The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-07
MARVELLOUS ESCAPE.
Details of the Accident to California
Limited Last Friday.

The following thrilling story is from
the Los Angeles Times OF Monday:
The fast Santa Fe train the California
limited. due to reach Los Angeles from
Chicago Saturday afternoon at ? O'Clock.
did not arrive until yesterday morning at
CLOCK ana thar II arrived at an Is con-
sidered By the passengers as little snort
of miracle
While speeding westward through Ari-
IONA Friday evening at rate OF nearly
90 miles per hour the train dashed into a
and, humping over the ties, traversed the
full length OF a bridge over the Little COL
Orado river. held only by the guard rail
from topping over into the stream.
After crossing the. bridge the train. ran
into the ditch, which there was nearly "A
feet deep. all Of the cars leaving the track
except the rear sleeper The fireman and
engineer We're severely bruised and VIII
be una bic to work for weeks. Only one
passenger. a young man from Chicago,
was injured His foot was scalded by the
overturuing of a large tank OF hot water
in the dining car Many of the passengers
~ against the seats. but their injuries
were not sufficiently serious to require at
tention by physicians
William H. Holiday. cashier of the Mer-
chants National bank of Los Angeles. was
ing from business trip TO the east
1T was the closest call ever expect to
wreck yesterday. The train was crowd
ed and those of US who could do so had
gone into the dining car for dinner 1t
were waiting for seats at the tables Sud-
denly there was tremendous jolt, fol-
lowed by repeated joltings. indicating that
We were running over the cross ties Sew
eral persons were thrown to the floor and
on them fen the dishes and glassware
from the tables Then the car gave a lurch
and partlv turned over and stopped with
a jerk that threw the rest of US of our
feet We got out as soon as possible, and
been. On the track within 40 yards of an
iron bridge across the Little Colorado
river was a sand drift, and this is what
had deraiIed the engine and coaches. On
every tie on that bridge could be seen the
marks of the wheels and the guard ran
showed what had saved US from topping
S1sr INTO re e1eina had run down am an en5
banEnent Il feet into the ditch, and there
it lay up against the bank
bravery of the engineer He and the fire
man stuck TO their posts. and as soon as
struck the sand the engineer tried to
stop. The resistance of the brakes slack
ened the speed. But for that would
have rolled of the bridge. and then few of
would have caught fire Every man in
the forward car owes his life to that en-
through the only car which remained on
the track and tried to collect a purse for
people gave2 Just a paltry 81. But the
rest Of US made UP for il The engineer
appeared to be badly hurt He was taken
from the wreck unconscious. but was soon
restored and when we left we learned that
There We were the Arizona desert
miles from any city. and with no means
charge of the dining car saved what they
could from the wrecIzage of their kitchen
charge As soon as possible a wrecker
was sent from Winslow and a temporary
track was built around the wreck and af-
ter our cars had again been placed upon
the track. we proceeded on our journey
The only passenger who was injured
was a young man from Chicago. He was
in the dining car and 4 large vessel OF
boiling water was knocked over and fell
upon his foot, scalding it severely Every
attention was given US by the officials of
plant to make That engineer. however
is 4 hero. and deserves to be promoted,
and I shall see TO il that the facts of his
cOura geous action are placed before the
proper OFFICIALS OF the company.-