The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-23
DASHED TO DEATH.
4 Wild Train Wrecked at
Cascade.
-Four Lives Lest in The Terrible Col
liSiOl.
4 Race Through Miles Of SnoWshedS That
Ended in Sad TFsgedY-R0W Kings
ley Net His Fate.
Special Dispatches to THE MORNING CALL


morning. Train 10 was standing at Summit
with the air-brakes set while the engines
went after more cars. The air leaked, and
the hand-brakes not being set the ca
boose and seventeen cars started down the
grade.
When the runaway train reached Cascade
freight No. % was pulling in on the side
track, all but the caboose and one car clear
ing the main track
The runaway train struck and fearful
wreck resulted. Conductor Kingsley of No.
10 and Conductor Connolly and Brakemen
Beaver and Vera of No. 23 were killed, ana
it is understood one or TWO others were
badly hurt.
Cascade station, small structure, was
thrown down a precipitous hill, but the
operator was asleep in the house and es-
capped miraculously. Snowsheds were de-
molshed for some distance.
The fact that the Atlantic express was
behind time last night averted frightful
disaster, as No. % was running on her time
to Summit. Had the Atlantic been on time
the runaway would have struck that train,
and the loss CT life would have been great.
The Sacramento Bee in its account of the
disaster says:
One of the most terrible accidents that
has ever happened on the hill' occurred
this morning about o'clock. The details
of the accident, so far as it is possible TO
learn them now, form a story Of the wild
dash of a runaway train through miles OF
gloomy sheds, terminating at last in one of
the most frightful smash-ups in the history
Of railTOading on the mountains
Freight train No. 10, east bound, reached
Summit this morning about 4 o'clock
and drew up near the station. Conductor
F. p Kingsley was in charge. 1t was nee
eSsary TO couple some cars to the train at
this point, and the two engines which had
been hauling the train up the grade were
detached in order to bring on the cars it
was proposed 10 add. The two brakemen
went along to do the coupling. Conductor
Kingsley remaining behind with the train.
THE TRAIN DISAPPEARS.
When they returned with the engines and
extra cars the train had disappeared and
Kingsley with it. laundering down the
steeD grade the train rushed, gaining speed
at every turn Of the wheels. Through cuts
and around curves the wild flight was con-
tinued, and the cars kept the rail. 1t was
ride 10 dusty death, but kingsley held TO his
- s:5st -uudismayed BY the peril that stared
him in the face at every click oil the wheels
over tie steel rails. Far down the canyons
and among the mighty mountains Toared
the echo of the Wild train as 1t plunged
madly along. No power could stay Its IN
yincible progress, and although Kingsley
toiled like a hero at the brakes, the mo-
mentum already acquired was Irresistible,
and his efforts were as puny as the Iamen-
tation Of child against flood.
THE CRAsH CAME.
At Cascade Station freight train No. %
was Just entering a siding, expecting to
pass a West-bound train at that point. The
roar of the dashing train could be plainly
heard but the twilight was yet too DIM to
discern it. No. % had got on to the siding,
all but one car and the caboOse, when the
wild train dashed along. In an instant
there was terrible crash. The lying train
had struck the car preceding the caboose
of No. % and in an instant ten or dozen
cars were piled UP in wild confusion, while
Tor moment the air wa s filled with fTag-
ments of the awful wreck. The caboose OF
No % in which it is supposed were the
crew. consisting of Conductor LOran Con
molly and Brakemen o. W Beaver and V.
T. Veara, was rent into spllnteTs and piled
deep in the debris of the dozen, frelght-cars
and tntlr loads.
ALL THREE KILLED.
All three of the men were killed outright,
Instantaneous. Ii any of the poor fellows
suffered there was no one about to hear
their groans, and their death, while terrible,
must have been but the work OF moment
The last that mortal eye beheld OF Con-
duct0r Kingsley was just before the awful
crash. He was standing on top of one OF
the cars heroieally setting the brakes. He
died al his post, and many railroad man
on the hill " who knew old Yank"
Kingsley will mourn his horrible death to-
n IA
men on the mountains, having served con-
tinuousiy since 1876. With him is buried
the story OF the fatal start at Summit, for
no one else saw the train when 1t began Its
terrible plunge to death. He was married
man and his wife and family live at
Roeklin.
THIRTY SECONDS MORE.
Had Conductor Connolly of No. % sus-
pected that the sound of the fugitive train
was not that Of the train that they expected
to pass at Cascade they could easily have
made the siding, and the runaway would
thus have had a clear way down the grade.
Had the runaway happened along thirty
seconds later No % would have escaped,
and whatever would have been the fate Of
the brave Kingsley, three lives would have
been saved.
STATION WRECKED.
The Cascade Station depot is about fifty
feet west of the end of the siding where
the smash-up occurred. In room to the
rear of the building J. B. Dorsey, the day
operator, who was off duty, was asleep
when the crash came. The building was
badly shattered, but Dorsey escaped with
but few bruises. Had lie been on duty he
would have been killed i'll the wreck OF the
building.
The telegraph wires were all torn down
and it was after much delay and incon-
venience that communication by wire with
Superintendent Wrght's Office was re-
stored. In the meantime, however, the
trainmaster at Truckee, without waiting for
Instructions from Sacramento, sent down
wreck train, and the work OF clearing the
track was begun, and IL was thought at
noon that the road would be open by dark
this evening.
HEAVY LOSS OF FREIGHT.
The runaway train was composed of
eleven loaded and six empty cars, and most
of them were either completely demolished
or damaged badly. The freighted cars were
general merchandise. There was also one
car loaded with wine and brandy. The
freight is, great deal of it, SO broken and
scattered that it is a total loss.
SO far as is known, none of the dead men,
except Conductor Kingsley, were married
The latter, as appears from the company's
register. was 43 years old. The ages of the
other killed were: Conductor Connolly,
Is; brakeman Bever, 80; Brakeman Veara,
80 The trains were made up at Rocklin
and there all the dead men lived.
sNowsHEDs WRECKED.
The work of shedding Cascade cut, made
so famous in last winters snow blockade,
had progressed about TO the station at Cas-
cadr and when the wild train came thun-
dPring down and struck No. 2, ii tore away
some go feet of the new shedding, precipi-
tating the heavy timbers upon the wrecked
cars and making the work Of clearing the
track more difficult.
Below, not more than half a mile, is the
great trestle about the middle of the cas-
cade, 104 feet high, which was approached
with such trepidation by the train of loco
motives that pushed the rotary plow in the
blockade.
Had not the runaway train met with the
awful disaster just above it would probably
have met destruction in the canyon below