The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-11
SAVED BY GOOD LUCK
TO YESTERDAYS SAN
FRANCISCO TRAIN
AN ENGINEER FORGOT ORDERS
Several of the Train Crew Hurt and
Some Passengers Slightly In
jured-A Wild Engine

Engineer George Cooper, one Of the old
est employees in point o. service in the
Southern Pacific list of men, was on the
engine early yesterday morning. that had
aided to push a train up the grade to Te-
hachapi, and turned around to return to
Caliente at the foot OF the mountain. He
knew that train No. II. due here yesterday
afternoon, was on the track somewhere
and his business was to keep out of its way
his orders being to sidetrack at Bealeville
but he forgot all about the passenger train
and drove his machine down the hill at a
lively rate.
At seven minutes before o'clock the ex-
press train entered cut half mile north
of Bealeville and about five miles south
of Caliente. When the engine and baggage
cars emerged from the obscuringf banks
Engineer Ferguson, who was on the lead
ing engine Of the train, saw Cooper's en-
CINE driving down the hill straight at him
The train was going slowly, toiling up the
mountain side. There wa< just time for
Ferguson to set the air brakes, reverse
his engine and shout to the men on the loco
motive behind him. All Of the engine crews
jumped and the crash came. Cooper and
his fireman, Charles Blakelee, received Sc
we're wounds. Engineer John Hayes and
fireman Joe Gates Of the second engine on
the train escaped unhurt. Cooper's en-
CINE cut into the first engine about two
feet, the front work of both being smashed
into flinders, and the train engine being
sent back on its tender, which mounted
the cab and almost touched the boiler. The
second engine was also crushed up against
it's tender and the platforms Of the mail
and express cars were broken.
AS a result of those conditions, which
sometimes prevail when disaster appears
unavoidable, no one was killed and no one
was even badly injured. Brakeman John
Coburn was the only one who received
SUCH injuries as necessitated bringing him
to his home In this city. He was cut about
the head, had his neck gashedI and was
shaken up considerably, but none Of his
wounds were considered at all likely to
cause him any serious harm last night.
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas J. Stephens OF
Maple avenue were passengers in one OF
the Pulmans. Mrs. Stephens was dressing
at the time, and was thrown against large
mirror and sustained a number of cuts, and
Mr.. Stephens was also somewhat bruised
Several others suffered injuries, but all
SOl OiI WIFI SuCu comparative SOOu LUCK
that there was little complaint
Captain Eugene F. Wilson OF the regular
army, who is chief signal officer of the
department of California, was on the train
and described the shock in his car as very
slight. The locomotives appeared to be
wrecked to such a point that their future
usefulness was questionable.
o. N. Thumier of Chicago was also on the
train, and he described the shock as only
affecting those who happened to be up a,
the time. He saw several ladies and
passengers who were bruised and cut by
being thrown against glass which broke at
the contact.
j. II. Bixby of Long Beach described the
accident in much the same terms as the
others He said a wrecking train came UP
in a few hours from Bakersfield and pulled
the coaches back to Caliente. where they
remained until the track was clear, when
another engine was placed on the train
and they proceeded, arriving in this city
seven hours late.
Major General ]. H. Dickinson, who was
on the train, did not consider 1t very bad
accident, so far as he knew In the
coaches, he said, only two or three persons
had received scratches by being thrown
against windows, which broke and slightly
cut them.