The morning call., 1891-09-02
HOW 1T HAPPENED.
The Engineer Thought the Trestle
Was Sinking.
Superintendent Fillmore Says That an Ex-
pansiOn OF Rails Caused the Disas-
ter on Monday Afternoon.

II the conclusion arrived at by the rail-
road officials concerning the cause Of the
disaster which occurred a few miles this side
OF Sacramento on Monday afternoon be
q correct one, then this is the second ac
eident of the kind which has happened in
the history of the Southern Pacific Com
pany.
The conclusion referred to is that intense
heat caused an expansion of the rails, or
what amounts to about the same thing, that
the action Of the heat on the rails loosened
the spikes. allowing the rails to spread.
In either case accidents like this are very
rare, the one happening on the Oregon
division in 1882 being the only case of the
kind ever recorded in the annals of the
Southern Pacific.
While this theory seems to be pretty gen.
orally adopted, yet opinion concerning the
cause of the recent derailment is by no
means unanimous In speaking of this
matter yesterday man who has had con-
siderable practical experience in railroad
building and operation said:
THAT WARPED RAIL.
at does not look reasonable to me. The
rail must have been greatly out of line in
order to have caused derailment. How
could the engine have missed the warped
rail? The track is straight for distance
Of about three miles AMI a rail out of line is
something that usually attracts the atten-
ton of an engineer many rods away.
William Belden, the engineer of the
wrecked train, was asked by Assistant Gen
eral Superintendent Pratt yesterday if he
noticed any warp in the rails when nearing
the trestle-wOrk and replied in the negative.
- The track" said he, in reply to Mr..
Pratt's query, was clear and the rails in
line as far as l could see. If they were
thrown ont of place by expansion the mis-
placement must have been very slight.
Mr.. Pratt was busy yesterday afternoon
receiving dispatches concerning the accident
and answering questions about the same.
He said
NO QUESTION IN HIS. MIND.
From all accounts there can be no ques-
ton as to the cause. 1t was du5 wholly to
an expansion of the rails caused by excess
Sive heat Il was 1922 in Sacramento on
Monday, and great deal warmer than this
down in the tules where tho wreck oc-
Cured. About ten years ago We had a
similar accident in Oregon. ~.
General Superintendent Fillmore was at
Wordsworth, Nevada, en- route to San Fran
cisco when he heard of the accident. He
got to the scene OF the wreck yesterday
afternoon, and made careful Investigation,
+ from which the conclusions given below are
drawn.
II do not think, said he, in speaking of
the matter last evening at the Occidental
Hotel "that any one can be blamed for the
disaster of Monday afternoon. The talk
about lack Of proper track inspection Is all
nonsense, as every one knows who knows
anything about our methods In this re-
gard. The trestle-work was new. and the
track in splendid condition: Several other
trains had passed over this track an hour
before the accident occurred, and the road
had been inspected by man employed for
that purpose. The Woodland local passed
AL right a short time before No. II was due
TO leave Sacramento, and consequently the
deFailment must have happened from an ex-
pansiOn of the rails.
A MINUTE EXAMINATION.
:" l have made a most minute examina-
ton and this is my conclusion: The eXpan-
sion occurred about 80 feet off the trestle-
work and the weight Of the engine forced
tine rails out, which Of course threw the
cars following from the track. The train
slid on the ties about 400 feet before any of
the cars left the track and the reaT-tTuCks of
the baggage-caT were the first to get off
The parlOr-cRr followed, and it is marvel
that more people IN this coach were not in
jured J. II. Caldwell, a cigar-drummer,
occupied a seat in this car, and was the
e only one injured, am told.
Had the engineer known the exact ma
tnre of the trouble he might have saved the
train, even after having struck the expanded
rails. 1t was simply question of applying
the air. He did not know this, however, for
: in two seconds after he found out that some
thing was wrong the engine wa3 on
the trestle-work, and the engineer at
once Jumped at the conclusion that
the structure was giving way. He then did
exactly what he should have done had his
suDp0sition been a correct one, he kept his
steam on as heavily as possible. This, of
course, dragged the train of. Had he shut
" of steam and applied the air the cars
would have come to stop right side up a
few yards down the bridge The engineer,
j however, did the best he could and, IN my
opinion, is not open to censure."
ENCOURAGING REPORTS.
George w. Grayson of Sacramento, who
was reported fatally injured, is rapidly re-
covering and his physicians report that his
bruises are not of serious nature. Re-
ports from the others who were Injured are
= all of an encouraging nature.
completed the work Of clearing the track at
l o'clock Yesterday afternoon.