The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-09-19


the Oriental Limited, was wrecked
and almost totally destroyed by fire
at $3.50 p. N. yesterday, one and
one-nalf miles east of Columbia Sid
ing.
by freak of fortuituos fortune
but one passenger, Mrs. E. Harris.
OF 2091s 1st Street, Portland, was
sehiously injured.
Several other passengers sustained
minor bruises and cuts from being
hurled against the seats, and in es-
Gaping through the broken windows
OF the different cars.
VIM. McGiffert, of Seattle. unmar-
ried, sustained bruises on the trunk
and chest.
Mrs. w. A. Beard, OF Sioux City.
Iowa, received cuts on the hands in
crawling out through the broken win
dow of the tourist sleeper. Her lit
tie son was also slightly injured by
scalding water which esca ped from
a pipe in the car.
Two of the negro walters in the
diner We're slightly scalded by the
capsizing OF water boiler.
The train was in charge OF cor
ductor Touhy and engineer Otto
Donaldson, and was running rapid
ly to make up time, being consider
ably behind it's schedule.
Wild Rumors Afloat.
Intense excitement prevailed on
the streets of Wenatchee yesterday
afternoon when the reports of the
wreck were first received, the rumOr
being that many passengers had been
killed.
A special train having en- board
Supt. Mayne. the company sur
geon Frank Cnlp and representatives
of the local papers left the city at
8 o. m. for the wreck. When yet
a long distance from the scene of
the disaster a dense cloud of smoke
could be seen rising from the track
a mile or so beyond Columbia Sid
ing.
How 1t Happened.
According to Engineer Donaldson
the Oriental Limited was making
about 80 miles an hour, when the
train was derailed. The engineer
says that the rear drivers OF the
locomotive were the first wheels to
leave the rails, the tender following
Immediately after. Donaldson quickly
applied the emergency brakes. but
the first coaches were already run
ming on the ties, the engine having
spread the rails. The heavy trucks
buried themselves in the soft sand
of the road-bed. thus bringing the
train 10 a quick stop AMI preventing
thu telescoping OF the cars
Engineer Donaldson stuck to his
post. the engine remaining IN an up
right position, partially derailed The
fireman. who was shoveling coal when
the crash came. climbed up on top
of the tender to jump clear of the
wreck should the tender be over
turned: but neither the tender nor
any of the coaches capsized. the
whole train of nine coaches plowlng
through the sand for about hund-
red feet and coming to a sudden
stop.
Passengers Pass Weary Night.
With their train utterly consumed
miles from human habi,ation, and
many of them but meagerly supplied
with proper clothing for spending
d night in the open air, the passen-
gers of therill fated Oriental Limited
Jared badly last night. Most of them
crowded aboard the east-bound pass
enger. which pulled up to the scene
of the wreck about 51J. Others
spent the night sitting about in the
red glare from the burning train
Complain of Treatment.
Many of the passengers kicked Wig
'orously at being marooned for the
night on the rocky desert, claiming
that the Great Northern should run
the east bound train back to Wenat-
~chee. or else compel the sleeping car
porters on it to sell them berths for
the night. The trainmen stated that
they were holding the east bound to
transfer its passengers to The west
bound, on the opposite side of the
wreck, as soon as that train should
arrive from Spokane: that the latter
would then go back east. and the
east bound be returned 10 Wenat-
chez and Seattle. But as hour after
hour of the long. cold night passed
and this was not done. the kicks
and complaints became more nnmer-
ous and insistent. Several small
children were among the crowd. and
became very uncomfortable before
morning.
Cause Of the Wreck.
The general opinion seemed TO
prevail among the train crews on
the spot that bad track had caused
the wreck number or trainmen,
made no bones" about saying that