The morning call., 1895-01-06
POSTAL CARD COOPER is KILLED.

known among families OIL TallIoau moh
lowered over Oakland all day yesterday
because of the news OF the train wreck
which had occurred the night before In
Altamont tunnel. and by which three
families were rendered fatherless.
The disaster occurred at 6:35 O'Clock on
Friday night, but it was not until III
o'clock that the news reached Oakland,
and then only the most meager account
could be had. The scene of the accident
was twelve miles from telegraph ONCE
and a man and horse had TO be tound De-
fore the message could be forwarded.
Three men lost their lives. They were
the engineer of the passenger train Henry
G. Hubbard; the fireman of the same
train, Henry Schramm, and man VINO
was working a passage by shovellns coal
and Tho was unknown and classed simply
as a tramp, but who upon investigation
turned out to be none other than j. T,
Cooper. known all over the State as the
man of mystery" but probably better
known as the "postsl-card crank" because
of his having made a practice of sending
postal cards to the authorities of nearly
every town In the State aud complaining
of the running of Chinese lotteries.
The account Of the collision has already
appeared in THE CALL in brief, bat there
Is much more to tell. Engineer Hubbard
and Fireman Schramm were running
freight and had arrived from MENDOZA in
Tracy, where they pulled up awaiting
orders. His orders were to attach his en-
CINE to the Los Angeles express, No. 20.
which had also arrived at Tracy and was
held there because of wasGOut at Avon
station, near Martinez. and bring the eX-
press into Oakland by way OF LiVermore
pass, The reason for the change of en-
eines was that none of The big compound
engines are run on the LivermOre division.
The track from Tracy to LiVermore is
what railroad men term regular snake,
and at Midway station is tunnel 45O feet
long, on a curve, known as AltamOnt
tunnel.
The grade is heavy coming west, and the
express was laboring up a heavy grade
toward the mouth of this tunnel at proba-
bly, six miles per hour, and the engine.
pail and baggage car had got within the
tunnel, when a terrific crash came, sick
ening stop, passengers were tossed about
and women began screaming, and in
moment came the loud noise of escaping
steam mingled with piercing shrieks of
some one in agony. The cries came from
poor Hubbard, who walled out his last
breath still TANNED in where the collision
had left him, between The throttle bar and
the woodwork of the tender
People ran forward for the express
when they could regain their composure
after the first shock, and the sight that
met their eyes was something terrible.
The narrow and black tunnel was COM
pletely closed by the two huge engines
that had dashed into each other. 1t was a
head on collision and the matter was soon
explained.
A construction train from Oakland had
been working on the road repairing wash
outs for several days, and the engineer
had orders to run to Tracy and put up for
the night. He was given the same word
as poor Hubbard had been given, 1.-The
track is clear" So the construction was
coming down the grade through the tun-
mel at twenty miles per hour with heavy
train behind, and the heavy weight at
high speed was thrown into the express
just entering the tunnel.
An eyewitness said the scene was hor-
rible in the tunnel. The smoke and steam
were suffocating and the voice of Hubbard
was heard in the din praying to be killed.
The engineer and fireman of the work
train jumped. Fireman Thompson of this
train received broken shoulder, and En-
gineer Monroe had no outward wounds.
but has been sick since the accident, and
tits reported he has received Internal in
juriee.
1t was not until four hours after the ac-
cident that Hu bbard's body was extricated
from the position in which it had been
wedged. The tender of the express was
jaInmed back right into the mailcar, and
in the tender, wedged against the boiler
head. under the coal, another body was
found. This was supposed for while to
be that Of Fireman Schramm. It was the
first body taken out. 1t was afterward
learned that this was not the fireman, bur
a tramp who had asked for a ride at
Tracy. This tramp was j. P. Cooper and
he had got aboard TO work his way to Oak
land. His identity was not discovered
until sometime later. The body of
Sehramm could not be found uptilm morn
ing. when 1t was taken from beneath the
coal in the tender, scalded to death. All
the bodies were frightfully sea lded, and
the condition of poor Schramm is such
that his family may not be allowed to
view the remains.
a. wrecking train was sent 70 the scene
of the accident at late hour with DR.. Dunn
aboard, covering the ffty-eght miles In
short time. despite the shaky condition
the rains had left the track in, and every
thing was done that could be for the
wounded. DR.. Woolsey was also sent up
yesterday morning. The bodies were
brought to Oakland, arriving at P. NJ.
yesterday.
The accident was caused by the train
dispatcher at the mole, Charles r. Sims,
forgetting that there was al extra on that
branch of the road when he ordered the
express to come to Oakland bv way of
Llvermore pass. Sims lives at 4781s Tenth
street. and when seen yesterday was
much cast down over the accident. He
said that Friday morning he sent an order
to the work train TO proceed to Tracy and
entered the order in his book. There came
many orders during the day for trains at
all points and at s o'clock several orders
were sent out together, including this
order to the Los Angeles express. II was
copied by the chief dispatcher. Wander