The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-23
WORK OF WRECKERS
ONE MAN KILLED All SCORE IN
JURED.
In Accomplishing the Smash-Up Near
Los Angeles Devilish Ingenuity
Had Been Exercised--nig
Rewards offered.

Los Angeles, May 22.-Train No.
20, one of the Southern Pacific's coast
line flyers. due at o'clock last night,
was wrecked at West Flendale, ten
miles north of here, at 1890 this
morning. The wreck was the DELHI
crate work of train wreckers. One
man was killed and twenty-five per-
sons injured, three probably fatally.
In accomplishing the wreck of the
train, which was the coast line limit
ed devilish ingenuity had been ex-
erciSed.
At a point on the trestle over the
Arroyo Seco, the fish plates and bolts
of two connecting rails on the south
bound track had been removed, and
in the apertures whence the bolts
were taken strands of heavy wire
were fastened at the end of each rail.
From the appearance of the track af-
ter the wreck 1t was evident that
close to the trestle and had pulled the
wire as the train approached and
spread the rails outward toward the
edge of the trestle.
The train, three hours late. was
travelling at a rate of between thirty
FIVE and forty miles an hour. The
engine wheels were first to leave the
rails and the engine took to the ties,
travelling nearly 100 yards before 1t
tender, the diner, two Pullmans, the
buffet, mail and baggage cars plowed
over the edge of the trestle, falling a
distance of sixteen feet.
The buffet car, the express car, and
one of the Pullmans were turned COM
pletely upside down and the others
landed on their sides All were bad
ly crushed and splintered.
The man killed was T. ] Mcmahon
of Santa Barbara, a member of the
electrical workers union. He is be-
lieved to have been stealing ride on
the baggage car and had as his COM
panion Frank Naylor. a 15-year-old
boy from Santa Barbara. who was IA
tally injured.
At the Southern Pacific general of
fees in this city notices were posted
today offering $4,000 for the arrest
and conviction of the person or per
sons responsibl for the wreck. The
officials announce that they had no
clue whatever.
As soon as possible the uninjured
trainmen and passengers scrambled
down the steep hank to the overturn-
ed cars. Through broken windows and
doors forced with axes. welded from
within and without the frightened
passengers emerged while from the
darkened interiors came the groans and
cries of the injured. News of the
wreck was received in this city short
ly after it occurred and a relief train
carrying several physicians started for
the scene.
With the aid of lanterns the train
men made an examination of the track
in order to determine if possible the
reason of the derailment. Under the
first coach. which remained on the
track, was found the loosened rails
with the wires securely fastened
through the bolt holes and the ends
uniting in a single strand that led into
the brush on the hillside.
Mrs. Frederick w. Schoff of Phila-
delphia. President of the Mothers Con-
gress which recently adjourned in this
city. was a passenger on the wrecked
train, with Mrs. Edwin C. Grice of
Philadelphia who also had been a del
egate to the Congress. Although badly
shaken up Mrs. Schoff and Mrs. Grice
are reported uninjured.