The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1907-02-21

narrow guage line between Silver
City and Pinos Altos owned and con-
trolled by the Commanche Mining &
Smelling company, last week result
ing in the death of two men and in
jury of another. The dead are: H.
NJ. Ashton, Lima, Ohio; Paul S.
Jacob, Silver City, N. NJ; James J.
Roberts, the engineer, was severely,
although not dangerously, injured.
The wreck occurred about 2 O'Clock
in the afternoon about thirty feet
from bridge No. "a at the point known
as Farnsworth crossing and something
over three miles north of Sitter City.
The train was returning on its daily
run from the mines of the Camanche
company at Pinos Altos. Mr.. Ash
ton had arrived in Silver City the
evening before from California and
was making trip of inspection oyer
the road to note the working of the
engines, he being the representative
of the Lima Machine & Locomotive
Works manufacturing the locomo-
tives in use on the narrow guage line.
G. J. Laughren, the manager of the
Comanche Mining & Smelling COM
pany, had accompanied Mr.. Ashton
on the trip up to Pinos Altos, how
ever, Mr.. Laughren was seized with
neuralgia pains in the head and de-
termined to wait there until he felt
better and then return to Silver City
by carriage in the afternoon. Mr..
Laughren requested Mr.. Ashton to
remain over with him, but the latter
decided to make the trip home by
rail in order that he might have a
better opportunity of watching the
working of the machinery. On the
trip down everything went we'll until
the train came to the loop at the
base of the mountain. Owing to
grades at this point it is always
necessary for the engine to work
steam going around the loop. The
train got beyond control very soon
after it left the loop, notwithstand-
ing the fact that the members of the
train crew did all in their power to
reduce its momentum. Both Con-
duCtor Ward and Brakeman Harris
set the brakes on the nine ore cars of
the train, but without result, and the
speed of the train continued to in
crease. The engine kept the rails
until a short distance above bridge
"a when it went off the track and
into the ditch carrying with it the
tender and all of the cars with the
exception of the last two, which re-
manned on the track. At the time
of the accident Engineer Roberts
and Mr.. Ashton we're sitting in the
cab, the latter occupying the fire.
mans box. Fireman Jacob was
riding on the coal car. When the
engineer discovered that the train
was beyond control he told both Mr..
Ashton and Mr.. Jacob to look out as
the train was going into the ditch,
but neither of them were able to
escape. MIR. Ashton was caught be-
meath the engine and badly crushed.
Death was undoubtedly instan-
taneous. Mr.. Jacob had apparently
gotten himself clear of the wreck,
but was caught by the truck of one
of the cars, which broke loose and
went down the embankment, crushing
his skull. Engineer Roberts is unable
I to give any explanation as to his es-
cape. He states that he hit on his
head and then got up and ran away
as fast as he could. He sustained a
number of bruises about the body,
the most serious being wound in
the knee cap which gave the ap-
pearance of having been punctured
by sharp instrument. The other
members of the crew succeeded in
getting off the train just before it
left the track and escaped without
injury. The train was even at this
point running at such speed that
they were able to jump from the
train and retain their feet.-Inde-
pendent.