The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-18
The FLYING DUTChMAN
MILE A MINUTE MADE IN THE
SANTA MONICA RUN
Momentum Becomes So Great That the
Train Narrowly Escapes Going
Over the Bluff

SANTA MONICA, July H.-Santa Monica
Is keeping up her reputation, in first one
way and then another for entertaining the
big crowds of Sunday visitors who flock to
her sandy beach every week. Last Sunday
1t was the wrecked Mill Bellen, alias keina
Mercedes, submerged in front Of the big
hotel, and slowly washing to pieces, that
interested the metropolitan multitude, But
yesterday the bill Of fare consisted OF a
runaway engine. with four partly flied
passenger coaches attached, dashing past
the little depot ON the hill at q high rate Of
speed and filling the crowd Of astonished
people with horror a. the engine left the
track, crossed the street and plunged reck-
lessly into the grounds Of the Arcadia no
tel. where tho soft lawn acted with more
telling effect on the refractory steam horse
than the combined brakes Of the whole
train.
The officials Of the Southern Pacific had
advertised to make the trip to Santa Mon
lea yesterday over their rock-ballasted
road in twenty-three minutes from the Ar
cade. AZ is the custom when q special
speed record is the object, an ofIicial 40
companied the engineer m his cab As
slstant Superintendent F. e. Prior was I'm
gineer Warmington's guest yesterday on
his rapid ride. The train which leaves the
Arcade at $50 runs through to Santa Mon
lea without stop in twenty-thres minutes.
She made the trip yesterday In eighteen
minutes. thereby establishing . new record
for Southern California The start from
the Arcade was little delayed, and with
the idea Of making up for lost time the
throttle was thrown wide open and a. one
passenger expressed It, that train was hot
stun for few minutes.
Had It not been for tho scftened condition
Of the hotel lawn, the momentum which the
fast-moving train had gathered would
have carried It over the blur. As It was
it plowed two feet deep into tho ground for
a distance Of thirty feet, one Of the passen-
ger coaches also leaving the track. The
passengers were pretty we'll shaken up and
few Of them thought It was all up with
them, while all felt that thay would not
appreciate q repetition Of the narrow es-
cape. A train hand aooounks4 for the fall
ure of the air brakes to work to the light
train, which lacked sufiieisnt weight to
make the brakes effective.
Considerable d1faculty was experienced
in pulling the engine back on the track and
feat was accomplished. 1t was found nec-
essary to place hydraulic jacks beneath the
engine. and. by attaching a heavy wire
cable to an engine stationed at the end Of
the track, q strong pull was made, but
without effect Another engine was added
and still another. but the combined
strength OF the three could not move her,
and It was not until four painting, putting
steeds Of iron used their utmost concerted
strength that the disobedient locomotive
was brought back to the track.
1t proved q great drawing card for The
multitude always eager to be amused, and
thousands Of spectators watched the ma
Mowers Of the wrecking crew while at
work, and those who arrived on the scene
too late for that part Of the program stood
and gazed at the deep burrows in the Ar
cadia lawn and regretted lost opportuni-
ties.