, 1890-10-30
n. P. TRAIN WRECK
1t Was Narrow Escape From a
Serious Accident and
Great Fatality.
A BrokCn Axle bitches the Mail
Smoker and Two Emil
grant Coaches.

day morning, were aroused by shrll
whistles signaling danger, immedi-
ately followed by the humping and
crashing attendant on train wreck.
AS soon as possible the extent Of
the accident was Investigated, and
while the damage waseNtensive, in
jury to life aud limb was compdra-
lively slight.
Mr.. l.. Frank Gordon, n passenger
on tho train, gave the following
facts concerning the wreck to the
REVIEW:
1--WE left North Yakima about
four hours late, at I;2O a. NJ. on
Wednesday, and within ten min
utes thereafter | heard the whistle
of the engine and at once felt the
humping of the cars on the ties. |
have been through several wrecks be-
fore this one, and knew Immediately
what had occurred and braced my
self in the seat, ut the same time
calling to some ladies, who, very
much frightened, had started for
the door, to keep as near as possible
in the center of the car.
"Our car soon stopped, keeping
Its upright position, and on going
out | saw the wrecked cars lying
along the track ahead of us. There
were five of them, the mail and
baggage cars, two emigrant cars and
the smoker, all lying at right angles
with each other, just like an old
fashioned rail fence.
"The trucks were torn off of all
these and were thrown from fifteen
to twenty feet away from what had
once been the roadbed, but which
now looked like plowed field, the
rails, twisted and broken, being
thrown to one side, and in some
places the sleepers even being
ground to splintors.
"The mail car was thrown on its
side and its contents escaped injury,
but in the baggage car, Immediately
following II, the express messenger,
Mr.. G.. &. Noble, was caught under
the falling safe and his lett arm was
broken. lie also sustained several
severe cuts about his head and
limbs.
'Some papers I'm the car caught
fire. while Mr.. Noble was pinioued
by the heavy safe, which weighed
about 800 pounds, and in the eX-
element OF the moment the baggage
master, unaided, lifted II of him,
allowing him to escape. The fire
was extinguished by the use of
hand-grenadcs, and this added
horror was averted.
"Dr. Heg, of North Yakima, set
the fractured arm, and Mr.. Noble
was placed in n Pullman and sent
to Missoula, to the hospital at that
place,
This was the most serious injury
that any one met with, but Mrs.
Walter Bates, of Tacoma, an occu-
pant of II tourist sleeper, was cut
somewhat about the face aud neck,
as was lady travelling with her.
"The freight train which was
about ten minutes behind the pas
scnger was tagged by brakeman
just in time to avert another catas-
trophe. The freight immediately
ran back to Yakima, where it was
side tracked, and the engine again
proceeded to the scene of the acci-
dent, returning with the six cars
which remained on the track i'm
which all the passengers had been
placed.
sc. s. Power, superintendent of
the coast division, went at once TO
the wreck, and with n large force OF
men proceeded to lay track around
it, which was soon accomplished
and at II o'clock yesterday morning
the delayed train left Yakima, ar.
irving in Spokane at $50 last
evening
"'The cause of the accident was a
broken axle under the tender, which
fell down on the track and tore the
col, ..H . tI,.N
ing over II. The entire track for at
least 100 yards was torn up, the
wrecked cars plowing through the
ground, some of them plungiug into
lhe earth for II depth OF from tive to
six feet.
1.-The train was II very heavy one,
consisting, besides the i've cars
which were wrecked, of four Pull
man sleepers, dining car ana a
iirst-class passenger coach, and that
no loss OF life occurred Is little short
OF the miraculous.
"Iwo of the slecpers were occu.
pied by the Olympia delegation en-
route to this city to attend Olympia
day. While the men were rebuild.
ing the track Mr., Wallace Athertou,
of the Hotel Yakima, carried hi.
coffee boilers down to the place OF
operations, and furnished hot coffee
to all who desired it. The crews
worked MS n trained army might do
and as so few of the passengers were
injured, there was no need for the
citizens of Yakima to exert them
selves in our behalf.
"We were made welcome in the
town, and n general good time was
had until the road was in order fol
our train to proceed.
when we passed the place yes
terday forenoon, the wrecked cars
showed what fearful danger had
confronted us. The emigrant cars
were crushed in and the first
one was almost half buried In the
dirt which had been thrown up
and the forward platform of the
smoker was completely demolished
ut was, in fact, the worst wreck
ever saw in which there was so lit
tie injury done to passengers, ant
how any In those cars escaped an
unable to see."
Hiu PartridRe Atnrv.