The Hawaiian star., 1906-01-27
THE FATAL
SMASH At EVA
ONLY ONE CAR LEFT THE TRACK
BUT 1T BUMPED ALONG ON
THE TIES AND THREW MEN OFF

the inquest to be held at Eva Mill on
Tuesday morning it is difficult to see
who can be held responsible for
the shocking accident on the plantation
road yesterday morning. A Star re-
preventative went out to Eva with
Sheriff Brown and c. f. Chillingworth
i'm an automobile yesterday afternoon.
The sheriff went in his official capacity
and Chillingworth, to whose efforts the
settling of the japanese strike at Wal !
pahu was due, went along i'm order 60
appease any indignant japanese at
Ewa the first reports being that the
men killed were Japanese.
The facts as to the double fatality
are these: Shortly before sven o'clock
! yesterday morning plantation train of
twenty-five cars the ordinary cane cars
went out to the end of the track at
| Waimanalo This Waimanalo is not,
of course. to be confuss with the Wal
manalo on the Koolau side of the ISL
and. The object of the trains trip
was to bring in a supply of fire wood
for the different camps. The engineer
was John Medeiros and the brakeman
Antona Elias.
At the end of this Waimanalo line
| there is a switch, the road ending in a
cutting. The engineer decided to
make a flying shunt' i'm order to send
the cars down one line while the engine
went on the other. This would enable
| him to pick up the rear end of the
train for the return trip and so AVOID
the dangerous practice of backing in
the six miles to the mill. A flying
shunt is made by running ahead with
the train until sufficient impetus is
gained. The engine is uncoupled and
puts on extra speed at once when the
weight of the train is left behind. The
| engine crosses the switch which is inn
mediately turned so that the cars
running along behind are diverted to
the other track. The operation is a
very comon one on all railroads
though whether it is safe on a lightly
ballasted track such as a plantation
road is another matter.
On the train there was a working
party Of thirty men, nearly all Portu-
guese. Most of them were on the
front three or four cars but a few were
scattered through the train. Arrived
near the end of the line the brakeman
Antoine Elias went to the switch The
engine passed and he threw the points
over, standing on the bar of the switch
as the cars went rattling by. The switch
mechanism consists of a steel bar which
lies on the ground and has to be lifted
clear over in order to turn the rail.
The forward part of the train of cars
passed along safely enough to point
some ninety feet beyond the switch
and there the third car left the metals.
The first two cars remained on the
track as did those behind the third car.
On the third car there were sixteen
men and as the vehicle began humping
over the ties nearly all of these were
thrown out or else sought safety by
jumping.
Louis Gomez had no chance to jump.
He was towards the rear of the car
and the humping over the ties threw
him instantly on to the rails where MS
head was smashed to a pulp. Antoine
Gonsalves was badly torn in the abdO-
men and lived but a few minutes Both
these unfortunates were Portuguese.
Pedro PakanO suffered a compound
fracture of the leg and America Ave-
cano had internal injuries These men
botn Porto Ricans were removed to
the hospital where the plantation ply
sician DIR. Mclean looked after them.
The men were i'm constant pain and
Avecano soon became delirious. He is
not expected to live.
There were five others who suffered
minor injuries but who were able to
go to their homes, Manuel Dirigo, Car
los Gomez Manuel Alvez, Manuel Pise
and a South Sea Islander who was
known merely by a number.
Manager Renton of the Eva Planta-
tion took charge of the situation as
soon as he was notified Of it. He sum-
moned Deputy Sheriff John Fernandez
and proceeded to the scene with des-
patch. All that was possible was done
for the injured and the two bodies were
taken i'm to the hospital mortuary
where they were decently coffined.
Deputy Sheriff Fernandez empanelled
a coroner's jury which was made up
of the following: James Lloyd NJ. J.
de Gouveia, Sam Lapala, d. A. Kaia-
hua, Sam Lekolo and John Kekaulike.
After viewing the remains the party
went to the scene of the wreck. 1t
rails, was still on the ties apparently
having been held there by the weight
of the cars I'm front and behind
A superficial examination did not dis
close any flaws i'm the wheels nor did
the aXles seem to be out of the true.
The opinion was hazarded that possibly
a bolt or other object had fallen from
one of the leading cars and that the
third car, running light had thus bocn
thrown of. but this Of course was mere
ly a surnise.
Sheriff Brown took charge on his ar
rival and ordered that the inquest
should be held next Tuesday at 10
o'clock He will go down on the 9:15
train.
r The funeral of the two victims took
place yesterday afternoon, Rev. Father
Herman officiating.
"A rumor reached town this morning