The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-05-13
Shriners' Train Wrecked
at Honda, Cal.
CARS TOOK FIRE.
Engine Struck a Defective Switch
and the Coaches Piled on Top
Of the Locomotive.

Thirty-one dead and score injured
comprise the casualties OF the wreck
et Honda, Saturday, OF the special
train of New York and Pennsylvania
Mobiles OF the Mystic Shrine who we're
returning from the annual meeting OF
the imperial council of the Mystic
Shriners at Los Angeles
The train carrying 1i5 Shriners and
friends from Ismail temple. Philadel.
phia, Rsjah temple, Reading, Pa, and
neighboring cities was, rushing north.
ward so miles an hour on the South.
ern Pacific coast line when the loco
motive struck defective switch at
the sand-swept sea coast siding OF
Honda, near the Pacific Ocean. along
which the railroad runs for hundred
miles north OF Santa Barbara. The
locomotive turned a somersault into
the yielding sands. The cars swirled
through the air and landed on the
fiery mass OF wrecked steel The
coaches were crushed to debris and
took fire. The flames we're soon ey-
tlnguished by uninjured persons from
the two rear coaches.
AS Honda is isolated, II was not till
late Sunday that definite information
could be collected. The bodies OF 81
victims now lie at Santa Barbara and
ten more are at san Luis ObispO.
The injured, many of whom are terri
bly, hurt. and some of whom may die,
are in two sanitariums at San Luis
Obispo.
The wreck occurred at 2:35 O'Clock,
an hour and 40 minutes after the con-
cave visitors had left Santa Barbara.
where they had spent the morning
sight seeing.
The statement that the train was
making terrific speed when 1t struck
the defective track is borne out by
Che fact that II covered the 81 miles
of crooked track from Santa Barbara
to Honda In 100 minutes. The loco
motive in leaving the rails tore up the
track, twisting the steel rails into
fishhooks. The baggage car half
buried itself in the sand on the right
side OF the locomotive. II was
smashed almost to kindling wood
The dining car. in which were 80
persons eating luncheon. leaped into
the air and fell directly on the demol.
ishcd locomotive. Nearly every per-
son in the dining car was instantly
killed. Scores were scalded by steam
escaping from disconnected pipes.
The rear coacnes rushed onto the first
wreckage. jamming it on those who
might otherwise have escaped. Sew
eral, pinioned in the debris, were
roasted alive. Engineer Frank Cham.
plain was pitched with the cab % feet
beyond the engine. He got up and
ran mile seeking help before he dis
covered that his arm was broken and
that he was severely scalded Only
two of the nine men OF the dining car
crew are numbered among the dead.
The remainder sustained only cuts
and bruises
Rajah temple, Of Reading, Pa, occu.
pied the last Car on the train and
Rajah Shriners were the last ones to
go forward to the dining car. The car
was thus filled almost entirely with
Reading people when the wreck oc-
Cured.
An instant after the smash those
who were not incapacitated by the
terrible impact jumped from the train
to their aid but they were unable to
do much beside extingush the FIRE,
and they had TO wait hours before re-
lief arrived
Mrs. John w. Cutler OF Bingham.
ton, N. Y, was In the baggage car at
the time Of the crash TO rearrange her
trunk Her body was driven through
the floor and the wrecked car had to
be lacked up before the body could be
released.
Mrs. Fred Greenwood, of Bingham.
ton, was with Mrs. Cutler and also
went down under the tons of baggage
and broken timbers, but she was GOV.
cred by an arch of trunks. When res.
cuers burrowed their way to where
the two women lay Mrs. Greenwood
reached out and grasped the foot OF
one OF the men and shouted. 'Tll not
let go until You get me out" Then
scalding steam enveloped her and she
was terribly burned. She was res.
cued alive. however
When Miss Cora Young. of Cleve
land, o., was taken from the shattered
dining car she was still alive, but
frghtfully injured Her entire body
had been showered with boiling
water
Henry ]. Fisher, of Cleveland, went
with lrls wife and Miss Cora Young tc
the baggage car just before the
wreck. The women were killed and
beiesckbed almOst tInharmed from the
wreck OF the baggage car. hurled
through the roof to the beach
A. D. Wasson, of Buffalo. was eat
Ing at a corner tatle, within siS
inches OF the hot water tanks When
the rescuers neared him he yelled on
c0ura1ingly. Dragged from the range
Of the scalding steam he murmured
THANK God and died His wife and
baby were with him and escaped in.
jury. y