The San Francisco call., 1904-06-26
RunaWayLOCOmOtiVG
and Car Deal
Out Death.
Crash Into Crowded Coach
on a SWitCh-BaCk
Near MelOleS.
Accident Said TO Be Due to Neglect Of
Railroad Employe Who DiSsp-
pearei After the Accident.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

Special Dispatch to The Call.
STOCKTON. June 25-Two women
were killed and several other passen-
gers were injured this evening by the
telescoping Of a Sierra Railway pas
senger coach by a runaway oil car
and locomotive near Melones. By g
seeming miracle, ell Of the occupants
OF the coach, with the exception Of the
two women. escaped with their lives,
FOR the car was split from end TO end.
The wreck occurred at the FL Rico
mine, seven miles below Angels. The
killed:
MRS. c. B. DE MARTINI, OF Stock
ton
MRS. FRANK vALENTE, Of Stock
ton.
Ted AIelone. a ball player Of the
Nail nine OF this city. was the worst
hurt Of the injured. He had his arm
and shoulders cut badly and sustained
severe bruises.
The passenger train was due at An
gels at 6:15 o'clock and was late. 1t
passed a work train at the FL Rico
mine and received orders to take an
oil car from there to Angels. The pas
senger train was made up Of the loco
motive. three freight cars. a combina-
tion baggage and smoker and a pas
senger coach Conductor A Decker OF
the passenger train gave orders for the
work train locomotive 10 get the oil
car and couple it TO the passenger
coach. The passenger train was stand
ing on the main line with the rear end
of the train extending a short distance
up the lower end Of a long switch
back
BATTERS CAR TO SPLINTERS.
The work train locomotive, pushing
the heavily loaded oil car in front of
il, started down the switchback Engi-
neer F. Cook Of the passenger train
was leaning out OF his cab watching
the approach OF the oil car when sud
denly he noticed that something had
gone wrong. The oil car and lOcorno-
tive were running down the incline at
too great a speed. It did not dawn
upon him that his train was threatened
by a death dealing runaway, however.
until he heard the screeching Of the
runaway locomotives whistle and a
moment later saw the engineer and
fremen leap for their lives.
Cook stayed at his post and took the
only chance for saving the lives Of his
passengers. He jerked open the throt-
tie OF his engine. but in his haste he
gave II too much steam and the
drive wheels spun around on the
track without starting the train In
the meantime the runaway had attain
ed mile q minute speed.
The oil car struck the rear Of the
passenger coach. split it and hurled the
wreck high in the air. The oil car con-
tinued apparently unchecked and bat
tered TO splinters the end Of the bag
gage car. The passengers were mixed
up with the wreckage, but, almost in
credible as It seems. there were but two
killed.
DISAPPEARS AFTER WRECK.
Mrs. De Martini and Mrs. Valente
were occupying the rear seats of the
coach with Mrs. Valente's young son
and daughter. They heard the shriek
OF the locomotive and saw the threat
ening oil car dashing down on them.
Mrs. Valente screamed to her children
70 jump, but instead they ran TO the
forward end Of the car. The two wo-
men ran out on the rear platform Of
the coach and were in the act OF leap
ing from IL when the crash came. They
were probably killed instantly. Their
bodies were mangled beyond any sem
biance 10 human form.
The name OF the engineer OF the run
away locomotive could not be learned
from this city. He is reported to have
disappeared at once after the wreck.
Report blames him for the catastrophe.
The railroad people refuse to discuss
the wreck or give any particulars save
the barest facts.
Mrs. q. p. de Martini was the wife
OF a prominent grocer residing at 2s
West Washington street, IN this city.
She leaves several children. Mrs. Frank
Valente was the wife Of a teamster
residing at 1857 South San Joaquin
street She leaves three children, two
OF whom were with her on the train
and escaped serious injury.
Mrs. Valente received a telephone
message this morning informing her
that her brother-in-law was I'll at Muir
phys and that II she wanted to see him
alive she would have 10 come quickly
She was on her way to his probable
deathbed when the final summons came
fn such awful form for her.
A~,orc others IN the u-raclred train