Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-31
THE DANGER SIGNAL.
Continued from First Page.

as soon as rescued. The scene at the morgue
on Washington street was terrible one.
Hundreds OF anxious people gathered In
front of the uilding and struggled to gain
admittance. The building was in charge Of
Sheriff Hale, who. with a large force OF
deputies and police, kept the crowds back.
One white-haired old man frantically sought
to gain admittance, saying he was looking
for his boy.
''There are no boys in here said the
Sheriff. "He was 35 years old" said the
old man, "but he was my only son." The
people who lost their lives were nearly all
Of the better classes, and belonged to well-
known San Francisco and Oakland families,
HoRRIFYING EXPERIENCE.
The experience of the passengers in the
first coach, as related by those who fortu-
nately escaped, was horrifying in the ex-
treme. f. f. Finley, of San Francisco,
one of the passengers, told graphic story
of the disaster: 60
I'VE lett the city," be said, con the 1:45
train for Alameda, on the Narrow Gauge.
was seated on the front seat Of the first
car facing the engine. All went we'll until
just as we approached the drawbridge
crossing at San Antonia creek. wedrew
near to the bridge it seemed to me the draw
was open; that fearful accident was in
engine into the water and then came the
crash. A horrible crushing of timber and
swapping of heavy ironwork followed. Con-
fusion prevailed in the car. The next thing
! knew the car was in the water and
found myself blindly gropIng for the door,
which fortunately reached and
opened. When 1 found myself on
the platform, 1 gradually worked
my way by climbing and holding ON
10 the front of the car to the roof which
mad Just reached, when that end of the
car rose out of the water and quite num-
Der OF the people escaped in this manner,
principally women and children. The car
was about two-thirds full when we left the
wharf. There was a general outcry when
the car began to fill but this was almost inn
medlately hushed in one long final wall Of
despair. 1 was very fortunate in escaping
with slight injuries to my shoulder and sew.
eral cuts in my head"
FORTY IN THE CAR.
George E. Hawley was in the car that
went over, but escaped. He said there were
about 40 people, including children, in the
car. When he found the car filling with
water he climbed to the upper end, but did
not get out until after he was completely
under water. He came to the top and msda
for q window and got wedged. After q
struggle, however, he managed to get
through.
Conductor Rerath said: "The first car
was a combination car, and l had gone
through it before we reached the bridge It
would hold about 48 people. After it went
down it was as much as I could do to attend
to the passengers of the remaining two
coaches, some of whom were frenZied with
fear. / made my way to the hind
end, though, as soon as 1 could force my
way through, and looked down on the scene
of death. 1 noticed at least half dozen
people swim away from the wreck, but did
not see any women or children escape. 7
do not know any of the people who were in
the coach"
ALL HE KNOWS ABOUT IT.
James Dunlap, who was tending the
bridge at the time of the accident, said: '1
was in charge at the time and had just OPP
ened the draw to allow the yacht Juniata
to pass through. l was in the act of NOV.
ing the draw back into its place when the
up train from San Francisco came along.
That is all 1 know about it. ;"
He declined to answer the question il 10
was not unusual to open the draw when q
train was due. Brakeman Purchison, who
was on the front car, escaped, as did Council
man John Hsckett, of Oakland. Among
those who were rescued was Captain Roberts,
owner of several coal barges. Mrs. P. II.
Look had her arm cut, but escaped, and a
number of others were also injured, butf
escaped drowning. Ernest Ferguson is re-
ported to be missing.