Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-21
IN THE SIER8AS.
A BROKEN RAIL CAUSES A FATAL
WRECK NEAR CAPE HORN
The storm Eases Up, and the Road
Fairly Clear-Movement
of Trains.

The storm in the Sierras eased up con-
siderably LIST night, the heavy wind almost
entirely Disappearing. and the snow fall re-
ducing to very light precipitation.
Should this state of affairs continue, the
Central Pacific will resume operations to-
day, as the road is practically clear through
out.
Information was received here yesterday
morning CT a shocking accident which &C.
CURED about six miles east of Colfax the
night previous. 1t appears that an engine
pillow driven by four locomotives was de-
scending the mountain toward Colfax,
clearing the track of snow, when a
broken rail was encountered about
a mile above the Cape Horn Mills
side.track shortly before 10 o'clock, and
in an instant the big plow jumped the
track and went crashing down the en-
bankment for distance of nearly sixty
feet. Two OF the locomotives followed
and went down the bank and toppled over
on their sides. The fourth went over the
embankment, but remained erect, while
the fifth was hardly derailed, and the work
of replacing it on the track was speedily
accomplished.
ONE MAN KILLED.
But one person was killed of the num-
Der engaged in operating the five locomo-
tives. the unfortunate man being brakeman
John Williams. He was on the engine
Pow al the time of the accident, and, be-
fore he had time to jump, it went over and
rolled down the embankment, CARRYING
him with it. When the m0nstrous thing
found resting-place Williams was pinned
beneath It in such a manner that the es-
Gaping steam scalded him to death He
cried to his comrades to kill him, but they
could not reach him, and he was left to his
terrible fate, living but couple of hours.
The other persons injured were engineer
William Dorland and firemen Bates and
Evans Dorland and his fireman, Bates.
were on the locomotive nearest the ployr,
and went over the grade with it. The cab
was crushed to splinters, but luckily Dor
land escaped with q slight injury to his
hip, ard Bates was also but slightly
bruised.
Another fireman, named Evans, was
scalded about the legs and arms, and re-
ceived several bruises. Engineers Lightner,
Farnsworth, Myers and Belanger escaped
unhurt.
The engines were working through the
snow at the rate of about twenty miles an
hour at the time they encountered the
broken rail.
Williams, the deceased brakeman, was
unmarried. He was a general favorite
along the road and with all that knew
him, and his sad fate is deplored Dy all.
Immediately after the accident the other
members of the crew who were not in
jured went TO the rescue of their injured
comrades. They worked there couple of
hours, and after everything had been done
that was possible. several of them started
QUITO walk to Colfax in order to send tidings
of the rraek 70 headquarters. A six-mile
tramp through the snow took considerable
time, and the result was that the news did
not reach this city until early yesterday
morning. A special train was quickly
made up here and sent to the scene of the
accident and the injured men were brought
down 70 the Railroad Hospital.
KEEPING THE ROAD CLEAR
Throughout the storm the company has
succeeded in keeping the road clear, despite
the unusually heavy snowfall and drifting
banks The rotary ploT has done admir-
able service at Cascade, while the
push plows looked after the remainder
of the track. Between Emigrant Gap
and Gold Run, however, the banks on
either side of the track had raised to such
q height that il was feared that should the
push-ploTs attempt to pass through many
more times the tops of the banks would
topple over. In the meantime, the cyclone
pillow had been repaired, so she was placed
N duty al Cascade, while the rotary went
and kept the track clear between
Il Tie is iasiE % 81
one of the railroad men, the cyclone
"caught her second wind" and did great
work at Cascade. On one trip she cleared
up mile and quarter Of track in twenty
minutes.
The overland bound east, which left this
city Monday last at midnight, had reached
Truckee yesterday. The train which left
wednesday is at Colfax and Yesterdays
overland remained here.
The road is open from Sacramento to
Cape Horn. At the latter place there is
some snow on the track, which will have
to be removed before trains can pass. After
this place is cleared, the road is open to
Truckee.
a portion of east-bound train No. 3,
which was lying at Colfax, was brought
back to this city last night, bearing those
of the passengers who desired to go east by
the southern route The same train went
up the road again shortly afterward as a
special, carrying passengers for way STA
lions and also ten Western Union line
men, who will join the east-bound outfit
train at Colfax and go into the mountains
to repair the broken wires.
The regular east bound trains were can
celled last night and those which are west
bound are beng held at Truckee and other
places They will probably move to-day,
unless the storm breaks loose agein.