Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-31
FATAL TRAP.
Horrible Railroad Accident in
California.
A DRAWBRIDGE LEFT OPEN,
And Crowded Car PlungeS Into the
River.
TWENTY-FIVE PERSONS KILLED.
The Work of Recovery and Identify
ing Bodies.
GREAT EXCITEMENT AT OAKLAND.
GREAT EXCITEMENT AT OAKLAND.
Heartrending Scenes at the MOrgue---SOr'
rowing Hundreds Gather About the
Remains Of Their Friends
How the Accident
Occurred.


SAN Francisco, CAL, May 30.-One
of the most horrible railway accidents
ever known in California occurred at
l:4O o'clock this afternoon, when the
local train connecting Oakland and the
ferry-boats from San Franciso, ran
through an open draw-bridgc over San
Antonio creek, at Webster street, Oak
land. The yacht Juniata had just
passed through the draw when the
train appeared, going in the direction
Of Alameda. The draw-bridgc keep
er endeavored at once 10 close
the bridge, but il was too
late. and the engine, with its tender and
first ear, which was filled with passcn-
gers, plunged into the river, which was
here quite deep. Engineer Sam Dunn
and Fireman O'Bricn went down with
the engine. The engineer, when he saw
that the bridge did not close, reversed
the lever. but the momentum Of the en-
CINE was too great to be stopped in time.
The weight OF the engine and the first
car broke the couplings and left the
other two ears of the train standing on
the track. The second car ran about a
third OF the way
ACROSS TIE BRIDGE
and stopped, but the jar was sufficient
to break open the front Of the ear, and
many OF the passengers were thrown In
to the water. The first ear which had
followed the engine to the bottom Of
the muddy estuary, soon rose, and such
Of the passengers as had escaped were
picked up by the yachts and
small boats which gathered
at the scene. The trainmen
and most of the passengers lent their
aid to the work of rescue, and when the
wrecking train arrived from Oakland
the car was drawn into shallow water
and the small boats began dragging the
creek for bodies. The train was in
charge of Conductor Rerarth and an eX-
ira crew, IL being holiday. The con
ductor stated that probably 25 persons
had met their death.
The top of the passenger coach was
cut open as soon as IL was raised above
the water and the work of removing the
bodies commenced, ten being taken out
in quick succession. Engineer Dunn
was not to be found, and il is believed he
perished. Fireman O'Rrlen escaped by
jumping. Three women and their girls
were
TAKEN FROM THE WATER
alive and removed to the receiving hos
pital. Another young lady died soon
after being taken from the water.
The news of the accident created in
tense excitement in Oakland and thou
sands of people fiockcd TO the morgue
and to the scene Of the wreck. At the
morguc the bodies were laid out as soon
as received to await Identification.
The body Of f.. =. Robinson, which
was among those taken from the hole
the first removed and was taken In
charge by Coroner EyerS. The bodies
of six men and two women were brought
in soon after. Some of the bodies were
at first left at the receiving hospital,
where the injured were also taken. In
a short time thirteen bodies lay on the
floor and
on THE MARBLE SLABS
Of the morgue awaiting Identification.
Many hcartrending scenes were witness
ed as the friends came forward to claim
their dead. The list Of the identified is
as follows: Martin Kelly, Oakland,
Assistant Chief Wharf Engineer for the
State, 4. III. Austin, Of Austin
& Phelps, Of San Francisco; Miss Flor
encc Austin: Mrs. Bryan OCOnnor,
widow Of the deceased member OF
OConnor. Moffat Il Co., san Francisco;
J. Il. Irwin, sewing machine agent at
Oakland L. X. Robinson, San Francis
60; Luigi Malesti, San Francisco; Capt.
John Dwycr, Sacramento; Mr.. Williams,
San Francisco; II. w. Aulc (colOred),
Honolulu; the two Misses Keenan,, Of
San Francisco. The thirteenth body
was that of a japanese boy, supposed TO
be II. Malerta, OF San Francisco.
Later.-A dispatch says the engineer
and fireman were both saved.
Thousands OF people fiockcd to the
scene Of the disaster, and the street
leading TO the bridge was crowded with
vehicles. and hurrying men and women.
So great was the crowd on the draw
bridge that the police had TO drive the
people off, for fear the great weight
would upset the bridge and cause an
other catastrophe. The widest rumors
Of the extent Of
THE LOSS OF LIFE
were circulated and many people from
San Francisco went across the bay to
look for friends who were supposed TO
be on the train. The news Of the dis
aster reached Mountain View Cemetery,
whore hundreds Of Oakland people were
graves. A panic was crea-
ted. and men, women and children
rushed into the town, leaving their
dead, and dropping bouquets as they
ran. The ears Of the narrOwgauge road
seat about fifty, and the seats are very
close together. Conservative estimates
place the number of people In the car
at about thirty, thirteen OF whom lost
their lives.
The water over which the bridge is
built is an estuary Of San Francisco Bay
and Is commonly called the Oakland
Creek. A strong current runs In the
stream, which at the point Of the acci-
dent Is about 300 feet wide and 90 feet
deep. Both
SIDES OF TIE CREEK
are lined with shipping. and bOatmen
from the vessels were Of great assist
ance In rescuing those who escaped from
the car. The draw bridge is about
one hundred feet long, and juss
before the trains from San Francisco
get on the bridge they have to come
around a sharp curve and usually travel
at high rate OF speed. A passenger
train crossed the bridge every half hour
during the day, and when the bridge is
open the keeper is supposed TO signal
by holsting n red flag. j. y. Dunlap,
the bridge tender. says the red danger
flag was properly set IN the center Of
the track when the bridge was swung
open for the yacht Juniata 10 pass. The
boat had Just gone through and the
bridge
WAS BEING SWUNG BACK
when the train ran of. He supposed
the engineer did not see the signal on