The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-30

Southern California passenger train, the
heroines name has been on the tip of
every tongue. Countless congratulations
have been pouring in upon her, and the
passengers whom she saved from death or
injury have hesieged the Wilson residence
to express again and again their heartfelt
gratitude for the young lady's brave act.
Miss Wilson's reply to them all is that she
did only what any other girl would have
done in like circumstances, and that she is
really undeserying of the effusive praise
lavished upon her.
The story OF the plucky girls adventure
has been told and retold, and many new
facts, which had been overlooked in the
hurriedly written press dispatches on the
night of the attempted train-wrecking,
have since been gathered.
There were over 100 passengers on the
train, and at the point where the obstruc
tions had been placed on the track it al
ways dashes along under full head of
steam. Had the wreckers succeeded in
their designs, lives must have been lost
and many persons injured in the crash.
Miss Wilson's discovery of the fiends'
work was wholly stroke of luck, for which
the endangered passengers are devoutly
grateful. On the night in question she had
decided to take shorter cut to her home
by following the track for a block or two,
and it was when the oncoming train was
but two blocks distant that she stumbled
upon the rocks and ties which had been
heaped up. The locality was well chosen
by the would-be robbers. The train at this
point runs through private grounds with
orange trees shading the track on either
side. There was hardly one chance in
hundred that their work would be discov-
cred in time to prevent its fearful results.
Miss Wilson instantly realized the situa-
ton and without moments hesitation set
about to warn the engineer of the impend-
ing danger. She dashed into neighbor-
ing yard and burst into the kitchen of
residence. Without stopping for explana-
ton she grasped lighted lamp from a
kitchen table, leaving the inmates of the
room in complete darkness. She did not
neglect to also seize matches from a shelf.
to be used in case the lamp should go out.
Shielding with her shawl the warning sig
nal she succeeded in reaching the track Just
In time to stop the train from laundering
on to its doom.
The engineers first thought was hold
up, but he dared not disregard the impera-
tive signal, and as the train drew to a stand
still scarcely 100 feet from where the girl
stood, surrounded by excited women, who
had followed her under the supposition that
she had suddenly become demented, he
cried out:
whats the matter with you down
there ?''
Track torn up" was Miss Wilson'S
simplest explanation.
AT once an investigation followed by en-
gineer, trainmen and conductor, and it
was found that the planking between the
rails at the Elm-street crossing, although
spiked down, had been pried up and two
huge powders forced under them and ad-
justed so as to ditch the train. "She'd
have done for US, sure!" was the half-audi-
BILE comment of the engineer, and his
opinion was upheld by conductor and
brakesmen.
Miss Wilson became at once the recip-
lent of warm praise and congratulation.
The powders were hoisted upon the cab
and the train pulled on toward San Bernar-
dino, with its passengers at that time still