The San Francisco call., 1897-11-22

CARS CAUSE
A WRECK
Collide With a Train on
the Sonora Rail-
way.
ENGINEER LOSES HIS
LII E.
Fireman, Express Agent and
Several Passengers
Injured.
LOCOMOTIVE COMPLETELY
DEMOLISHED.
Swapping of Brake-Chains on a
Steep Grade the Cause OF
the Disaster.
Fireman, Express Agent and
Several Passengers
Injured.
LOCOMOTIVE COMPLETELY
DEMOLISHED.
Swapping OF Brake-Chains on a
Steep Grade the Cause OF
the Disaster.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL

NOGALES, ARIz Nov. 21-The Sonora
Railroad passenger train known as No. 2.
which was due to arrive in Nogales at
7:30 o'clock last night, struck three run
away freight cars about thirty-six miles
from NogaIes, killing Engineer George
Barker and seriously injuring Fireman
Frederick Pike, Express Messenger ]. D.
Milton and few passengers. This is the
third wreck that has occurred within an
area of twenty miles in two months.
Engineer Andrew Linder brought the
regular freight into Nogales about two
hours late yesterday evening. Upon his
arrival he Immediately rushed to the
traln-dispatcher' office and exctedly in
quired If the passenger train had left
Imuris, where is situated the last tele-
graph office before reaching ,Nogaes.
When told that it had Linder completely
gave way, and il was some time before he
was able to tell that he had lost at Aqua
Zarca three refrigerator cars laden with
Sonora oranges, and that they had re-
ceived such a start down grade that he
was unable to catch them.
Linder said that at 5 AS o'clock he was
switching at Aqua Zaroa, and the brake
man had cut two cars from the train and
was to stop at the sidetrack, but he Iost
control of them and the cars started down
n grade that is per cent for twenty miles.
Conductor Benton saw what had hap
penei and jumped on the cars to help the
brakeman. The brake chains on two OF
the cars broke, leaving but one useful
brake. When the cars started the engine
was at the head of a heavy train on sin
gle track and considerable switching had
to be done before it could start after the
runaways.
The engine picked up the conductor and
brakeman at Casita, where they bad
jumped when the cars were running at
the rate of forty miles an hour. They
were both considera bly, bruised and cut
Upon arriving at NogaIes they come on
the American side of the line and nothing
has been seen of them since. Trainmas-
ter Gibson sent out some men on a hand
car and immediately commenced making
arrangements for special wrecking train,
but on account of trouble with Mexican
Custom-house officers it was unable to
leave until $3.50 o'clock. On the special
went Trainmaster Gibson, Roadmaster
George Montague, Doctors W. +. Cheno-
weth and f. Wells. the CALL correspond
ent and u number of helpers
Upon arriving at Casita the special was
tagged by men from the handcar and the
railroad officials were informed that the
anticipated wreck had occurred four miles
from Cumeral, the runaway cars crashing
into the pasSenger-train. A quick run
was then made to The place and the
wrecking party put at work.
The wreck occurred at about $3.50
O'Clock. the cars having gone distance of
twenty miles before striking the train.
The engineer had managel to put on the
airbrakes. The cars OF oranges were COM
pletely telescoped and the engine thrown
fifteen feet from The track and EN- oils b ed.
All the windows and lamps of the pas
senger coaches were broken and the Pull
man suffered severely. Had the train and
cars come in contact at any point other
than where they did it is doubtful If the
forty passengers who were on the train
would have escaped with their lives AS
it was, the accident occurred at a level
point after the cars had been running up
a slight grade for about two miles and the
brake on one OF the cars undoubtedly
helped to slacken the speed they had at
tanned. Another lucky incident was that
the passenger train had car of oranges
ahead of the baggage-car.
Engineer Barker was killed outright.
but the fireman, who is Mexican boy
about 19 years of age, had a miraculous
escape. Although badly burned and cut
across the driving wheel on top OF the
wreck. J. d. Milton, messenger for
Wells. Fargo e. Co., was badly hurt. He
was thrown from one end OF the express
car to the other and was struck on the
back by a keg of beer. George Beermaker.
the San Diego capitalist, who was pas
senger on the train, almost had his clothes
torn from him.
The injured were ali taken to the Pull |
man upon the arrival of the special from
Nogales and were given medical attention. |
The seriously injured are: Frederick Pike, |
scalded and internally injured; J. d. Mil |
ton, spine injured and face anu head cut;
Sraa Reiugio Lopez de Felipe, two ribs |
broken; Mrs. Anna Windsor, hurt inter
naIiy. A number of passengers had their |
faces and hands cut by flying broken
glass and splinters.
Thousands OF oranges are lying ali over
the ground, and all night Mexicans have |
been packing them away.
The wrecking crew worked all night and |
had the track cleared by daylight, when