The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-06-02
A Sad Calamity Befalls .
Memorial Day Excursion
Party in California.
On the Way TO Weave Garlands FOR
the Dead They Themselves
Meet with Death.
accounts Of the Disaster as Given BY
RESPONSIBILITIES Known
TO Have Perished.

Day, when the local train connecting 81
Oakland with the ferrybosts for San Fran
cisco ran through an open drswbrides over
San Antonia creek Al Webster street, OAK
land. A yacht had just passed through the
draw when the train appeared, going in the
direction OF Alameda. The drawbridgs
keeper endeavored % close the bridge, but
II Was Too Late.
and the engine, with the tender and first
car, which was filled with passengers,
plunged into the estasry. Engineer Sam
Dunn and Fireman 0'Brien went down
with the engine. The former. when be
saw that the bridge did not close, reversed
tine lever, but the momentum Of the en-
gins was too great to be stopped In time.
The weight of the engine and the first car
broke tne couplings and left the other
cars of the train standing on the track.
The second oar ran about third of the
way across the bridge aud stopped. but the
lar was sufficient 10 break open the front
or the car, and many of the passengers
were thrown into the water. The first car,
which had fallsn with the engine 10 the
bottom OF the muddy estuary, soon rose
and such OF the passengers az had escaped
therefrom were picked up by the yaohts
and sailboats which had gathered at ths
scene. The trainman and the rest Cf the
passengers lent their aid 10
The work oa Reseuss
ana when the wreekin9 train arrived from
Oakland the car was drawn into shallow
water and small boats began dragging the
creek foa bodies. The top OF the passsn-
Ger coach was cut open aa soon ~ II was
raised above the water, and the work Of
removing the bodies was commenced, thar
teen being taken ont in quick succession.
AT the morgue the bodies we're laid out ~
soon as received to await identification,
and heartrending scenes were witnessed as
friends came forward 20 claim their dead.
rise fasnsinea Dead
Is as follows.
r. r. IRWIN. Oakland.
HENRY s. AAuTIs and daughter Florsnes.
The two MISSES kEARNs. Ban Francisco.
MATTHIAS wTI.LIAMH san Frsneiseo
"a ROBINSON. san Francisco.
MRS BRRYAR O'c0NEOK. san Francisco.
MARTIN \. KELLY. San Francisco.
LUIGI MAIATRsTA and AI1ILIO his son.
San Francisco.
Hw. AUI.D, eelosed, Honolulu.
Japanese boy. supposed 10 be II. MAIL
ERTA. SAN Francisco.
The engineer and fireman both escaped.
The Experience of the Passenger
In the first coach, as related by those who
fortunately escaped, was horrifying In the
extreme. r. Il. Finley, Of San Francisco,
said II was on the front seat facing the
engine. just as We approached the draw
bridge IL seemed TO me that the draw was
open, and fearful accident was inevitable.
just then man iumpsd from the engine
into the water and then came the crash.
A horrible crushing Of timber and SNAP
ping Of heavy ironwork followed, and at
once consternAtion prevailed In the car.
The next thing knew the CIR was IN the
water and found myself biindly cropping
for the door, winch fortunately reached,
when thns end OF the car rose out Of the
water, and quite q number OF people es-
capped In this manner, principally women
and children. The car was about two
thirds FULL when we left the wharf, and
should Judge there we're at least twenty
ave 90 thirty people In IT. There vas
fSAKtAA 1utcfE wMrA t@u @@A 0~&mh ~ MsAs
but this was almost immediately hushed 10
one long. hnal wall Of despair.
Ths Cenduetors' Acoeant.
George T. Hawisy, Of Oakland, said
there we're about forty people in the car.
Conductor ReFathA said the first car was
combination. When the disaster occurred
he was In the rear car, and had as much as
lie could DO for few moments to attend TO
the passengers In the car, some OF whom
were in state OF frenzy. He then went
forward and looked down on the sosne Of
death. He noticed IT least half dozen
man aMim cnt, but net aat women or chill
dren. He was not sure about the number
OF people In the coach.
James Dunlop, the bridge lender, had
nothing TO sag further than that he had
opened the bridge for . yacht, and was just
closing IA when the train eamc along.
| Several of the passengers who went down
but we're rescued suffered psinful injuries.
| The frame Of the car has been raised and
| the bed Of the creek Thoroughly explored
| and IA Ia believed there ara NO more bodies
| In the wreck. Conservative estimates place
the number OF people In the car at about
thirty and Il IL believed the
Thirteen Bodies kteeovesed
comprise the list Of the dead. Thousaads
of people Booked to the scene Of tbs disas-
ter and the streets leading 10 the bridge ara
crowded with hnErying msn, women and
children, The widest rumors a. 10 the
extent of lhs loss Of life are circulated, and
many people went across from Ban Fsan-
cisco to look for friends. When the news
| OF the disaster reached Mountain View
camsterv. where hundreds Of Oakland peo
pie we're decorating graves, panic waa
created, and men, women and children
rushed into town, leaving all their floral
tributes behind them.
ffesiies al Eaeafifzsa.
4 Az midnight all tho bodies rscovered III
the bridge accident had been identified.
Parties are still nj the wreck searching 10
bed Of the eresk, bua Il i believed no mors
Hives were lost.