The record-union., 1899-08-29
BAD TRAIN WRECK
AT SANTA CLARA.
The Northbound Monterey Express
Goes Into the Ditch.
Two Engines on the Passenger Pile One on
Top of the Oiher.i
Luckily No One Was Very Serious
1y Injured-A F1agman's Mis-
take Said to Have Been the
Cause of the Wreck.

SAN JOSE, Aug. 2S-There was q
bad train wreck at Santa Clara this
morning, and collision was narrow
ly averted. AS it was there was no
loss of life and no one fatally injured,
but two big engines went in the ditch,
one on top of the other, with a mail
car also ditched and a baggage car off
the track. The two engines are fright
fully wrecked.
The northbound Monterey express,
due here at 9:12 "a. m.. was the one
ditched. The train arrived there
about an hour late. AS it approached
Santa Clara it was going at lively
clip. 1t was a double header being
pulled by engines No. 1872 and 1877.
On the first engine was Engineer Simp-
son and his fireman. On the second
Engineer Stewart and Fireman Judd.
The southbound narrow gauge train
had just pulled out from the depot at
Santa Clara, and stopped for the cross
ing of the broad gauge. A fiagman
was sent ahead to the switch. Accord
ing to the story of this man, whose
name has not been learned SO far, he
signaled the narrow guage train to go
ahead, setting the semaphore signal
for a clear track. At the same instant
that his train started the northbound
Monterey express hove in sight trav-
cling at rapid gait. The engineer
of the narrow gauge train, stopped his
engine and reversed her. 1t is said
that the fiagman found that there
would be a collision, and threw the de-
railing switch, thus catching the north
bound train when it was but a few
feet away AS result it went into
the ditch.
Engine No. 1872 turned completely
over, and the smokestack and bell were
buried in the ground, there being fill
of about four feet at the point. The
second engine, No. 1877, followed and
went practically on top of the other,
but at an angle of only about 40 de-
grees. The monster m2>-1es were SO
piled one on the other that only one
could be seen until a close inspection
was had. Their pilots and headlights
We're exactly in line, and the second
engine did not go three inches further
than the other.
The f1agman was in the semaphore
signal house, and some planks were
driven through this, the engines stop
ping about two feet short of it. The
fagman was painfully bruised by the
planks, but not seriously injured. He
hid away right after the wreck.
All the men on the engines jumped
but Fireman Judd. He could not get
off in time, and went over with his en-
gine, the second. His cab was not
crushed, as the tenders did not pile
on top, and he escaped with a scalded
hand. Those who jumped were bruis-
ed, but not badly hurt.
None of the passengers were injured,
though given a terrible shock. The
narrow gauge train got through the
wreck at / 10 this afternoon, and pro-
ceeded south. Passengers on the
broad gauge were transferred at the
wreck.
The men on the northbound train
claim they had the right of way, and
that the signals were set for a clear
track until they were almost on the
crossing. The men on the narrow
gauge train will not talk. Certain it
is collision was narrowly escaped.
There was a bad collision at this
place a little over three years ago.
Many passengers were on all the
trains to-day.