The San Francisco call., 1897-03-09
BOYS ESSAY TO
WRECK A TRAIN
Disaster to the Monterey
Express Narrowly
Averted.
Youths Place Dynamite on the
Track Near Murphys
Station.
Only Portion of the Explosive 1
Touched Off, but Cons dsrable
Damage Results.


aud lodged in the County Jai! on charge
of having attempted to wreck train.
The prisoners are John Cravegna, aged 16
years, and Peter Clravegna. aged IA years.
1t is alleged that the boys placed sticks OF
dynamite on the railroad track short
distance north of Murphys station, oppo-
site place where they were engaged in
chopping wood and clearing land.
Some injury was done to the Monterey
express train 49, on its way to San Fran
cisco. last Saturday afternoon. At the
point indicated there was an explosion of
sufficient force to shatter the headlight of
the locomotive. The engineer suppose d
that torpedo had been run over. The
explosion did no damage to the track, but
the occurrence was reported to the rail-
road authorities in San francisco. On in
vestigation the conclusion was arrived at
that small torpedo mad been placed on
the rail for sport by some boys.
On Sunday afternoon, the day following
this occurrence, three boys-Charles Bar
ney, John Barney and Cont Belloni-
were walking along the track on the way
to Mountain View when they saw an OBJ
ject that proved to be stick of giant
powder tied to the rail. Their first thought
was to remove it, but one OF them ex-
pressed the fear that some body might be
lying in ambush who would take shot
at them should they attempt to remove
the explosive. The boys had an idea that
the bonn b had been placed there by train
robbers, the object being to stop the pas
Senger train that was soon due past that
froD
The boys were about to run for help and
to warn some one at Murphys station
when they heard the train coming. Quick
action was then necessary, and they
hurriedly removed the bomb from the
track and took it to Mountain View and
reported the occurrence.
In answer to telegram, instructions
were sent from San Francisco that the
track should be guarded over night. For
distance of a mile on each side of the
place where the explosion occurred and
the bomb was found, the track was
patroled during Sunday night by section
EN- ployes under the direction OF Constable
J. D. Martin and Deputy Sheriff Zach
Martin. There were no developments
during Sunday night.
This morning Constable Martin arrested
two drunken tramps on suspicion that
they were the persons who had placed the
bombs on the track. Shortly afterward
Special Officer c. c. Crowley of the South
ern Pacific Company arrived on the scene.
He Immediately ordered the release of the
tramps, as they were evidently not the
men wanted.
In the meantime the Martins had secured
strong clew i'm plicating the two boys who
were living in cabin near the track, and
were engaged in blasting stumps and chop
ping wood on land in the Murphy tract.
Giant powder cartridges and caps similar
to those that had been placed on the track
were found in the cabin, and one of the
boys explained how he placed the cap in
the cartridge, the method being exactly
the same as that used in the track bonn b..
The information was obtained by the
officers while they where disguised as
woodchoppers. AT the same time one of
the boys said a bomb had been placed on
the track by Portuguese boy.
The evidence that had been obtained
against them was repo1 ted to Special OFF,
Ger Crowley and he Immediately ordered
the arrest of the boys. They were brought
to the county jail this evening. After
their arrest they were very much fright
ened and denied that they knew anything
about the explosion or how the bomb came
to be on the track. The officers believe
that it was a boyish prank. done without
any realization of how serious the conse-
auences might be.
The stick of giant powder placed on the
rail was about ten inches long. 1t had
been cut in two and percussion cap was
placed in each end. II the wheel of the
engine had struck it there would have
been an explosion of sufficient force it is
asserted, to break wheel, and then there
would have been pile-up of the heavily
loaded passenger coaches, with possibly
great loss OF life. The sticks of giant DOW
der that were found on the track and in
the cabin were brought to the county Jail
with the prisoners.
The boys will be arraigned upon the
charge tomorrow.