Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-20
They Attempt to Dynamite
an Express Train.
An Internal Machine Placed on
the Track.
Narrow Escape of Passengers from
San Francisco Yesterday.
The Explosion Near Poso station-A
Locomotive Tilted in the Air.
FIeeting Dynamiters-The De-
tails of the Crime.

was made to wreck the San Francisco
express train which arrived here yester-
day morning on the Southern Pacific
railroad. That the attempt was with
the object of throwing the train off the
track and then robbing the express cars
and looting the passengers, there seems
to be no doubt in the minds OF the police
officials OF this city and the attaches of
the company, and the escape OF the train
from complete destruction, with fear
full loss of life, seems almost miraculous,
when all of the attendant circumstances
are taken into consideration. The po-
lice and detective authorities all along
the line, and especially in Los Angeles,
have been advised OF the attempted train
robbery, and are now on the alert for
the desperadoes who planned and partly
consummated the fearful deed.
The attempt to destroy the express
train was made about 8 O'Clock on
Thursday evening. AS express train
No. II was running at good rate of
speed about two miles from Poso sta
ton, located about midway between
this city and San Francisco, it passed
through lonely stretch OF country, and
while going round curve the engineer
and fireman were suddenly startled by
a tremendous explosion, a sudden blaze
of flame and then they felt the ponder
GUS iron horse tilt up in the air, while
fragments of the cowcatcher, sand,
gravel and pieces of the railroad ties
few in every direction. The engineer
was half stunned for moment, and
then quickly applied the air brake and
reached for the throttle valve. The en-
gine wavered for moment in the air
and finally settled back on the track
with resounding crash. Luckily
for the passengers the forward
trucks, which had been uplifted by the
startling explosion, fell back on the
track, and in short distance Bthe
train was brought to standstill. The
engineer and conductor Immediately
jumped off and ran toward the scene
of the explosion, and in the distance
several indistinct forms were seen flee
ing. The night was cloudy and the
persons were only dimly deserted.
Approaching the point where the
explosion had taken place they dis
covered that the roadbed had been
badly torn up. great holes having
been scooped out of the sand and
gravel, while the railroad ties had
been shattered, and other evidences of
the havoc created. Running back to
the engine they discovered sthat the
woodwork under the forward part
OF the the engine, and the shat
tered cow-catcher had caught fire
from the explosion and the flames were
burning fercely. Several buckets of
water soon quenched the fire, and the
trainmen went to Poso station and re-
ported the attempt, as there is tele-
graph office at that point. An engine
was secured and the train proceeded on
the journey to Los Angeles.
The train was an unusually heavy
one at this time, and it has been stated
that there was considerable money in
the express cars, which had been ship
ped from San Francisco to banks in
Southern California. The trainmen
who heard the terrific explosion and
saw it's effects, together with the frag-
ments found, are satisfied that the at
tempt to wreck the express was made
with an "infernal machine" which had
been heavily charged with dynamite and
placed on the track but a short time
before the schedule time for the train
to pass that point on the line. They are
positive that dynamite was used in the
dastardly attempt to destroy life and
property. 1t is thought by the detec-
tives that the perpetrators of the deed
are members of the infamous band Of
desperadoes who have been operating in
Middle and Southern California for
some time past. 1t is further believed
that the would-be train-wreckers are
headed toward Los Angeles, and the en-
tire staff of Chief of Police Glass will
make the most strenuous efforts to cap.
ture them.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ACCOUNT.
BAKERSFIELD, Cal, Feb. 19.-As the
southbound- passenger train on the
Southern Pacific railroad was nearing
Poso last night, and while about thres
miles north of that station, the engineer
saw by the light of the headlight queer
looking object lying near the right hane
rail. He was SO close to the obstruction
that it would have been impossible tt
stop his train in time to avoid striking
it, even ii it had been Of sufficient sizt
to look dangerous. AS it was very in
significant in appearance. however. h.