The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-31
THROUGH AN OPEN DRAW
A Passenger Train Plunges Into the
River at Oakland, Cali
fornia.
Thirteen Helpless Persons are
Drowned Like Rats in q
Hole.
The Most Frightful Accident Of Railroad
ing in California-wildest Excitement
and Horrifying Scenes.

SAN FRANc11co, May 3O.-One of the most
horrible railway accidents ever known in
California occurred at lao O'Clock this
afternoon, when the local train connecting
at Oakland with ferryboats from San Fran
cisco went through an open drawbridge
over San Antonio creek, at Webster street,
Oakland. A yacht had just passed through
the draw when the train appeared, going in
the direction of Alameda. The drawbrldge
keeper endeavored to close the bridge. but
was too late. and the engine, with tender
and the first car. which was filed with
passengers, plunged into the estuary. En-
oineer Sam Dunn and Fireman OBrien
went down with the engine. The former,
when he saw that the bridge did not close,
reversed the lever, but the momentum of
the engine was too great to be stopped In
time. The weight of the engine and first
car broke the couplings and left the other
two cars on the track. The first car. which
had fallen after the engine to the bottom OF
the muddy estuary, soon rose and such OF
the passengers as had escaped therefrom
were picked up by yachts and small boats
which gathered at the scene.
The top of the coach was cut open
az soon as it was raised above water aud the
work of removing bodies commenced, thlr-
teen DelnR TAKEN OUT III 4uACA euCceesAoAs
At the morgue the bodies were laid out az
soon as received, to await Identification,
and heartrendinR scenes were witnessed as
friends came forward to claim their dead.
The list of identified is as follows:
Martin Kelly. OAKLAND: +. J; Austin San
Franoisco; Miss Florence ,; Austin MIS- Is
win, Oakland; E. r. Robinson and Lungi
Dwver. Sacramento: Nj. Williams, San
Francisco; H. w. Aud, (colored) Honolulu;
the two Misses keenan,, San Francisco; q
Japanese boy, supposed to be h. Malerto.
San Francisco.
The experience of passengers in the first
coach, as related by those who fortunately
escaped, was horrifying in the extreme.
Said one: "Just as we approached the draw
bridge it seemed to me that the draw was
open and that fearful accident was inevi-
table. just then man jumped from the en-
crash. The horrible crushing of timber
and swapping of heavy ironwork fol-
lowed, and at once CONSERVATION pre-
| vailed in the car. The next thing knew the
car was in the water and I found myself
cropping for the door, which fortunately
of the water and quite number escaped in
this manner, principally women and child
| rem. The car was about twO-thlrds full
when we left the wharf and I should Judge
| there we're at least twenty-five to thirty peO-
pie in it. There was fearful outcry when the
car began to fall but this was almost imme-
diately hushed in one long final wall of de-
spair."
The bed of the creek has been thorough y
explored and it is believed there are nc
more bodies in the wreck. Conservative e.
Inmates this evening place the number q
people in the car at about thirty, and it is
believed the thirteen bodies recovered com.
prise the list of dead. Thousands of peo-
pie flocked to the scene of disaster and the
streets leading to the bridge are crowded
by hurryinR men. women and children
The widest rumors of the extent of the loss
of life were circulated and many people went
across from San Francisco to work fol
friends. When the news of the disaster
reached Mountain View cemetery, where
hundreds of Oakland people were decorat
ing graves. panic was created and men
women and children rushed into town, leav-
ing all their floral tributes behind them.