The herald., 1895-01-07
THE ALTAMONT WRECK.
THE ENGINEERS SEND A DELE
GATE UP NORTH.
Southern Pacific Train No. IL Four
Hours Late-Detaiued by WASH
outs at Martinez.

The first through train from San
Francisco which reached this city since
the wreck at Altamont tunnel arrived
yesterday morning ct 2:30 O'Clock. 1t
was seven hours late and brought in
quite number of passengers.
All the passengers and the bodies Of
the victims of the disaster were taken
north to San Francisco yesterday morn
ing, that fact making it impossible to
obtain an account from any OF the occu-
pants of the Inflated train.
P. Douglass, q lumber merchant at
Williams, Ariz., one of the arrivals yes
terday morning, said that the south
bound train, No. 10. was detained at
Tracy about six hours, and that the de-
tails OF the wreck, which he learned
while there, were as follows:
The Oakland dispatcher, G. r. Sim 8,
wired to Tracy giving the north bound
passenger train, No. 20, the right Of
way, and also sent the same instruo-
tions to work train at Livermore.
"When we reached the tunnel" said
he, "the. wreck had been pulled out and
lay alongside the track at its south end.
The two engines were very badly
broken up, and the first coach, which
was a mail car, seemed to have been
split exactly in half.
1T was repetition of the old prob
lem of passing two opposite trains on
the same track. The collision took
place in the tunnel near its southern
end, Both trains were running about
30 miles an hour. The tunnel ia con-
structed on q curve with an ascending
grade from each end, which meets in its
center. 4m4s4t
1.-THE engineer of the work train,
which was at least three quarters of the
way through the tunnel, saw the re-
Election from the headlight of the pas.
senger engine on the walls of the tun-
mel, and at once realizing that collision
was inevitable, quickly reversed his
engine. His action was too late, how
ever, and the next moment the trains
came together. The shock was tremend-
GUS and the interior of the tunnel com
pletely filled with debris mingled with
clouds of escaping steam. How the en-
gineer of the working train and his fire.
man succeeded in getting out, he could
not explain, but he considers himself
fortunate in escaping. No one on the
working train was hurt, with the excep-
tion of the fireman. who had his left
shoulder badly wrenched and bruised.
Neither the engineer or fireman of the
passenger train were aware of the ap-
proach of the other train until both en-
gines met. The crash killed the fire.
man, H. G. A. Sohram. and hobo. who
was firing for his passage, and whose
name is unknown.
"The engineer, Harry Hubbard, was
pinned down under the wreck of his
engine and lived for some little time.
1t was, however, impossible TO get him
out and he died from the effects of the
smoke and the Bcalding steam. The
mail clerk had miraculous escape from
death. When the crash came the i'm
petus of the train was 30 great that it
forced the mail car, which was next to
the engine. straight through the water
tank, dividing it into halves. The pas
sengers. most OF whom had retired to
their berths. were thoroughly frightened
and badly shaken up, but beyond few
slight bruises no one was hurt.
1.-THE wreck remained in the tunnel
three hours before an attempt was maue
to move it.
1.-THE work train had been sent out
ahead of our train, No. 10, to act as q
sort of pilot and see if the road was safe
before our train passed over it.
II have seen the results OF several
head-on collisions but never saw two
engines 80 completely wrecked as those
up there at the Aitamont tunnel"
THE ENGINEERS OBJECT.
The local lodge of the Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Engineers held a special
meeting yesterday morning at the corr
ner OF Leroy and Now Main streets. The
meeting was called in order to take ae-
ton on the reduction in wages ordered
by the Southern Pacific company, which
took effect the first of the year.
After considerable discussion, Bob
Gable was appointed a delegate to the
convention in San Francisco January IS,
which is called for the purpose of lay
ing this grievance before the officers OF
the company. Mr.. Gable left for the
north on yesterday aiternoon's train.
wAsHoUTs UP NORTH.
The Southern Pacific train, No. II,
arrived in this city yesterday afternoon
four hours late. The delay was caused
by an extensive washout near Martinez,
at which place nearly half mile of
track was destroyed. A large number
of men were put to work and the dam-
eko iooA icpaHou, NO u6b6ublUu WAS
experienced at Altamont tunnel, but
the reics of the wreck were visible on
eli sides.
NOTES.
Conaidering the cloudy, threatening
weather yesterday all trains on the
Terminal road did big business. The
foothill line was the beat patronized,
though there was q very fair traffic
done by the beach trains.