The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-01
ONLY TWO WERE
FATALLY HURT
Further Details Of the Southern
Pacific Wreck.
CARS TURNED OVER AND OVER
OFFICIALS ARE UNDECIDED AS
TO THE CAUSE.

santa Barbara, Cal, May 31.-The
( disastrous wreck Of the southbound
/ coast limited on the Southern Pacific
! last night at Punta Gorda, fifteen miles
east of this city, blocked all traffic until
8 o'clock this afternoon, when the track
was cleared and repaired sufficiently to
allow three passenger trains that had
been tied up to proceed.
More than fifty persons were injured,
/ two probably fatally. Mrs. H. c. Smith
of Los Angeles viii probably die from
! her severe injuries and Frank Christ
mas, a San Francisco travelling man, Is
/ in a serious condition. He is suffering
/ from internal injuries as well as exter-
nal cuts and bruises.
Fifteen of the victims are at the Cot
] tage hospital in this city. thirteen are
at local hospitals, three at Ventura and
a score of others whose injuries were
not serious. proceeded to Los Angeles
on the special train sent out from that
city last night.
Unusual Accident.
The wreck was a most unusual one
and railroad officials are undecided as
to its cause. The train was running
about forty miles an hour on a straight
track when the cars left the rails. The
roadbed was in first-Class condition and
the rails were of the new eighty-pOund
variety. The track was torn up for a
dis .ance of an eighth Of mile
It is supposed that the rails spread. al
though Engineer Cure does not credit
this theory. He asserts that he felt
severe jar when the engine passed over
the spot where the cars left the rails
He applied the airbrakes instantly
and the train was brought TO a stop
/ quickly. The three rear coaches, the
/ parlOr car. the diner and chair car
1afF ha fTc Id he
! cliff to the surf of the ocean immedi-
ately below A fourth coach was
I dragged 70 the edge Of the embankment,
where it broke loose and hung on the
brink of the precipIce- The parlor and
dining cars turned completely over
twice and landed in an upright position
at the edge of the ocean. Every Win
/ dow in the deraiIed cars was broken.
The seats were wrenched from their
! fastenings and otherwise wrecked For
tUnately. however. the framework of
the heavy coaches held together. To
this fact is due the escape of the pas
I sengers from death
Trainmen Acted Quickly.
The confusion that followed the
/ plunge of the cars to the ocean oeach
was tremendous. Those who were able
to crawl from the Windows and drop to
the sandy beach quickly went to the
aid Of the injured. The forward part
of the train was brought to a stop and
quickly returned to the scene me
trainmeu worked quickly and intelll-
gently to relieve the sufferings of the
passen gers. Brakeman Carson was
started for the nearest telegraph ofnce
at Carpenteria. He walked to Banning
and there secured a handcar to take
him to Carpenteria. As soon as the
news Of the wreck reached Santa Bar
bara a special engine and coach were
got ready. a score of physicians were
summoned and the relief train took
them to the wreck.
Pathetic Scene.
The physicians found about forty
persons lying on the sandy beach and
on the embankment above the wrecked
cars Their hurts were dressed ana
the most severely injured carried into
the relief car and brought to this city
It was d pathetic thing to see two
score persons. who had passed through
the city three hours before. brought
back with limbs broken and crushed.
heads and faces lacerated. carried in a
helpless condition to the ambulances in
waiting.
Those who were less severely injured
were placed aboard a special relief
train that came up from Los Angeles
and carried south It is understood
they were left at Ventura, their in
iuries proving more serious than was
at first thought. The others. suffering
from various hurts, from a lame ankle
to A broken nose. were taken to Los
Angeles where they arrived at 1
o'clock this morning.