Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-14
SHE HAD A WILD RIDE.
THE EXPERIENCE OF CLARA NOR
RIs AT TEHACHEPI.
Her Car Breaks Loose and Runs Down
Grade-A Fortunate Collision with
Freight Train-Her In
juries Slight.

The accident which happened yester-
day to train No. II, from San Francisco,
near the Tehachepi, might very easily
have been repetition of the terrible
disaster several years ago upon that
steep grade.
From John w. Mitchell OF this city,
who was on the train, HERALD report
er last evening learned the particulars
OF the narrow escape from death of Miss
Clara Morris and her company on the
wild" Pullman Car which started on a
race down the long grade.
The train had nearly reached the top
OF the grade, when on rounding curve
four Pullman sleepers broke. loose from
the train and began to move
slowly down the grade. Fortunately
the air brakes worked, and the cars
were brought to standstill before they
had gone very far. The couplings had
broken and the safety chains had not
held. When the train was made up
again freight train which was travel
ing behind closed up RAPIDLY with the
passenger, and when il started ahead
Was NV iai lAc passenger ndu
not gone far when the Wagner Pullman
at the end of the train, in which were
Clara Morris, her husband, Mr.. Heriot,
and the balance of the company, broke
loose and started on a mad career down
the steep grade.
| Nearly all the people in the car were
in their berths asleep, and were not
aware at once what had happened, al
| though it did not tase many seconds
for the alarm to be given. All efforts to
stop the car were futile.
! Luckily for the lives of the distin-
guished actress and her company the
I freight train had approached to within
about 500 or 600 feet of the train before
the car broke loose. The engineer saw
it coming, stopped his train and with
his fireman jumped off the engine.
With the momentum gained in the
distance mentioned the Pullman crashed
into the engine, it's passengers fright
ened almost out of their senses. The
rear platform was smashed completely
off and there was general smashup in
the glass and crockery ware of the
pantry.
Clara Morris was thrown against the
drawer OF locker and her right knee
was quite badly strained, while her hus-
band, III. E. Heriot, was bruised about
the shoulders. No one else was injured,
although all were pretty badly shaken
up by the collision. The engine of the
freight train was considerably damaged.
After some delay the train got under
about three hours late.
MISS NORRIS STATEMENT.
Miss Clara Morris wasI seen by a
HERALD reporter last evening after the
first act OF Odette. She was looking
bright and pleasant as usual; and as she
is woman who, in spite of many years
of ill-health, has never yet bade adieu
to native sense of the ridiculous, it ia
best to tell the story in her own words,
as near as possible:
"We played in Visalia last night, and
got away late, of course, all of US being
pretty well tired, and it was generally
understood there was to be late break
fast. So none of us were astir when the
crash came. Such a crash as it was.
had little table alongside of my berth,
and had just swallowed a cup of coffee
when the table was thrown over upon
me and broken across my knee. There
are series of lockers above the berth.
none of them locked, of course, and
there were bags and reticuIes without
number on top Of them. They all came
down on top of me as l lay there, and
when my maid and Mr.. Heriott came
into the room. they had about five min
utes' work in exhuming me from the
debris. General de Cesnola never had
greater task in the ruins OF Cyprus.
But (and here her face lit up with the
old time smilel it was all over before
YOU had time to tell of it, and after the
wreck of the platform was cleared of
everybody was laughing and thankful it
was no worse. Tho blow was pretty
severe one-do limp any? Is it per-
ceptibe from the front?"
'Not a particle protested the re-
, porter. "Well, it's just as tell you.
, wasn't one bit frightened, because
hadn't time. 1t was one of those things
thing about it. Good night and good
, luck" she said as she waved a parting
adieu.
Mr.. Heriott said: II never saw 9
+ thing done so quickly or over as soon
, When the crash came, the darkey por
ter who has travelled with us for years,
. ran out on the platform and jumped of
the car. He turned complete somer
set and lit on his feet but was compare
f lively uninIured except that he wal
pretty badly shaken up"
g '"Fore God, boss," he said, 81 jis
+ 'spected every man on dat kyar done go
= killed. 1 wouldn't ben guv 10 cents TO-
none of yer chances. But jist look il
dar at dem dishes and presurves, dat
whar de grief comes in.''
For my part, continued Mr.. Heriott
II was glad it was no worse. 1t won
cost great deal to replenish what i
= smashed and thank goodness there ar
I no bones broken"