The herald., 1896-10-05
killed ON THE BIG WHARF
A Peculiar Accident With q
Fatal Ending
CUT BY A BROKEN LANTERN
Night Watchman Herbert e. O!ds B'eeds
to Death
Slipped From the Step of Locomotive
and Fell on His Lantern-A Rela-
tive of Superintendent Muir

At Santa Monica yesterday morning
Coroner Campbell held an inquest upon
the body of Herbert E. Olds, employed
as night watchman on the man.
moth wharf at Port Los Angeles, who
died at the Santa Monica hotel little
before midnight Saturday from injur-
les received earlier in the evening by
being struck by locomotive on the
wharf.
Olds was a brother-i -in-law of Super
intendent Muir of the Southern Pacific
and had been employed in the position
for some months. There are two watch
men employed on the wharf, one at the
sea and one at the land end. Their
beats join in the center near where the
railroad switches are situated which
lead to the huge coal bunkers on one
side of the wharf. The last two trains
into Santa Monica arrive at 6 and 6:45
in the evening, the engines being left
by their crews on arrival at the seaside
and the locomotives being taken in
charge by a hostler who couples the
two together and runs them down to
the wharf, where they are switched
alongside the bunkers and coaled up
under supervision Of the watchman,
then run back to the roundhouse at the
mouth of the canyon and wiped UP to
be in readiness for their run the next
morning.
On Saturday evening the usual pro-
motives arrived at the switch
in the center of the wharf at
about 7:3o p. m. Olds and his fellow
watchman, Oscar Anderson, were on
hand, and Olds threw the switch to run
the locomotives over to the coal bunk
ers, where he was to portion out their
fuel for the following day. He signaled
then hung the light on his left arm and
attempted to jump on the rear engine
as 1t passed him to ride the hundred feet
or more to the bunkers.
The night was foggy and damp, the
iron step of the locomotive slippery and
he missed his footing in some manner.
He was struck in the chest by the huge
beam which forms the support for the
front end Of the tender tank The
force Of the collision threw Olds away
from the engine and he fell backward
to the floor Of the wharf. In falling
and grasping for something to save
himself, the lantern, which had hung
from his left arm, was thrown under
him and the full weight of his body
crashed down upon 1t. 1t was mashed
to pieces and number of fragments of
broken glass were forced into his thighs
and groin, severing one of the large ar
teries.
The engine driver saw Olds fall and
Immediately stopped the locomotive,
which had been proceeding slowly, and
ran to his assistance. Olds was picked
up and found to be bleeding copiously
from the wounds inflicted by the bro
ken glass. Such attention as was pos
sible was given him and as soon as a
freight train, which was nearly due at
the wharf, had arrived. he was placed
on board of an engine and taken to
Santa Monica. He was carried to the
hotel and physician summoned. The
accident happened at about 7:40 and it
was nearly II o'clock before the doctor
reached his side. 1t was then too late,
and nothing could be done for him.
Shortly after being laid on the hotel
cot he expired.
Word was sent to this city early Sun
day morning and Coroner Campbell
went down on the o'clock train and
held the inquest. After hearing all the
testimony the jury returned a verdict
of accidental death and exonerated the
railroad company and employees from
all blame. Olds was about 40 years of
age and leaves a widow and four chill
dren In comfortable circumstances.