Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-02
MCCLELLAN CHANGES HIS MIND
About to Leave Steamer, Friend
Urges Him to Remain

i'N Associated Press.
LONDON, July by the merest
chance Mayor George r. Mcclellan of
New York was not on the wrecked
American line special train. He had an
and although the steamer was late ar
riving at Plymouth he decided to come
direct to London instead of going to
Cherbourg with Mrs. Mcclellan, who
was booked through to Paris.
His hand bag had been transferred
TO the tender to land at Plymouth, and
he was going on board the tender when
an officer of the steamer whom Mrs
Mcclellan had been asking to urge her
husband to accompany her to Cher
bourg told the mayor he could still
reach London in time to keep his ap-
pointment If he went to Cherbourg and
thence to Southampton.
Just before the tender left the ships
side Mayor Mcclellan changed his
mind and the ships steward threw his
baggage back on board the New York
as the tender was casting off her
lines.
Mayor Mcclellan was greatly
shocked on learning at Southampton of
the wreck of the train.
"Jack" Mcdonald Killed
John E. Mcdonald, the New York
horseman, best known as Jack Nc
Donald. who was among the dead, was
given the compartment on the special
train which had been reserved for
Mayor Mcclellan and so the mayors
escape was indeed narrow.
. Mr., Mcclellan will remain in Lon
don a week and will then join his fam
lily in Paris.
Relatives of Walter Barwick, who
weift to Salisbury this morning, on
learning of the accident and who re-
turned to London tonight, says the
scene at Salisbury upon their arrival
there was one of indescribable confu
sion.
Their greatest difficulty was in identi-
flying the dead, as the bodies had been
body was barely recognizable, being
covered with wounds.
Il have been accustomed" said
George A. Strachan of Boston. who was
with his aunt Mrs. j. H. Wilton, and
who was on the wrecked special, ION
the broad gauge railway lines in Amer
lea to speedy travelling and what is
good speed, but it seems that as we
sped along last night the old coun-
try could go us one better after all.
II cannot remember of having been
carried along at such a rate before. 1
remarked that 1t must be good rolling
stock and a first rate permanent way
that could stand the strain Just then
the smash came.
Carriage Goes over
MRS. Wilton and 1 were jolted into
a corner of the carriage and then the
car went over and we were penned in
quite a long time. Through the win
dow, which was above us, we saw the
reflection of the flames and feared the
carriage was afire and that we were
cornered, but as we waited relief
came"
Walter Gerson was the sole survivor
of party of five occupants of one
compartment. He attributed his safety
to the fact that after returning from
dinner he placed his arm in a swinging
rest and when the accident occurred
and the carriage was overturned he
was left suspended by the arm in the
rest while his less fortunate fellow
travellers were mangled in the ruins at
his feet.
Many Badly Injured
Only few of the passengers on
board'the wrecked train came to Lon
don, most of those who escaped being g
too badly injured to be moved or hav-
ing relatives or friends among the in
jured who required their assistance.
Among those who came up to London
was H. S. Brooks, who escaped with
slight injuries to his mouth and
H. ..,a1-