The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-06-06
THE RAW
Thirteen Lives Lost by a Horrible
Accident in Oakland. Cal.

Thirteen Lives Lost by a Horrible
Accident in Oakland, Cal.
SAN FRANCISCO, Special.-One Of the most
horrible railway accidents ever known in
California occurred to-day when the local
train connecting at Oakland with the ferry
boats from San Francisco ran through an
open drawbridge over the San Antonio
creek at Webster street, Oakland. The
yacht Juniata had just passed through the
draw when the train appeared going in the
direction Of Alameda. The drawbridge
keeper e~ndeavored; at. once to close the
bridge, but it was too late, and the engine
with its tender and first cal, which was filled
with passengers, plunged into the river,
which was here quite deep. The engineer,
Sam Dunn, and Fireman O'Br1en went down
with the engine. The former, when he saw
that the bridge did not close, reversed the
lever, but the momentum ofthe engine
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 cars of
the train standing IN the track. The sec
ond ran about a third Of the way across the
bridge and stopped, but the jar was suffi-
Gent to break open the front ofth car, and
many of the passengers were thrown into
the water. The first car, which had fol-
lowed 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 gath
cred at the scene. The trainmen and the
rest 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 boats began dragging the
orpnE for hnHiQc Tho train yvoS in ohorrA
of Conductor Rerath and an extra crew, it
being a holiday. The top of the passenger
coach; was cut open as soon as it was raised
above the water and the work of removing
the bodies commenced, ten being taken out
in quick succession. Three women and
alive and removed to the receiving
hospital. Another young lady died
soon after being taken from the water.
The news of the accident created intense
excitement in Oakland. and thousands Of
people ttocked to the morgue and to the
bodies were laid out, as soon as received, to-
await Identification. The body of E. P.
Robinson, which was among those ia ken
from the hole cut in the roof of the car, was
among the first removed, and was taken in
charge by Coroner Evers. The bodies of
six men and two wamen were brought in.
soon after, some of the bodies being at first,
left at the receiving hospital, where the in.
jured were also taksn. In q short timethir-.
teen bodies lay on. the floor and. on the mar.
BILE slabs of the nlorgue awaiting identifica-
ton. Many heartrending scenes were wit
messed as the friends came forward to claim
their dead. The list of the identified is as.
follows:
Martin Kelly, Oakland, assistant chief wharf.
niger for the state: A. H: Austin, of Austin &
Phelps, San Erancisco; Miss Florence Austin,
Mrs. Bryan O'ConnOr, San Francisco: J. B.
Gown, oakland; E. R. Robinson, Luigi Malesta.
Capt. John pMyer and Mr., Williams, San Fran
cisco; II: w. Aud (coloredl Honolulu; the two
who is supposed to be H. Malesta. San Fran
cisco.