Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-13
A Santa Fe Passenger Train
Badly Wrecked.
Several Passengers Fatally In
iured and One Killed.
The Affair Due to Some Ones Bad
Blunder.
Two Trains Telescope on Thursday A
Prominent Stock Man Instantly Killed.
Several Passengers Injured.

Another disastrous wreck occurred on
the Atlantic and Pacific railroad Thurs
day, which resulted i'll the killing of Mr..
M. A. Thompson, of Iowa City, Iowa,
and the fatal injuring of five passengers.
The cause of the wreck was misun-
derstanding of train orders on the part
of the freight trainmen.
The Santa Fe overland train No. 3,
which left Albuquerque on Wednesday,
ran into the rear end OF freight train
at Hualapai siding, fifteen miles west of
Kingman, Ariz., killing M. A. Thomp-
son, wealthy gentleman, who was
transporting blooded stock to Southern
California for breeding purposes.
On arriving at Kingman, Ariz., Con-
ductor Rice had received orders to pass
the freight train Hualapai siding,
and, as far as can be ascertained, the
freight Grew received similar orders, to
take the side track and let train No.
pass. Instead CT taking the side track,
the freight train remained on the main
track.
Train No. being four hours late, was
making an average speed of 40 to 45
miles an hour, at this point, as it is all
down grade. As the weather was quite
foggy the engineer on the passenger
train failed to observe the signal lights
on the rear of the freight train, which
was but few rods distant.
The fireman, however, saw the lights
too late, and called to the engineer to re-
verse his engine, as train was ahead;
after giving a warning the fireman
jumped from the engine and escaped
with slight bruises, while the engineer
remained at his post and received in
juries which may result fatally.
When the overland struck the rear
end of the freight train, the unfortunate
Mr.. Thompson was sitting in chair in
the caboose. with his feet up against the
stove. In an instant there was gen.
eral telescoping of cars, and Thomp-
sons body was crushed into an un-
recognizable mass, being completely
mashed up into jelly.
The injured passengers, among whom
were five women whose names could
not be ascertained, were made as COM
Portable as possible by the other pas
sengers until medical aid arrived, when
they were found to be seriously wounded.
A young man and an engineer who were
travelling on free passes were also fatally
injured, the former having both legs
broken and severe internal injuries,
while the latter received a fall which
broke both his arms and injured his
spine. An Indian squaw and tramp,
who were riding on the platform of the
baggage car, were also fatally hurt.
The mail car, in which Alex. Grant
was the clerk in charge, telescoped
through the express car, very. nearly
killing Messenger Corlett, who was
badly injured by trunks falling on him.
When the passenger train engine struck
the caboose, it Immediately left the
track, the engine falling to the right and
the tender to the left. In front of the
caboose were four tanks of kerosene OIL
which narrowly escaped catching fire,
the passengers fighting the burning de-
bris to prevent an explosion.
About six weeks ago another wreck
happened on the same line three miles
west of Ash Fork, which resulted in the
burning up of mail car loaded down
with eastern mail, and breaking Postal
Clerk G. w. Harding's shoulders.
The wounded were brought to this
city yesterday on the overland, which
arrived here at 2 pm, being twenty
three hours behind time, and the body
of Mr.. Thompson was taken to King
man, where an inquest will be held on
his remains.
A passenger on the wrecked train
states that the person killed was Mr..
Tompkins, of Mason City, Iowa, and
that both engineers were seriously in
iured