Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-21
Track and Train

Inc remains OIL Joseph Ebbltt, q
Santa Fe engineer, were taken uff Of
the west-bound overland at 8 o'clogi,
this morning, Ebbitt was fatally IN
jured BY the explosion OF his locomo-
tive, No. 7S6, neal Klondike, on the
desert, last night. His engine had
been used in helping a train over the
grade west Of Needles, and was return
ing to the latter place late last even
ing when the accident occurred. The
light engine was within q half mile OF
Klondike station, when the crown
bolts fell out of the crown-sheet. The
croWn-sheet and the fire-door were
blown entirely through the tender and
the cab was instantly filed with scald-
ing steam. The fireman, Thomas
Schaulwater, made his escape to the
running board and thence jumped to
the ground. Engineer Ebbitt also
jumped from the engine. but not until
he had been fatally scalded. He was
found by the fireman standing at a
point about two hundred yards away.
His face, arms and breast were terrib-
" scalded. He started to walk with
the fireman, but finally sank down.
Later he was removed to Needles, and
DR.. Freeman had the injured man
placed on the overland with the In
tention Of taking him to Los Angeles.
He died at v%ictorville, at 7:30 o'clock
this morning, and the remains were
taken off the cars here and prepared
for burial. The injured engineer was
accompanied from Needles by his wife
and children, and, when he died at
victorville, their grief was pitiful.
Fireman Schaulwater says that the
gauge in the engine had been steam
ing all the way out from Needles. Just
before the explosion the fireman was
STOPPING down in the ear Of the boil
err Had he remained there a few
minutes longer he would have been in
stantly killed.
The coroner's inquest on the re-
mains Of Engineer Ebbitt was held
this afternoon n,the parlors of q local
undertaking establishment. The YER.
dict was to the effect that the engin-
eer had come to his death by being
scaled by escaping steam caused BY
the explosion of Santa Fe engine No.
1856. Fireman Sehaulwater was the
only witness examined. The witness
was closely questioned as to the prob
ability Of the engine having been
tempered with, but he said that the To-
comotive had come out of the round
house at Bagdad, which was closely
guarded by deputies, and the possibil.
ity OF anyone tampering with the en-.
CINE was very remote. Schaulwater
testified that after he had found the
engineer the latter exclaimed: Jess,
| am going to die. What will become Of
my poor wife, The coroner's jury
was composed of J.. Blaine Miller, A.
B. Everts, W. r. Hughes. T. D. Hood
and F. McRae.
i. X. Edwards, agent at Magdalena,
has been transferred to Las Cruces.
L. M. Beydler, fireman on the San
ia Fe. has left for a few weeks visit
in California.
G. w. Scott. a Topeka passenger
conductor, was in the city yesterday,
on his way from a trip to the coast.
+. ]. Toner, a stenographer In the
stores department at Albuquerque, left
for Needles, California, where he will
be permanently employed.
Fireman NJ. j. Dwyer has taken the
position OF night hostler at the Albu.
querque roundhouse vice Hostler Shep.
pard, who has taken a run as fireman
on the west end.
Mrs. Dave Summers, wife Of Engi.
neer Summers Of San Marcial and Mrs.
NJ. Roby, daughter OF Engineer Lese-
man OF the same town, are in Albu-
querque to remain for a week or more
visit friends.
Harry Weikal, the young machin-
list helper who received q chip Of
steel in his eye a couple Of weeks ago
while helping repair SONS part Of the
machinery OF the hoist at the New.
ton coal chute, Is ct Newton from the
Topeka hospital for a few days. He
will return for further treatment, but
there = nov little hope Of saving the
sight.
All the Vanderbilt roads have issued
orders for the reduction OF expenses
IN aycYv direction poesible. This has |