The San Francisco call., 1899-09-15
CARELESSNESS CAUSED
THE WRECK AT FAMOSA
Railway Officials Blame the Crews
OF Both Trains Death Of
Engineer Wright.

surgeons arrived from Bakersfield they
were at once given attention.
Coroner Buckreus and Deputy Dis
trict Attorney Dorsey were also taken
to the scene on a special train and took
observations. A jury was impaneled
and the dead bodies viewed. Both the
train crews and other witnesses to the
affair were summoned to appear here
at 10 o'clock Sunday and give testi-
mony at the investigation.
After this the bodies of the three
women were taken to Porterville on a
special train and the body of Engineer
Wright was taken to Fresno. Mrs.
Wright arrived on a special train four
hours before her husband died. The
meeting was touching.
Some time after the wreck occurred
the train dispatchers at Kern denied
repeatedly that any one was hurt The
reason they now offer is that no one
was present to take the responsibility
of giving out such information. They
were willing to tell of the wreck, but
were afraid to tell that any one was
hurt. They claim it is against the rules
to talk, Notwithstanding the fact that
the public was interested.
The names of the Porterville train
crew are: Conductor, w. A Kessler;
engineer, Elwood; fireman, A. S. Be
ford; brakemen, Walter Lowe, c. H.
Buck and Frank Thurman. These are
the men OF whom the blame of the
wreck will fall
From information elected since the
collision it is learned that No. g. the
passenger train, had been given orders
here to wait until 10 o'clock at Famosa
for a south-bOQnd freight. 1t was seen
before No. s was ready to go out that
the freight could not make Famosa by
that time and the order was annulled
to the freight and to the passenger
train. The operator at Famosa told the
trainmen of the Porterville train of the
order which would have protected them
until 10 o'clock but for the annulment,
of which they did not learn The freight
stopped at Hunt, the next station north,
and the passenger. which left Bakers
field fifteen minutes late, was only
eleven minutes late at Famosa, and it
was the remaining four minutes upon
which the Porterville train crew count
ed to enable them to get off the main
line. The blame all rests with the crew
of the Porterv lie train. who well knew
they took desperate chances while oc-
cupying the main line on the passenger
trains time.
1t is further stated that the Porter
vile train has in the past been known
to carelessly loiter on the main line too
close on the time of through trains All
who have visited the scene of the wreck
declare that somebody is criminally
responsible for its occurrence and the
cruel loss of life
The blame for the terrible accident at
Famosa is attributed by the Southern
Pacific officials to the crew of the
freight train. They say that they can
see no reason for the accident except in
the gross carelessness of those having
charge of the freight train and in their
utter disregard of every rule of rail-
roading in switching on the main track
without taking the proper precautions
to protect their train from even the
slightest possibility of collision. Their
conduct appears to be all the more
reprehensible from the fact that the
passenger train was nine minutes be-
hind time and those directing the
freight could not but have known that
it was expected to arrive at any mo-
ment.
Moreover, the Southern Pacific off
cials say, that even if the train was on
the main track against orders they can
not understand how the accident could
have occurred. as the country there is
perfectly level and has nothing along
the line of track which should pre-
vent an obstruction as large as a
freight train being seen for many miles
in the daytime, and on clear night it
time TO prevent any such mishap as
the one which has just caused such an
appalling loss of life.