, 1890-06-05
AN OPEN DRAW.
Twenty People Plunge
to Death.
SAD DAY AT OAKLAND
Fate of a Narrow-Gauge
Passenger Train.
THIRTEEN BODIES IDENTIFIED
Several Other Lives Thought to
Have Boon Lost-Citizons
Panic Stricken.
THIRTEEN BODIES IDENTIFIED

Nlhib NbuAlNNNuAB aN 'dhltuu WIN NHt
ferry boats from San Francisco ran
through an open draw bridge over the
san Antonio creek, at Webster street,
Oakland.
The yacht Juanita had just passed
through the draw, when the train ap-
peared, going in the direction of Ala
media. The draw.brldge keeper endeav-
orcd at once to close the bridge, but Ii
was too late, and the engine. with the
tender and first car, which was filled
with passengers, was plunged into the
estuary, which is here quite deep.
Engineer Sam Dunn and Fireman
o Brien went down with the en-
sine. The former when lie
saw tho bridge, did not close
tho reversed lever, but the momentum
Of the engine was too great to he stopped
In time, The weight Of the engine and
the first car broke the coupling. ana loft
the other two cars of the train standing
on the track. The second car ran abont
a third OF the way across the bridge and
stopped, but the jar was sufficient to
break open the front end Of the car, and
many of the passengers were thrown
into the water. The first car which had
followed the engine to the bottom Of the
muddy estuary, soon rose and such Of the
passengers as had escaped therefrom
were picked up by the yachts and small
boats which gathered at the scene. The
trainmen and the rest OF the passengers
ent their aid to tho work of rescue, and
when the wrccking train arrived from
Oakland the car was drawn into shallow
water, and the small boats began drag
ging for bodies.
The train was in charge OF Conductor
ReValk and an extra crew, II being a
holiday, and the conductor stated that
probably twenty live persons had met
their death. The top Of tho passenger
coach was cut open as soon as 1t
was raised above the water and the
work of removing the bodies COM
menced ten being taken out in quick
succession.
Tho news Of the accident created in
tense excitement In Oakland, and thou
sands of people fiocked to the morgue
and the scene of the wreck. At the
morguo the bodies were laid out MS soon
as received to await iden entiticution.
The body Of Il. =. Robinson which
was among those taken nom the hole
cut in the roof of tho ear, was among
the first removed there, and was taken
charge of by Coroner Evcrs. The bodies
ofsix mon and two women were brought
In soon after, some of tho bodies being
at first lofG at the receiving hospital,
where the injured were also taken. In
short time thirteen bodies lay on the
tioor and on the marble slabs oi the
| inorgue awaiting Identification. Heart.
rending scenes were witnessed as friends
came forward TO claim their dead.
moRRIFYINd ExPERIEsCE.
The experience of tho passengers in
the first coach, as related by those who
fortunately escaped, was horrifying IN
tho extreme. +. +. Finley. of San fran.
cisco, one of tho passengers, told a
graphic story of tho disaster. "Wo left
the city," ho said, "on the i;i5 train Tor
Almeda, on tho nurrow-gaugc, | was
seated on the front seat of the first car
facing the engine. All went well until
just as VIC approached the drawbridge
Z '''1'NAlh ~ s1hN aAUNollp iEttNs as VIZ
drew near the bridge It seemed to me
that the draw was open, and thut fear.
ful accident was inevitable. Just then
a man jumped from the engine into the
water. and then came the crash
a terrible crushing Of timbcrs and snap.
ping of heavy iron work followed, and
at once CONSERVATION prevailed in tho
car. Tho next thing knew the car was
in the water, AMI found myself blindly
cropping for the door, which fortunately
reached and opened, When found
myself on the platform | grad uall v
worked my way by climbing and hold
ing OH to the front of the car to the
roof, which ! had just reached when
that end OF the car rose out of the
water and quite number of people
escaped in this manner, principally
women and children. The car was abou t
two-thirds full when we lett the wharf,
and | should Judge there werc
at least twenty-five to thirty
people in 1t. There was
q fearful outcry when the ear began TO
fill. hut this was almost Immediately
hushed in one long final wall of despair
was very fortunate In escaping with q
slight injury to my shoulder and several
cuts on the head"
I NNVANth 'A'iAt W ir'tIt.
GeorgeT. IIawley, OF oaSland Heights,
was in the car that went over, bu,
escaped. lie said that there were about
forty people, including children, in the
car. When lie found the car tillinr .
with water he climbed to the upper end
but did not get out until after he wa.
completely under water. He came "a
the ton and made for n window, and go
] wedged In. After n struggle, however
he managed TO get through.
THE cospUcToEs STORY.
The conductor said: "rhc car woulc
hold forty eight people. After it ven,
down 1t was as much ss could do to at
tend to the passengers remaining In The
frenzicd with fear. ! made my way tC
the heal end. AS soon as ! could fore,
my way through and look down on th,
scene oil death, | noticed n, least half q
dozen men swimming away from III,
| wreck, but did not soc any women oi
children escape, do not know any o
the people who were In the first coach"
Tnn BRiDGgK gErER
james Dnulup who tended the bridgs
at the time OF tho accident, said: II
was In charge ut the time, and had JUS
opened the draw to allow the yacht
Juniata TO pass through. | was in th.
act of moving the draw back into place
when the up train from San Francisco
came along. That's all | know about
it,"
He declined to answer the question 1
u was not rather unusual to open tbs
draw just at the hour when u train wai
due.