The San Francisco call., 1897-07-29
ALLAN TIC
EXPR
WRECKED.
Spreading of the Rails
Causes a Disaster in
Nevada.
SIX INDIANS KILLED AND
FIVE INJURED.
White Passengers Suffer No
More Than a Severe
Shaking Up.
ENGINE AND COACHES PILED IN
A HEAP.
Miraculous Escape OF the Train
Crews From Death Under the
WreCkage.
SIX INDIANS KILLED AND
FIVE INJURED.
White Passengers Suffer No
More Than Severe
Shaking Up.
ENGINE AND COACHES PILED IN
A HEAP.
Miraculous Escape Of the Train
Crews From Death Under the
WreCkage.

RENO, NEv. July 2S.-One of the
worst wrecks on the Southern Pacific
Railway in many years occurred at 1910
O'Clock this morning at point about six
miles west of here. The westbound ex-
press, known in railroad circles as num-
Der 9, was ditched bv spreading of the
rails The regular passengers, of whom
there were about forty, niraculously es-
capped with but few bruises and severe
shaking up, although every car of the
train was derailed, some being thrown
upon Their sides and the two day coaches
being almost completely molished. A
number of Indians were riding on the
platforms of the two forward coaches
and six of them were killed and five in
jured. Several of the injured will die.
Dismem ered portions OF the Indians
bodies were scattered in all directions.
The scene of the disaster was confused
mass OF wreckage, and the wailing OF the
relatives of the dead red men and the
cries of the injured added to the con-
fusion.
There were two engines attached to the
train, but the first never left the track.
The second was turned over on its side
with the cab completely on its back The
baggage and express cars were lifted into
the air and thrown some twenty feet
from the track. landing on their backs,
while the day coach, which was on its
side. was lying diagonally across the
track, with the tourist car following tel
escopng one end of it. Two of the Pull
mans were thrown into a V-shape from
the track and were all but turned over.
The two remaining PulImans and the
diner were off the rails but were not dam
aged TO the extent of the others.
Engineer Irwin OF the derailed engine
said he felt the engine leaving the track
and Immediately applied the emergency
brakes. He knew, however. that he was
too late to prevent a wreck, and as he felt
his engine going over his first thoughts
were Of saving himself. He turned to
Jump, when he saw broken timbers and
iron framework from under the tender
pilng toward him and he concluded his
time on earth was ended. Then he felt
himself lifted through the air and he was
landed in the wagon-road some twenty
ieet from his demolish ed engine. Strange
as it may appear, Engineer Irwin came
out of the wreck without SO much as even
a scratch.
Fireman Rollins does not exactly know
how he did escape, but believes he was
thrown from the engine at the first shock.
He does know, however, that he Landed
on HIS head and that he is suffering from
the result of the fall. His neck was badly
wrenched and he received several bad cuts
about the head. None of his injuries,
however, are serious, although he was the
most seriously injured of any of the
whites on the train.
How the mail clerks and messengers
escaped death is miraculous. Messenger
]. J. Burke said he felt the first shock of
the engine leaving the rails and immedi-
ately grabbed the life rods. He felt his
car lifted in to the air and then thrown to
the side of the track. When the car
landed, he says, the shock was severe. but
was greatly lessened by his hanging to
the rods. His car was turned com pletely
upside down and trunks and other articles
were promiscuously thrown about him,
but luckily none struck him, and he came
cut of the wreck without further damage
than a severe shock to his nerves. A dog
in the car with him also escaped in Jury
Mr. Burke says he wants no more such
experiences and is thankful to escape with
his life.
Mail Clerk G. W. O'Brien was not as
fortunate as MESSENGER Burke. He en-
deavored to grab the life rods, but failed
to reach them. When the wreck settled
he found himself standing on his head in
one corner of the car. He was cut some.
what about the head ana was severely
shaken up. His partner, Mali CLERK S. A.
Ross, was lying down when the wreck
occurred. The water tank, mail bags and
other matter piled upon him and he was
almost smothered before he could extri-
cate himself. The water tank struck him
over the eye, cutting deep cash, and he
was otherwise injured.
Sheriff McInnis, who was among the
first to reach the scene Of the wreck,
picked up an Indian babe not more than
two years old. which had been thrown
from the cars to the roadway, some
twenty feet distant. The little one was
covered with blood and appeared almost
dead The Sheriff tenGery carried the
child to creek near by and bathea it's
wounds. the principal one OF which was
small hole in its forehead. Later the
doctors made the child as comfortable as
possible under the circumstances, and at
last accounts it was getting along nicely.
The babes mother and l2-year-old sister
were killed in the wreck.
The cause OF the wreck is not definitely
known, but it is generally supposed that
it was a.spreading of the rails.
There were several women end children
in the forward coach, and only one was at
all injured and that only slightly. DR.. J.
Z. Stubbs, president of the Nevada State
University, was one of the passengers He
was in the rear Pullman, and says that
the shock was most severe. DR.. Stubbs
says that, after he had seen the way the
cars are tn m bled about, had he been com
palled to take to his bed for a couple OF
weeks as re ult OF injuries sustained, he
would even then consider himself ior-
tunate.
The wreck occurred on curve, and the