The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-27

! warning which might have saved the lie
of Engineer Keyer. His story OF the
wreck is as follows:
During the morning / passed down the
road going to South San francisco, and
saw no evidence that disaster might be
! impending The valley which, at the
time OF the wreck, was roaring torrent,
was a green fat, through which ran a
I gentle stream OF water winding its devious
way toward the bay.
f'The scene on my return in the erenin g
was very different. Before [ had left
| South San Francisco station | could hear
the roar of angry waters and after passing
! through the cut just east of the station |
saw that what had been meadow was now
rushing river. Fences were under water
or totally carried away.
81 had not proceeded far down the track
when | discovered that it was being IN
dermined. Little rills of water were cut
ting away the earth and sand. growing mo-
! mentarily larger and evidently weakening
the roadbed. A little farther on culvert
under the roadbed was running full to the
level OF the track. Soon it became neces-
sary to pick my steps. The north side of
the track was sinking gradually and
ShOWCo bAo1 ~ was Ollb4AC1S AASCOAlCs
Before / reached Baden station several
places were passed where for the width of
street the water was running under the
track to the depth of a foot.
knowing that the 80 train was about
due l hurried on to Baden to endeavor to
warn whatever employees of the company 1
might see that train wreck might occur
unless the local was signaled. Near
Baden station / met Trackwalker Murphy
and told him of the washout. He was
just about to put up signal lantern
when I called upon him to stop and ex-
planned to him that unless the train was
stopped loss of life was almost certain.
He seemed to scout at the idea that a
serious washout had occurred and started
to walk away.
while we were talking the headlight of
an engine came into view, and | again i'm
plored him to make every effort to stop the
train. Then he turned the red light of his
lantern toward the swiftly approaching
train and swung it gently to and fro. APP
parently the signal had no effect on the
train, for she roared past US across a bridge
and upon the straight stretch of track
where the fatal washout was. l called to
Murphy, saying, There goes a wreck; but
he seemed to think it WAS all right, and
said, She'll reach the cut safely
81 knew that unless the train was
stopped within a short distance a wreck
was inevitable, and I watched the red
lights in the rear of the train as they
swung around the curve. At first it
seemed that Murphy's prediction would
come true. The train went on and on,
when suddenly the lights seemed to sway
and stop and dull roar of esca ping steam
came to US. Then l knew that the train
had been wrecked and l ran down the
track to see whether any lives had been
lost. l met women and children and
man in his coat sleeves running toward
Baden in breathless fear. They told me
that the engineer and fireman were pinned
under the engine and that many people
had been hurt, some drowned.
ION board the train and in the water be-
side IL pandemonium reigned. Women
were shrieking and men running back and
forward seeking some means of escape,
while others simply sat in their seats, too
frightened to move. On either side the
muddy water rushed by into the darkness,
adding its roar to that of the escaping
steam.
mo one outside of the conductor seemed
TO know what to do. He was running
backward and forward, encouraging pas
sengers or giving directions regarding the
dying engineer, on whom several men
were working in a vain effort to resuscitate
him.
1.-The fireman, who by this time was en-
veloped IN great coat loaned by passen-
ger, was sitting in corner of the car, his
head covered by the folds OF the garment,
seemingly obliyious to all that passed
about him. He complained that his head
felt numb, but his only thought seemed to
be OF the engineer, and he begged that
some one would go for doctor.
THE engine lay on its side in the water
alongside of the track, the broken cab en-
tangled III a barb wire fence floating beside
it. The baggage car, though not entirely
of the track, inclined at such an angle
that 1t threatened momentarily to follow
the engine. The smoker, which was i'm
mediately in the rear of the baggage car.
was also in such dangerous position that
those who were working on the inanlmate
form of the engineer had to leave it and
carry it into the first coach. The coaches
were soon found to be standing on an in
secure track and the passengers were adj
vised to leave them. They accordingly
did so and wended their way in sorrow
full procession to Baden station.
Before they were able to collect their
effects and leave, the horrors of fire were
added to those that already unnerved
them. The baggage-car contained a stove
which was thrown against the side of the
car when the engine plunged into the
washout, and the car was soon in a blaze.
The train crew was compelled to leave the
frightened passengers and hurry to the
rescue of the baggage. Baggage master
Robinson removed as much of the passen-
gers effects as he could reach, and as
sisted in putting out the fire, which for a
| time threatened to consume the entire car.
81 heard a number of passengers, who
saw the red lantern swung beside the
train, complain bitterly of seeming negli-
gence of the engineer