The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1895-06-01
The WRECK.

Passenger train No. | was wrecked
near Reno Wednesday night. The
cause OF the wreck was supposed to be
a defective split switch. Owing to the
train being one hour and II half late it
vas coming at a high rate of speed as is
evidenced by the distance il run after
leaving the track and the distance of the
engine from the track. The wreck was
simply a frightful one and hat there
were not many lives lost is a meracle.
An idea can be formed of the speed at
which the train was moving when it is
considered that the engine ran about $50
feet dragging the derailed cars, running
over a wagon road and "A sidetrack across
the road, finally stopping in a partially
upright position against a large pile oil
electric light masts hat had been I'M
loaded neal the siding. The tender was
jammed onto the engine cab and its
hind trucks were reared in the air. The
mail car was completely turned on its
side and laid across the main line at
right angles, and partially telecoped into
the tender. The express left the track
at an angle of about 40 degrees and
turned over on it's side, both sets of
trucks being left at a distance from the
car. The baggage car WAS partially
turned over and the front end telescoped
into the express car and careened to one
side. The day coach was completely off
of the line and the trucks sunken nearly
out of sight. The smokers trucks were
off and had also cut deep into the road
bed, the hind trucks remaining on the
track within five feet west of the switch. |
The track was badly torn up, some I
of the rails being twisted into spirals
and circles. Several of the rails were
broken in two, and flaws were plainly
~discernable. The rails in the main line]
were made by the Cambria Iron Comp,-
ny of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1874.
One man was found under the derail-
ed cars, crushed to a pulp. A compan-
ion who was riding neal him said that
he had heard him called Hickey. He
got on the train at Truckee and was
stealing a ride. Coroner Peers took
charge of the body, and will hold an in
quest today. The man who was riding
with the deceased was held here as a
witness.
The passengers were terribly shaken
up. Mrs. Wager wal on the train and
describes the shock as something terrible
but it was so sudden and over 80 quickly
that one could hardly realize what oc-
CURED. The passengers all described
the sensations of the wreck about the
same as Mrs. Wager. Some were thrown
violently against seats, but none injured.
The engine was 1909, Engineer Cole
man of Sacramento, who stood at his
post until the engine stopped, but the
fireman jumped and was hurt, but not
seriously. Weston was conductor. The
mail clerk, Roundy, and Express Mes
senger Rice had morrow escapes. The
former was standing in the open door
OF the car and at the door and stayed
with it until tine car went over. Mes
senger Rice had a big load, mostly boxes
OF flowers for Decoration Day, and as
his car went over he was completely bur-
led in the freight, but it being light ma
terial he escaped without injury.
NN~anl.,. ..~ r.
from Wadsworth and Truckee, and. one
arrived at 2 o'clock.
The escape of the passengers and
train hands is something miraculous.
The theory of the wreck is that it oc-
cured from a defective switch and that
the west-bound train that had passed
it a short time before. had disarran-
ged it in some manner
The delay to the train was about 10
hours.-Journal.