The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-05-14
TH|RTY.TWO ARE KILLED
Dreadful Calamity Overlook an
Excursion Train.
DETAILS TRULY TERRIBLE
While Shriners Were Speeding Along
and Many Enjoying Their MONDAY
Meal an Awful Accident Without Any
Warning Takes Place.

Santa Barbara, Cal, May 14.-While
hurrying northward over the coast line
of the Southern Pacific railway home
ward bound, after a week of fraterniz
ing and fiesta in Los Angeles, 145
Shriners of Ismalia temple of Buffalo
and Rajah temple of Reading, with
their families and friends, were hurled
into the midst of death when their
special train, running fifty miles an
hour, struck defective switch at Hon
da, lonely station on the sand wastes
of the Pacific beach, derailing the
train, smashing the coaches into film
ders, killing thirty-two almost instantly
and injuring more than score of 9th
ers. The bodies of twenty-five lie in
the morgues at Santa Barbara, and
seven more are at San Luis Obispo
The injured, many of whom are terri,
bly, hurt, and will probably die, are in
two sanitariums and at San Luis
Obispo.
The wreck occurred exactly at 2:35
o'clock, one hour and forty-five minutes
after the conclave visitors. forming a
merry party, had spent all of Saturday
morning sightseeing in Santa Barbara
The statement that the train was max
ing terrific speed when it struck the
defective track Is borne out by the
fact that 1t covered the sixty-one miles
OF curves and crooked track between
here and Honda In exactly 100 minutes
There was no warning of the i'm
pending calamity. The special plung
ed upon the defective switch, and in
an instant the big locomotive, baggage
car, diner and Pullman coupled with it,
We're hurled together in huge heap
OF wreckage. The engine shot for.
ward on the broken track, tearing up
the rails and ties and twisting the huge
iron spans into fish hooks. The bag.
gage car half buried itself in the sand
on the right side of the locomotive.
1t was smashed almost to kindline
wood.
The dining car, in which were thir-
ty-tWo persons eating their MONDAY
meal, leaped into the air and was
thrown directly on top of the demol-I
fshed locomotive. Nearly every per-.
son In this coach was instantly killed.
Scores We're scalded by steam escap-
Ing from disconnected pipes in the
kitchen of the diner.
The terror and turmoil of the scene
was indescribable Many of those who
escaped instant death by the first inn.
pact We're crushed by the rear coaches
hurled upon the wreckage. Others
pinioned in the debris, were roasted
alive. The wreckage caught fire from
the Goals of the engine, but was ex.
tingulshed In few minutes by tht
passengers who escaped injury.
Engineer Frank Champlaine was
pitched with his cab twenty -five feet
beyond the engine, and got I'D and
ran three-quarters of mile. seeking
help, before he discovered that his arm
was broken and that he was severely
scalded. A man standing behind his
vile In the baggage car was hurled |
through huge rent In the roof and |
alighted In soft sand and and almost |
ininjured The woman was forced
the floors and wreckers had /
o lift tons of baggage to get her body |
tut.
But the unfortunates, who occupied I
very seat in the dining car, were
,aught in veritable death trap. Only
wo OF the nine of the diners crew are
numbered among the dead. The re-
nainder, though cooped up In the mar.
ow Kitchen and pantry, sustained bad
.uts and bruises.
A last call for luncheon had lust
onnded few minutes before the dis
.ster
Rajah temple of Reading occupied
he last car on the train, and Its mem
ers We're the last ones to 70 into the
lining car. The car was filled almost
ntirely with Reading people when the
freck occurred An instant after the
mash, those who were not rendered
asensible or otherwise incapacitated
y the compact, jumped from the train
. render aid, but the grues Ne scene
hitch met them prevented many OF
hem unfit for work
Frightened women. peering through
ne windows of unchanged sleepers.
united when they saw the bodies OF
heir friends strewn along the road
lde, blood from their wounds stain
IL the sand drifts all about. Men who
)iled hard at the task of rescue col
Lpsed completely, many of them be-
ire the work was finished.
Mrs. John w. Cutler of Binghamp.
N, whose husband is also among the
He'd, was In the baggage car at the
me of the crash. where she had gone
!, rearrange her trunk Her body was
rfven literally through the floor, and
le wrecked car had to be lacked up
sfore It conld be released. Mrs Fred
rummond of Binghampton was with
sr, and also went down under tons
baggage and broken timbers. When
seuers burrowed their way to where
e two women lay the living one
ached out and grasped the feet Of
le OF the men and shouted: I'll not
{ you go until you get me out,
Then gust OF scalding steam en-
Hoped her. and she was terribly burn
!. She was rescued alive, however.
When Miss Cora Young OF Cleveland
IS taken from the shattered diner she
IS still alive, but frightfully injured.
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