The San Francisco call., 1898-03-09
Travellers Escape in a Head-End Col
 liSiOn.
Passenger and Freight Trains Tried to Pass on One
 Track.
EnQine CTS Quickly Reversed the Levers and Jumped for
 Their Lives.

Yesterday morning at about 7:30 o'clock the local San Jose train leaving this city at 655 collided with heavily loaded freight train composed of forty five cars carrying cattle from Los Gatos, at the side track known as the Spring Valley crossing, or, as others state, the Union Coursing Park switch.
 It is probably due to Providence that the passengers were not all severely in 1ured and a portion of them killed out right, as the passenger train was run ming at fairly good rate of speed The trouble seems to have occurred from a misunderstanding. The freight was late and had switched on the side track at the point of collision. After a few minutes wait the engineer started the train at the orders of the conductor for the siding at Ocean View, but as the two engines which were attached to the freight train passed on to the main track the passenger flier was seen com ing but a short distance away. The brakes were reversed, but without avail, as the two trains bumped into one another with terrific force, throw ing the passengers to their feet and bruising the cattle which had been penned in the box cars of the freight train.
 The collision occurred just as the en- gineer of the freight was of the opinion that all was clear for run to the Ocean View switch.
 The engineer on the head engine Of the train pulling freight, as well as the engineer and fireman of the passenger train, jumped after the lever Of the en- zine had been reversed in an attempt to reduce the force of the collision, which was seen by all parties to be in evitable Conductor Emmicht of the passenger train was thrown halfway across the car in which he was stand ing and sustained Sprained wrist and a bruised leg. No other train hands or passengers were injured to any extent, although several of them fell from their seats as the collision occurred. After the wreck 1t was discovered that the engines had been badly shaken up. The front engines on both trains were dam aged to a considerable extent in the front portions and in the middle of the cars on the freight train 1t was seen that a flatcar had been twisted into two pieces. It was thought remarkable that most of the train had not been damaged to a greater extent, but it was due to the position in which the trains were lying. The rails where the acci- dent occurred were not even twisted, and within two hours after the wreck the other trains were allowed to pass to their destinations on the same rails.
 The passengers from Monterey who were on the way to the city were taken aboard the San Mateo electric cars and conveyed to this city. where they eX- pressed their satisfaction at not hav- ing been mingled in the wreck, which might have resulted with great loss of life and property.
 Other accidents have taken place at the same point, and it is a wonder to railroad men that more fatal accidents have not happened. The opinion was expressed by many yesterday that at some future time collision would be witnessed at that point which would result in a great loss of life. The switches are badly situated, and or ders are rarely given to the railroad hands at that point However, another miracle in the way of railroad wrecks has come and gone, and neither pas sengers nor owners have suffered to any great extent.