI Loss of Life.
Special to the Gazette .

Special to the Gazette.
SAN ANTONIO, TEX, Jan. 29.-Full
details of the wreck on the Southern Pa
cific road reached here to-day. The dis
aster occurred four miles cast of Luling
and about fifty miles from here, in 4 cut
on Iron mountain hill. At this point a
freight train had been partially derailed
by the spreading of the track, and in
formation having been telegraphed back
to the approaching passenger train at
Houston, the latter had received orders
to rescue the wreck, and had reached the
spot and stopped. While the
trainmen were busy clearing the track,
which required several hours, all pas
sengers except the ladies left the coaches
and wandered out into the adjacent fields.
When the work was within q few minutes
OF completion Conductor Joe Morris or
dered the passengers to get aboard, and
no sooner had his command been given
than the shrill whistle of another train
assailed their ears.
Could they believe their eyes!
Within 800 yards of them at the top of
the hill and coming rapidly down the cut
was another monster engine and train,
emitting great volumes of black smoke
and fire and jumping frantically under
the reverse action which the terror
stricken engineer had thrown on to avert
THE HORRIBLE CALAMITY
which stared him in the face. Quick as
thought the cry resonnded throughout the
cars and amidst the greatest excitement
and cries of terror everyone within made
quick haste to get out and flee for his
life.
IN another moment there was an awful
crash. The iron monster plunged into
the rear sleeper, smashed through it and
damned the two trains forward with an
awful crashing of timbers. AS the en-
CINE telescoped the sleeper its smoke
stack was broken, which filled the interior
of the coach with a density of smoke.
Presently there was an explosion, and
then from out the inlly blackness Ieaped
the red tongues of flame.
The wreck had caught fire.
There was an heroic effort to extinguish
the blaze, which was finally successful.
This done the danger was over, and the
thing was to determine if any one had
PERSISTED IN THE FATAL SLEEPER.
Through the wreck, which was still black
with smoke from the engine, the railroad
men crept, feeling with their hands and
asceTtaining that no one was within 4
No body had been hurt except the coD<
ductor of the approaching freight, Who
had leaped from the train and sustained
4 spTaining of the ankle. The engineer
and fireman had also leaped safely, and
saved their lives, though the engine
plOwed through the cars with no other
injury than the loss of her smoke stack.
Besides the wrecking of the sleeper,
which was literally splintered, the tender
of the passenger train was mashed out of
shape and all the cars on the train were
shivered and splintered. The accident
occurred about , clock in the after
noon. The passengers were taken to
Luling on the engine, and upon the arri-
val of relief from San Antonio the wreck
was cleared and the train allowed to pro-
ceed on its journey about 4 % CLOCK in the
morning.
THE RESPONSIBILITY
for the collision is hard to place. The
attacking freight had been tagged, put
being on the down grade and in a cut
the engineer says he was unable to stop
his train.
An incident showing the heroism of
woman occurred on this occasion, which
should be noted. When the approaching
freight train was first sighted bearing
down upon them like a great devil bring
ing sure death to all who might be in
the sleeper, when it struck
there were within five ladies. Among
them was an English lady, who, instead
of becoming craZed with fright as the
others were, calmly assisted every wO-
man and child to leave the car before she
left it herself, and, being the last, barely
made her way to safe distance when
the collision occurred.