The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-29
Sunset Express of Southern Pa.
ciflc Wrecked at Cotton, Cal.
Seven Cars and the Locomotive
Torn to Pieces.
DEAD.
More Than so Were Injured
Some Only Slightly.
Every Occupant Of the Pullmans
Escaped Harm.

| Cotton Gala. March 29-As a result
| of the disastrous wreck of the west
| bound Southern Pacific Sunset Express
in the East Cotton yards late yesterday
afternoon. twenty-three dead bodies lie
today in a local undertaking establish
ment, eight terribly injured are in the
| Cotton hospital and more than so others
! whose hurts are less serious, have been
taken to Los Angeles on special trains.
The dead were all passengers on the
wrecked train with one exception.
Following is a list of the dead:
The Dead:
ALBERT w. SHE, mail clerk, 555
Ruth avenue, Los Angeles.
GEORGE L. SHARPE, Muncie, Ind.
F. L WALTERS, Sacramento, Cal,
Southern Pacific fireman who was
passenger on the train.
TWENTY ITALIANS of New York
and New Orleans, on their way to San
Francisco.
One Italian woman was killed.
OF the seriously injured those now in
the Cotton hospital are in the worst
condition. One of them is sure to die,
and several of them may not survive.
Walters, a Sacramento fireman, was the
only one of the injured to die last night.
Among the injured in the hospital are
two boys, to years of age, respec-
lively. sons of Mrs. S. Giasoma, the only
dren were on their way to join her hus-
band at Point Richmond.
The exact cause of the wreck will not
be determined until the coroner's in
quest is concluded. The train was run
ming fully 40 miles an hour at the time
it struck the open switch. The South
ern Pacific is still blocked at the point
of the crash. Wrecking crews are at
work removing the debris of the wreck
ed cars but the line will likely not be
haf0rn nj oh nf 1
coaches of the train were derailed and
three of them were smashed completely.
The Italians, who numbered nearly 100
were In two old immigrant cars and
these cars were literally crushed into
kindling wood
The passengers in the Pullmans
escaped uninjured.
The wreck was caused by an open
switch at the east end of the yards.
which is one mile east of the crossing
of the Southern Pacific and Atchison,
Topeka & Santa F'e tracks. The train,
which was more than nine hours late,
was running at full speed. 1t was made
up of an engine and fourteen coaches.
Only the olG fashioned cars followed
the engine as it swerved into the open
switch. All were smashed by the heavy
Pullman sleepers, which made up the
rear end of the train.
The Injured:
Among the injured whose names
nave DS0H dSceTldlH0Q are. Inc COLI
ductor, Golden; the engineer, Warm
ington: the brakeman. G. L. Jones. and
John Brewer, a passenger. all of Los
Angeles; Milton Hill, New York.
Neb., badly; S. A. Wheeler. Ell Paso, !
Texas, badly cut and bruised; Mrs. S.
A. Wheeler, wrist broken; Frederick
Ackerman, Utica, N. Y. slightly; Pat
rick Griffin, Lynn, Mass, slightly; Miss
Alice Schumann, Galloway, Neb., ear
torn off; Cora Starkey. Bowie, Texas, |
slightly; Joseph Kretch, Corropoli, |
Pa, badly cut; H. F. Walter, Mattoon,
Ill. slightly; Justice Wigren, Chicago.
slightly; Stephen Cole, Bisbee, Ariz., |
slightly; Robert Wells. Cananea, Mex,
slightly; twelve Italians with broken
legs.
Blame for the accident rests with a
switching crew. The switch engine
had just pushed a string of freight
cars onto a sidetrack. M. ]. Morrison,
fireman, the only man of the crew
tha at has been seen since the accident,
called attention to the open main line
switch. His engineer, he says. real
lied instantly that he was working on
the time of the delayed passenger
train. Almost Immediately the two
heard the overland coming over the
San Gabriel river bridge, just east of
the yards. Grasping his whistle cord
the engineer of the switch engine gave
one long. fierce blast of danger, but
the signal was too late. The passenger
train was upon the switch.
The seventh car back from the en-
gine was used as a smoking car. 1t
did not follow the others into the
wreck but broke loose and shot far
out into an alfalfa field on the oppo-
site side of the track.
Back of the smoking car was
coach containing the Florence Roberts
company. Although their
ear was wrecked none of the members
Of the company received serious in
Jury In the Pullman coaches were
eighty passengers. None of them was
injured nor were any of the Pullman
ears badly damaged.
Fixing Responsibility.
Cotton. Cal, March 29.-At 1 o'clock
his morning Coroner Van Wye COM
nenced to take preliminary testimony
rom the switching crew to ascertain
whether they should be held for re-
for the wreck of the South
.rn Pacific overland train near Col
on.
Switch Foreman Alvord was the first
o make a statement. He explained that
when he came to work in the morning
le saw that the first section of the
sunset Express, known as No. g. was
.haIked up On the board as eight hours
ate. When he returned from his lunch
lie Inspected the board and found it
iIent as to No. and as the eight
lours' limit had expired he concluded
he overland had gone through during
lis absence. This error was not dis
oyered by him until he heard his en- |
ineer whistling a frantic signal at the
witch for the overland to stop. The |
verland was then half way across the
,anta Ana bridge. 1t was impossible
o get back and close the switch be- ]
ause the fated train had reached it. | Z
In this statement Alvord is corrob-
rated by his switchmen. II
He evidently means to be understood t
S placing the responsibility or part of s
!, on the operator, whose duty 1t was {