The herald., 1895-04-27
Miss Lou Wi son Prevents a
Railway Accident
ATTEMPT TO WRECK A TRAIN
Murderocs ScoundreIs Fooled by a
Young Woman
She Could Not Hove an Obstruction on the
Track, But Signaled the Engineer
With q Lamp

PASADENA. April 26.-Last night a
dsstardl. attempt was made to wreck a
passenger train right here in Pasadena,
and the scores of passengers who were on
the train will not know until they read
these lines that many of them were saved
from either being killed outright or in
iured for life by the GOODNESS and bravery
of young lady.
Miss Lou Wilson is the name of the
young heroine whose prompt action saved
the train from a terrible wreck. She was
approaching her home on Elm avenue
last evening about Z: rs, when, at the point
where the Santa Fe road crosses Elm ave-
nue., near Locust street, she noticed an
obstruction on the track, and on APP
preaching close to it--for daylight wa s
gone-she saw that it was huge boulder
wedged in under the end of one of the
tim bers at the crossing, which had been
pried up for the purpose and which stood
over a foot above the rails at the end
pointing towards the station.
She knew only too well that the train
thas leaves Pasadena at 1925 was due at
that crossing in few moments, and tug
ging frantically at the great stone she
tried with all her strength to remove it,
but found she could not move it single
inch.
Then, with rare presence of mind. she
ran to her home nearby and Selling
lighted lamp from the table, leaving her
mother in the darkness, bewildered and
astonis hed-for this was no time for ex-
plantions-she rushed out into the dark
ness, carrying with her the means OF saw
ing the train, and not forgetting to take
: hsndful of matches along. so that in
case the lamp should go out in the wind
she cou1d re1ipht IT.
Dashing down the track toward Pasa-
dena station. as she heard the whistle
Of the approaching train carrying its pre-
cious burden of human lives, the mo-
ments seemed hours, until the engineer
saw her light and managed to sto" his
train just in time to avert n. Die
catastrophe. as -
The trainmen put the great boulder on
the train and promptly started ON to-
wards San Bernardino, not caring to alarm
the passengers on board, and SO far as is,
known not a passenger on that train
least great injury. The railroad company
is not IN the habit of spreading such
news, and while officials were sent out
this morning to investigate and learn all
that can be known concerning the matter,
they are keeping very quiet about it,
Mr.. c. G. Brown. near whose residence
the scoundrels made their cowardly at
tempt to wreck the train, says he found
on returning home last night that one
of the great boulders he has always had
on either side of the entrance to his
driveway was removed from its place, and
on learning what had happened the use
to which it had been out was plainly to
be seen. He harnessed his horses and
came TO town Just a few moments before
the obstruction was discovered, his stable
being within 100 yards of the crossing.
The train was the Azuss train. No. "a,
which leaves Los Angeles at $50 p. m.
No clue to the perpetrators has been dis
covered.
The railroad official who came out this
to investigate found a piece of
iron about six feet long. four inches wide
and one inch thick lying along the track
near the scene of the attempted wreck
and on examination it proved to be part
of the locomotive, evidently the guard IN
derneath the engine. 1t was broken
square off about a foot from one end, and
the bolts were all broken that bound it to
the LOGON olive. There was a switch with
in 100 feet Of the crossing, beyond the OBJ
struction, and it was found that the
switc b. bar was broken loose from the
rails. the bolts being broken square off,
the guard underneath the engine must
have caught on the plank, although the
boulder was removed, when the train
passed over the crossing, and tore the
guard loose. when, owing to its hanging
down, it caught on the switch-bar and
broke that. also breaking off the guard.
Or the scoundrel who attempted to wreck
the train may have broken the switch
bar himself.
1t is now thought that the recent de-
railing of the Santa Fe overland. not over
. half mile from this spot. which was
laid to children in their play placing a
spike on the rail, was really the work of
some cowardly scoundrels, perhaps the
same who made this attempt. for the
spike was placed just right to cause the
train toi leave the track, being on the
point towards the approaching train.
: All government official experts pro-