The San Francisco call., 1901-11-21
OS ANGELES, Nov. 2O.-Seven
men were killed and a score in
jured in a wreck on the Santa Fe
= Railroad one mile west of Fran

jured in a wreck on the Santa Fe
AA-[ Railroad one mile west of Fran
coma, Ariz., a switching station
twenty miles east of The Needles, Cal,
at 5:15 o'clock this morning. Limited
trains, east and west bound, Nos. and
respectively, crashed together while run
ming at full speed. Train No. was drawn
by two engines, while the westbound
train had but one locomotive. The three
engines were crushed and blown to pieces
by an explosion that followed the colli-
sion. Both trains were made up Of vesti-
bule cars of the heaviest and most im-
proved pattern and, while they stood the
terrible shock well and protected the pas
sengers to a great extent, several of the
cars took fire at once and burned. The
dining cars-one on each train-one Pull
man and two composite cars were de-
stroyed.
West-Bound Crew to Be Blamed.
The collision is said to have been due
to disregarding of orders on the part
of the crew of the westbound limited,
though full particulars on this point are
as yet lacking. From all accounts, how
ever, it is gathered that the eastbound
train had orders to take the siding at
| Franconia and await the passing of the
westbound flyer, which was running two
hours late and trying to make up time.
| The eastbound train failed to reach the
siding and as the westbound train did
not wait for it, the two came together
without warning and with an awful crash.
! The boiler of the westbound train is said
! to have exploded Immediately after the
| crash scalding to death those of the en-
! gine crews who had not been killed out
right The bodies of Case and Armitage
firemen of train No. 4, and Samuel
Brown, a waiter of train No. 8. are miss
ing and it is believed they were cremated
| in the conflagration that followed the COLI
lision.
Confusion followed the crash. The mas
sive engines were piled up in an inde-
scribable mass of broken and twisted
steel, while the scalding steam hung in
dense, suffocating cloud over the de-
bris, from which came the agonizing cries
of the injured and dying enginemen. The
heavy Pullmans and composite cars
jammed the dining and baggage cars up
on the heated pile of wreckage, crushing
out the lives of the dining car crews and
setting the cars afire.
Passengers Are Fortunate.
The sleeping cars, with one or two ex-
ceptions, suffered slightly. and, as a re-
suit, the passengers were afforded com
parative immunity from injury. So far as
learned only three passengers suffered in
juries of severe character, the terrible
results sof the wreck being confined al
! most entirely to the train crews and the
employees of the dining car service.
AS soon as the news of the wreck
sion headquarters of the west end, a re-
lief train was made up and, carrying a
number of physicians from that point,
was hurried to the scene. The injured
were placed aboard and started west for
Los Angeles.
Running Contrary to Orders.
At Santa Fe headquarters in Los An
geles it was said that the blame had not
been definitely fixed, but, from all ap-
pearances, it rests with the crew of the
westbound train. Had the train stopped
at Franconia and allowed the eastbound
train to reach there, as the orders arc
no collision. For some reason, yet to be
learned, however, it came on at full speed
and the two trains met one mile west OF
! the switch where it was intended they