The San Francisco call., 1897-02-24
DITCHED ENGINE
AND SIX CARS
A Bowlder Wrecks a
Freight Train Near
Midway.
Fireman Seymour Badly In.
jured-Other Emp Dyes Mar
rowly Escaped.
The Heavy Vehicles Roll Over an
Rmbankment Into the Mud.
Wreckers at Work

OAKLAND, CAL, Feb. 23.-The loco
motive and six cars of a freight train
rolled over an embankment and landed in
ditch twenty-five feet below the track,
one mile west of Midway This afternoon.
The cause of the accident was bowl.
der on the track at a road crossing, which
deraiIed the locomotive, and it pulled
over six cars before the couplings broke.
Fireman c. J. Seymour saved his life by
jumping at critical moment and was
badly hurt about the head. Engineer
Meade escaped through the window of the
cab as the locomotive was rolling down
the EN- mbankment, ana both men had re-
markably narrow escapes.
An extra freight train left West Oakland
this morning bound for Tracy. 1t con-
sisted OF eleven cars, most of them being
empty. The train did some way business,
but all went we'll till Midway was ap.
preached. When about one mile this side
of that station, which is between Liver
more and Tracy, the locomotive struck a
bowlder and was instantly deralled.
The train at that time was only going
at moderate rate of speed, and whom the
| wheels struck they ran for little dis
tance b-fore goin over the embankment.
The locomotive and cab rolled down and
| landed in the ditch in different direc-
tions and the cars piled on top. Six OF
the cars, forming the largest part of the
train, were pulled over into the ditch
before the coupling broke.
The wreckers say that it is one of the
worst messes they have ever tackled, as
| the ditch is soft and muddy and the en-
| hankment at that point is not well fitted
for the heavy forking OF the wrecking
crane.
The wreck occurred in the hilly district
beyond lAltamont. The track in this
| neighborhood isl successionof curves and
the freight was only making slow time, as
| on account OF the rains the track is soft
and necessitates slow travel.
Engineer Meade says that the bowlder
that caused all the trouble was no bigger
| than child's head and he is surprised
| that 1t was not crushed off the track with
out any one being any the wiser for it,
1--WE were going along very cautiously"
| he said. "Tha track al that point is ABOUT
twenty-five feet high and it is all curves,
and after heavy rains we always go slowly
| and keep good lookout / knew moth
| ing till felt bnmp and as soon as L
threw the lever over the engine began
| to wobble.
"The bowlder was on the track on the
| tireman's side. We had not much way on
US, but we forged ahead some after sirik-
| ing, and then the locomotive took a
tum BILE 10 the left and rolled over. hung
| on for moment or two, but seeing hat
another twist might mean being crushed
| scram bied through the window and got
| on 10 the bank. l don't want another ex-
perieDce like that in my LIFETIME
Fireman c. j. Seymour is badly cut
about the head and bruised. He was on
the cab, and as soon as he saw that his
engine was going to tum bic over he
jumped on the bank. He narrowly es-
capped being crushed beneath the engine.
but scrambled in the mud and got out of
the wreck with some cuts on the head and
several bruises.
Conductor Martin was in the part of the
train that did not leave the track, and be-
yond shaking up be was not hurt.
Brakeman Clark was on the top of one
OF the cars that was ditched, and when he
saw That his car was doomed he partly
jumped and partly fell to the bank. and
thus escaped going down with the wreck.
Some of the boxcars were loaded with
ties, and there were also two t1aicars piled
up with bricks.
Ali these were pulled down with the en-
gine before the coupling broke. Had not
he coupling been broken when it did
there is no doubt but that the whole train
would have gone into the ditch.
As soon as the news of the accident was
sent to the pier the wrecking train was
sent to the wreck, and when it arrived the
| crew saw at once that they had big Job
ahead of them.
Everything was in heap and the loco
motive was partly on its side and partly
| on end and had sunk quite distance into
the mud. The six cars were badly smashed
and were thrown in all directions. They
were so far away from the track that the
wreckage crane had difficulty in working,
and owing to the manner in which the
| wrecked locomotive and cars were lying
it was not easy to recover them.
Up to midnight the wreck had not been
cleared away. and it was reported that the
wreckilg train could not possibly COM
pleIe its work and return before the morn
ing. After the track had been cleared
and repaired The passenger trains came
| through. although delayed for a few
hours.