The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-31

A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

s~N-ssa4sea- Idft-cs att Slls4 Al WORK
searching the bed of the creek. but il is be-
heved that no more lives were lost
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Statements OF Passenger. who Were I'm
the Car That Plunged
San Francisco. May 59-The experience
OF the passengers, SIS stated hy those who
fortunately escaped. was terrifying i'm the
extreme. F. FinlaY. OF San Francisco. one
oi the Passengers. told graphic story OF.
the disaster. I'VE left the city," be said.
on the l:i5 train for Alameda on the mar
row gauge. was seated on the front seat
OIL the hrst car from the engine All went
well until We approach ed the bridge cross
ing san Antonio creek. As we drew near
the bridge il seemed TO me that the draw
was opSn and that fearful accident was
unsuitable. Just then man iamped from
tie engine into the water and there came a
crash. horrible crushing in OF timber
and swapping oi heavy ironwork followed,
and at once CONSERVATION prevailed in the
car. The next thing knew the car was
IN the water, and | found myself
oaindsy cropping for the door. which
fortunately reached and opened When
found myself on the platform gradually
worked my way. by climbing ard holding
on TO the front of the car, 10 tie roof. which
had just reached when that end of the
car rose out OF the water. and quite num-
Der OF people escaped IN this manner, prin-
cipaliy women and children The car was
about two-thirds full when we left the
wharf, and ] should judge there we're at
least twenty-five TO thirty people in it.
There was q fearful outcry when the car
began to I'LL. bat this was almost immedi
ateiy hushed III one long final vail OF de.
spair. ! was very fortunate in escaping.
with slight injury TO my shoulders ana
several cuts in nay head. !"
George T. Awley. Of Oakland Heights,
was in the car that went over, but escaped.
he said there were about forty people, in-
Guiding children. in that car. When
he found the car filling with water
he climbed TO the upper end, but
did not get out until afser he
was completely under water. He came 10
the top and made for the windows and 20:
wedged. After . struggle. however. he
managed to get through.
Conductor Rerath said: The FIRST car
was = combination car. and had gone
through ii before we reached the bridge.
II would hold forty eight people. After It
went down il was as much Is / could do to
attend = the passengers in the remaining
two coaches, some OF whom were frenzied
with fear. made my way TO the head,
though. as soon as | could force my
way through. and looked down on the
scene of death. l noticed as least half a
dozen men swim from the wreck. hut did
not see any women or children escape l
do not know any of the people who were in
the first coach.
James Dunlap, who tended the bridge at
the time of the accident. said: II Was in
charge at the time. and mad just opened the
draw To allow the yacht Iuniasa to pass
through. / was in the act of moving the
draw back into its place when the up tram
from San Francisco came along. That's
all know ABOUT it." He declined to
answer the question II it vas not rather
unusual TO open the draw .ust at the hour
when a train Was due.
brakeman Hutchinson. who was also in
the first car, escaped, as aid Councilman
John Haekett, of Oakland.
INTERVIEW WIN JOHN 4. HowARp.
John l.. Howard, manager of the Oregon
improvement Com pany, who was in the
forward car, said: ..ILe Erst thing knew
about any thing being wrong. was sharp
shock aud then a sensation as ii TIE trucks
we're running over the ties. | supposed
OF course that the air-hrakes would
fetch us up ali right. but mex; instant
the car luigsd forward and downward and
water burst in az the front door in tor
rent. Then | realizes that We had gone
through the drawbridge into the creek
There were broken glass and spsin,ers fy-
ing and the shrieks of women were
terrible TO listen To. Somehow | man
aged to raise the window at my
side. Captain Hacke;t. Who had
been sitting talking with me. sprang TO The
other side Of the car and smashed the win
dow with his fist. Whess | opened my
window the rush OF water was so great that
could not pun myself through.
Ny heavy cyercoaf embarrassed
me in my effort to get out.
Finally | gos out and struck for the sur
face. II seemed a long time before |
reached the air. and judge We must have
been in pretty deep water. Ii was not
more than a minute. probably, from the
time we struck till the lime resched
the rooi OF the car. where
pulled myself up by means Of one OF the
small yentiiators The first thing | saw
was Captain Hackeit in the water just
ahead 81 the car. trying 10 save
yoanS lady. I could still hear
grosns and cries inside the car beneath me-
The windows being under water and there
being no fcoghosa, could render no posi-
bile assistance. 20 tErnsd my attention to
Haekeit and helped them cut OF the
water. By that time ! was pretty well
exhausted. Bosts pgt ous to us at once
from the whsryes. bzss workmen esnse ran
ming down the bridge 10 our assistance.
There must have been sonsewhere ne
tween thisty-tve and forty people IN the
car. to the best Of nav judgment