The San Francisco call., 1901-11-21
SEVEN MEN PERISH AND A SCORE
ARE INJURED IN CRASH OF TRAINS
Alleged Dsobence Of Orders by the Crew Of Santa Fe Limited
Results in Appalling Railway Disaster Twenty
Miles East Of The Needless

dies, who was caring for the injured, did
not believe it possible for him to survive
long. His wife and two children boarded
the train at The Needles and are with
the dying man.
1.-The shock was so slight that I hardly
felt 1t in the fourth car" said E. H. Rod
man, a manufacturers agent from Chi
cago. II knew that the stop was sudden,
but could not realize that such a wreck
could have occurred and anybody come
out of it alive The lighter character of
the vestibuled car in front, combination
coach. explains the death Of so many Of
the trainmen who were in it. 1t was
crushed by the weight of the heavy
coaches behind and then flames added to
the horror Of the disaster None of the
sleepers were damaged. The passengers
rapidly crawled out and all endeavors
were bent toward saving those who were
so badly injured in the front cars, one on
each train.
Two of the engines were oil burners
and the engines and seven coaches were
soon enveloped in burning oil. believe
the bodies Of at least three of the train
men who were killed were burned. One
OF the sad details is the fact that the
body of a little child was in a casket on
board the east-bound train, being taken
East for burial. The casket and contents
are in ashes and the parents, who were
IN. charge of it, are on this train going
back to Los Angeles.
1T was about three hours from the
time of the accident until help arrived.
Trains came from both directions at about
the same time, and as soon as possible
the company was doing all it could
Tor US. The passengers and those of the
train crew who could help pulled away
four cars, one at time, from the burn
ing mass and saved them. One of the
coaches which was loosened.from the east
bound train got away and ran back down
the hill eight miles. The brakes would
not work and the car could not be
| stopped until it hit level piece of track.
Some of the passengers said they did
not feel the shock of the collision at all
ard the only one that got much of a
scratch was one who was in a drawing
| room. Not being able to get out at the
door, he broke through a glass with his
| revolver and crawled out and was cut by
the broken glass. The dining car conduc-
tor on the west-bound train, who escaped
unburt, but with very scanty clothing
| said that the men in the combination
coach had no chance for their lives at all
| Two of my walters are dead, my chef
| badly hurt and all saved is what you
|. see L have on. My clothes, my mone5
and most of my help are gone"
| The three Pullmans which made up the
/ train that arrived here tonight were not
| damaged and the hurried glance permit
| ted by. the trains five-minute stop in this
| city did not indicate that even SO much
as the glass was broken. The heavy
frame of the cars saved them, but helped
| to crush what was ahead.
A railroad man in authority here said
| tonight that the loss to the company
would be not less than $3.50 900 in equip
ment alone leaving out of account tue
! loss to business, possible damage suits anG
| everything else but the rolling stock
ruined, which included seven coaches and
three engines.