The morning call., 1890-05-31
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES,
Details of the Accident Furnished b
Those who Were There

AHose VINO were There
+. f. Finley of 732 Sutter street and Secretary
o. tile MendocIno County Redwood Association
OF san FRANCISCO was IN The doomed car when
IL went Into the water. He said OF his expert.
erce
7s' seated in the front seat, next the en-
gihe. AS We drew near the bridge it seemed TO
me That II was open, and began to grow ner-
Vous. All at once saw that was right and that
Iearlul accident was inevit bic.
Just as l sprang to my feet l saw man
Jump from the engine into the water Then
came crash. horrible crushing OF timber and
swapping OF heavy ironwork. The next thing
Knew the car was In the wafer aud l found
myself bllndly cropping for the door, which for
tunately reached and opened.
There was a fearful outcry from those behind
me- which almost Immediately turned into pro.
lohged wall OF despair L found myself on the
pidtiorm and by climbing and holding on to the
front OF The car worked my way to the roof just
as mat end OF the car rose to tile surface.
~ escaped with only a few injurles-a hurt
on the shoulder and SOM slight cuts about the
head. am married man and my wife and
family reside In San Francisco"
Alter Mr. Finley escaped he was the fortunate
means OF rescuing several others.
SWIMMING FROM THE WRECK.
conductor Tom Davis was the regular con-
ductOf oi The train, but his place for the day was
taken by Conductor Revolk, who made the fol-
lowing statement shortly after the accident:
The car they were in was a combination and
had gone thl ough 1t shortly before we reached
me bridge twill hold about forty. eight people,
After 1t went down il was as much as could do
10 attend 10 The passengers OF tile remaining two
eodehes, some OF whom were frenZied with fear.
. made my way to the head end, though as
soon as L could force my way through, and
looked down on the scene OF death. / noticed at
least hall dozen men swim away from the
wreck. but did nj pp an rcI,Il
escape. do not know any OF the people who
were In the COACH at least, l do not remember
lhenl."
Oh, 1T WAS so QUICK ~
MISS Mary h. Austin tells pathetic story:
was sitting on the left side Of the car" she
said, my father and siste: in the seat behind
me. / heard crash. Our car went down into
the water and turned with the left side up Peo-
pie screamed and tried TO get over the top OF the
car.
''Ihe man In front of me broke the window
with his fist. He must have got out through the
window. | elasped my sister and clung to her as
long as l could, but The force OF the water rush.
Ing In separated US. l don't know how long l
was under water. / held my breath as long as
could.
"1 Was losing conscIousness when rescued. l
don't know how got OF the window. My father
and sister are still under water. Pm sure there's
no hope for them; they have been under The
water so long Oh, 1t was so quick They were
mostly men In the ear and few children"
FRENzIED INMATES.
j. A. Cayanaugh of 213 Waller street San
francisco, was in the car with his little boy who
Is three and half years old.
When the car went over Mr. Cavanaugb seized
his boy with his right hand and smashed the
window next to him with his left cutting his
hand with the glass, but before he could make a
move TO Chamber out of The broken window he
was pushedaway from 1t by some of the frenzied
inmates OF the car.
He spranG TO another window opened il and
launched himself out, still holding his boy when
lie was seized from above by another survivor.
who was on the roof Of the car, and helped up TO
place Of safety.
AN ALAMEDA MANS ESCAPE
&. W. Combs of Alameda was one OF those
who had narrow escape. He was Just passing
into The first car when 1t left the track, but
Jumped back in time, and WAS able to climb from
the lower end OF the second car up on to the
WHAT.
He thinks that there were at least twenty peo
pie In the first car. In the second car sitting
near the end windows. were two young ladies'
They were thrown nearly out OF the car by the
shock, but did not seem to be seriously injured
So fas as he could judge the other occupants
OF The second car escaped With only few
scratches.
THEY WERE SMOKERS.
j. +. Frenna says that lie owes his life to his
habit of smoking. He and his friend, w VIII
klnsoD, started TO 60 into the front car when It
was at the mole, but before they had taken their
seats Frenna declared that lie must have a
smoke and the two men went back to the smoker
They were there when the accident occurred,
and Mr. Wilkinson, who lives at 1912 Post
street. San Francisco, is very thank ful for his
friends appetite for tobacco. He says that the
hrst intlmation be had OF the accident was a big
jolt He saw the car in front of him end up
Everybody in mis- car rushed out; none OF them
were injured so far as he could see.
SEEN FROM THE CITY WHARF.
An eyewitness, who saw the accident from
the city wharf. said that the train was going so
fast that the engine eaped fifteen feet clear OF
the bridge and looked as if il turned a somer-
sault In going over.
The passenger followed, end down. The
coupling tore loose after pulling the second car
about halfway over the end OF the bridge, but 1t
is probable that the automatic air brakes kept
the other cars from going over.
Had they followed the first, the death-ron
would have included the passengers In the other
cars.
A PANIC AT THE CEMETERY.
News of the disaster reached Mountain View
Cemetery about 3 o'clock, when and where there
was large crowd at the gate waiting for car
Ihe news caused panic and many did not stop
for conveyance, put rushed pell nell down
Piedmont avenue. The news spread among
those in the cemetery and In short time the
burial ground was nearly deserted. mourners
leaving the graves and dropping their bouquets as
they ran.
IN A STRUGGLING MASS.
gentleman who was in the fatal car said that
as II went over the greater part OF its occupants
were thrown In struggling mass In the lower
end 1T was only those who managed to hold on
to the seats who escape.
SOME OF THE SAVED.