Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-18
PILED IN A HEAP.
Passenger Train Derailed
Near Tehachapi.
Faulty Air Brakes the Cause OF
the Accident.
Miraculous Escape of Passengers
From Instant Death.
Several Los Angeles People Reported
Injured, But Not Fatally-Par-
ticulars of the Wreck.
Associated Press Dispatches. |


SAN Francisco, April Information
was received here this morning that a
passenger train on the Southern Pacific
railroad jumped the track two miles
north of Tehachapi, and that eleven cars
were ditched. The engineer lost control
of the air brakes, and the train rushed
down grade at fearful rate until near
the scene of the frightful calamity sew
eral wears ago, when it left the track
Advices received by Superintendent
Fillmore dispel the apprehensions of
loss of life, or even OF many passengers
being injured by the accident.
The locality where the accident oc-
Cured has down-grade of 1l6 feet to
the mile, and is three and one-half miles
north of Girard station, short distance
from Tehachapi.
Extent of the Damages.
From dispatches received by the
superintendent, it appeared that only
four or five of the passenger coaches
were derailed, and the only injury done
was in the breaking OF the trucks of the
coaches which jumped the track.
The accident was caused by the refusal
of the air brakes to work properly, and
at this hour it is not possible to ascer-
tain the reason for their so doing
The train which was partially derailed
left Los Angeles at 10 40 last night, and
was due here at 8 AS this evening. From
the fact that the train is reported as be-
ing only one hour behind time, it is con-
jectured that it has been made up again
and started for this city.
Singular to relate, the forward and
end coaches remained on the track un-
injured, the ones that were derailed
being in the center of the train.
The passengers were from points east,
via the Atlantic and Pacific and Sunset
route. Superintendent Fillmore says
that the train was in charge of Engineer
Clifford, who is regarded as one of the
most careful and reliable employees of
the company.
Pacticulers of the Disaster.
TEHACHAPI, April II. The north
bound passenger train, which is due
here at 5 :15 a. M, left for the north at
& O'Clock this morning. The train cut
out its extra engine and then started
down the seventy-fye-foot grade toward
Bakersfield. Before the engineer had
run mile he discovered that his air
brakes were not working, and that for
some reason he could not control them.
He at once whistled for the hand brakes,
and they were put on as hard as pos
sible. They produced little if any effect,
as the train was running at very rapid
rate; in fact, they did not seem to check
the speed in the least. About two miles
from here the runaway reached sharp
curve which it was unable to pass at the
frightful speed at which it was running.
The engine and first two coaches got
around in safety, but the third coach
left the track, and the rest of the train,
ten coaches in all, was piled in heap.
Panic-Stricken Passengers.
The run was such a rapid one that
those who were in their berths hardly
knew that anything was wrong until the
. wreck took place. Among those who
were awake there was great panic,
and some were, with difficulty, pre-
vented from leaping from the flying
train. When those who were ON the
train made their way out of the wreck
it was with firm belief that many must
have been killed and mangled Forum
ately, however, no one was killed and
few were injured.
Mrs. Sanford, whose husband is con-
nected with the Atlantic and Pacific
railroad, was the most severely injured
of any of the passengers. She was con-
siderably cut about the face. Except for
slight bruises, which many of the pas
sengers received, only two other per-
sons were injured, and they not severely.
The injured were at once taken to Te-
hachapi to be cared for
1t is not known where the blame lies,
but the engineer is generally held to be
responsible. Traffic will be delayed all
today and tonight.
Los Angeles People Injured.
Mrs. G. w. Johnston who was brought
here after the accident, is said to be suf-
fering from concussion of the spine. A
male passenger was also injured. He
seriously hurt. They are both from Los
completes the list of slightly injured.
1t Might Have Been Worse.
Close ahead and behind the wrecked
train are deep gulches, and had
it left the track five seconds sooner OF
later, every soul would have been
hurled into the cahon, and the disaster
would have been frightful one.
The uninjured passengers were trans
ferred at once.
Mrs. Thompson Seriously Hurt.
LATER-None of the passengers were
seriously injured except Mrs. Thompson
en- rout> from Los Angeles to Denver
who seems to have been injured in.
ternally. She was brought here and is
under medical care
Mrs. Sanford, of Prescott, Ariz. T.,
had her face bruised.
The principal injury to the train was
the displacement of the trucks.
The passengers were promptly for
warded by Superintendent Nrquhart,
who was on hand with wrecking train
from Mojave, in box-cars fitted up fol-
the occasion, to meet train
which had been started from
Bakersfield for them. The track
is expected to be open this evening.
Fhe News Mt Los Angeles.
The news OF 1.-THE disaster was received
- q ~