The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-03
Northern Pacific Overland No.
/ Derailed at Buckley.
FOUR OF THE CARS TAKE FIRE.
The Passengers, Including Senator
Allen and George Turner. Unhurt.
Bunkers Meets Horrible Death
Oregon Mortgages to he Assessed at
100 Cents-A Mining Train Wrecked.

TACOMA, Jan. 3-tSpeeial. Northern Pacific
overland train No. /, due here at II O'Clock was
ditehed tonight two miles west OF Buckley.
The baggage, mail, express and one
tourist sleeper were entirely consumed by
fire which broke out from the stoves in the cars
The train was in charge of Conductor Cameron.
Aa engine was sent out from Tacoma to assis
IN bringing in the portion o. the train
which was not burned, and 1t is expected
Ter at 5 a. N. Senator Allen is aboard the de-
Iayed train, but is reported TO b. uninjured.
Judge Turner, OF Spokane, is also aboard the
train. From inquiries made by friends OF
those aboard the train it IS sea,ned that
no passengers were seriously injured. Anxious
friends of passengers made macy inc quiries
early this morning of railroad officials, but
their fears were alayed by the state
ment that all of the passengers had
escaped injuries. The cause of the
wreck could not be definitely learuad. although
many seem to have reason to believe that train
wreckers had been at work again. There
Is not any official ground for this as.
sumption. OF late the Northern Pacific has
been guarding its track with an increased force
to prevent tampering with the track. The
mechanical department OF the road seems TO
think that the spreading of rails ditched the
train. The Pullman sleepers and day coaches
did not leave the track.
SOUTH PRAIRIE, Jan. 2-(Special l-Overland
passenger train No. l, due in Tacoma at 10 :S5 D.
m, was this evening wrecked one and q half
miles west--of Buckley. The express, bag
gage and mail cars were oyerthrown,
caught fire and were totally destroyed
with their contents, with sourist car
which is also dersiled. By the help of the paes-
engers the balance Of the train, consisting of
two sleepers, smoking car and coach, were
pushed away from the fire. The engineer, fire.
man, mail clerk, express messenger and bag
,-t- ~
overturned, escaped with slight I'M jaries.
Many people were attracted to she scene OF
the Northern Pacific wreck tonight by the burn
ing OF cars, which made quite
blaze. II the passengers had not
turned in and pushed the other cars
away from the burning coaches all would
have been destroyed including the Pullman
sleepers. 1t is considered a miracle that some
OF the passengers were not killed, or that the
cars and locomotive were not crushed. Engineer
Harvey Reed, of Tacoma,w was at the t5rottie W when
the accident occurred. The point where the
cars left the track is near zgulch, into
which the engine turned followed by the rest
of the train. The track at that point
is level. but the train was proceed
ing cautiously under Engineer Reeds care
He was watching ahead as no neares the gulch,
when he was startled by seeing under the head
lights glare that a rail was gone from the track
just ahead. 1t was too late to stop te train, but
he reversed the engine. applied the air
brakes instantly and succeeded in slack
Ing speed slightly before the crash
came. The engine kept on the ties tor a short
distance, then turned toward the gulch and
finally came to standssill. Some pf the pas.
sengers were thrown about by the sharp ioits,
but not n leg or an arm was broker and only
scratches and slight bruises gave evidence OF
what miraculously was not horriele railroad
catastrophe.
Conductor Cameron inquired diligently
among the passengers, but fonud none
who would confess to have suffered any
extensive injury. The track was quickly re-
paired without the aid of a wrec.ing train
The mail and other cars were ordeIea TO Buck
ley to pick up the local mails on
the way to Tacoma. The mali car con-
tained mostly local mail. but all OF it,
together with the contents of all the
other burned cars. lost Tiss cars all
burned quickly, and once they got started
nothing could be done to save thera, as there
was no means OF extinguishing the flames. The
passengers congratulate themselves ut escaping
with their lives. The burned tousist car pas
sergers were accommodated in other coaches
during the night Most of them hgi no desire
to sleep. Several supposed tramps have been
seen about here lately, but none are
known to be suspected of removing the rail
The trackwsker had passed aonz, the track
only a short time before the arrival Of the train
He found everything in place and saw no evil
dence OF the rails being tampered wish