The times., 1901-04-28
A MYSTERIOUS FREIGHT CAR.
Dropped Out of n Train, and There
by Hangs n Tale.
CFrom the Los Angeles Herald. }

Santa Fe car No. 4S49 had left well
known fruit packers establishment In the
San Gabriel Valley during the latter days
OF March OF the present year, loaded with
select oranges consigned to a commission
firm in one OF the great Eastern markets
1t was bright, fresh appearing car, with
all the modern cold storage appliances
recently put in order for the fruit ship
ping season, which was just at its incep-
tion.
Car No. 1919 was but one of a ponder
Gus train similarly equipped, loaded and
destined. The journey had an uneventful
beginning and had progressed to a point
In the distant Rockies without especial in
Cident.
For days the heavy laden train. man
ned with a sturdy crew, wound it's way
on its long journey over the Sierra Madre
and Sierra Nevada Mountains, up the
gradual slopes, eaStbound, across the
continental divide, through numerous vii
lagos, over sage brush plains and sandy
deserts, faithful to it's mission and it's
destination. The great train, with it's
precious cargo of golden fruit, drawn by
double-headers, had toiled through cas-
tern California, Arizona, and portion of
New Mexico; it had climbed the rugged
sleeps of the Rockies plunged into and
through the great tunnel at the crest of
that range, and started on its downward
flight to Trinidad. not far to the east
when the sensational incident of the
journey tranSpired.
Car No 4Si9 had mysteriousIy and
strangely disappeared. At Baton, a di-
vision station on the Santa Fe that par
ticular car. with others, had been noted
in the conductors report and turned over
to a new crew.
Strangely this car did not appear in the
train reports when Trinidad was reached.
The lll-fatcd car had dropped from sight
as if swallowed up the by earth, and its
miraculous disappearance could not be
explained by the train crew. The mysti-
fed trainmen We're called upon the car
pet and subjected to a searching enquiry
as to the whereabouts and magical dis
appearance OF No. 1919. The beWidered
conductor could offer no solution of the
mystery that surrounded the lost car.
After many days of perpleXity, con-
fusion, and annoying investigation a
cowboy in charge OF his herd reported
strange discovery, which cleared away
base OF a precipitOus embankment, in a
thicket Of underbrush with its sides dis
tended. its roof bulging and a confused
mass of choice oranges appearing through
the ciefts of its wrecked outlines The
car was lying on its side, dismounted
from its trucks, a mass of ruins, with its
contents preserved by the crisp noun
tain air under a ClOudless sky.
The train, in its rapid descent, at a
sharp curve. had broken the tianges of a
set of wheels and the Inflated car was
deTaied
Bumping over the rough roadbed ami
ties had detached the couplings at either
end and the disabled car rolled down the
steep cmbankment to the valley, hundreds
Of feet below. The train being on down
grade the rear section soon closed up the
gap, and by means of automatic coupIers
had again become attached to the front
section, all unknown to the train crew.
Thus No. 1919 dropped out of account
leaving its disappearance shrouded in
deep mystery.
Tpon it's discovery the cowboy was suit
ably rewarded, tile train crew reinStated,
a major portion of the cargo was re-
covered, and the shippers reimbursed.
The wreck of tsi9 lies deep in the gorge
I'll, f.arrHu g.r
one of the most singular accidents in the
annals Of the Santa Fe Road