The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1907-04-02
TWENTY.SIX PERSONS KILL.
EDIN TRAINWRECK AND
MANY MORE WILL DIE.
Engine Dashes at Full Speed In
Oren Switch in California-
Italians Are Torn and Cut
-Dlsmembered and
Impaled on Wreck.

age.
Cotton, CAL. March 28.-One of
the most disastrous wrecks in the
history of the Southern Pacific rail-
road occurred one and one.half
miles east Of this town shorty after
q o'clock this afternoon, when west
bound train No. 9 from New Or
leans for San Francisco ran into an
open switch, while going at the rate
of 40 miles an hour, and ten of the
IA coaches were deraiIed with
f-ightfnsaresults. Twenty.six peo-
pie are known to have been killed
and the final list will total much
higher than this number. The in
jured number abont 100, many ef
whom are seriously injured and
will die.
The wrecked coaches were hurled
in every direction. Four of them
were smashed into splinters. Most
of the dead were Italians from New
York and New Orleans, going to
San Francisco. They occupied the
I smoker and day coach.
The dead were terribly maimed
and mangled. Eighteen of them
were taken to an undertaking es-
tablishment ct Cotton by 8 o'clock
and eight additional bodies could
be seen underneath one of the ov-
erturned and demolished cars. This
car could not be raised until der
rick was brought from Los Angeles
90 miles away. The injured we're
carried to this city in vehicles Of all
sorts aud the Cotton hospital was
lquickly filled to its capacity. Many
were then taken to the Presbyteri.
an church and to private residences
in the vicinity.
But two Americans are known to
have been killed, although several
of those among the injured will un'
doubtedly die within the next few
hours.
The engineer and fireman bott
Jumped, but failed to get clear and
we're caught in the wreckage. They
were both erribly burned and scald
ed. The train conductor was ir
the Pullman section of the trair
and escaped injury.
Out of about 80 Pullman passen
gers, but two sustained serious in
jury. The three Pullman coache
and the diner, which were on th'
rear Of the train, did not leave th'
track. The occupants of these car
were practically unharmed.
The Florence Roberts theatrica
company occupied one coach, which
was hurled from the track and botl
ends OF 1t crushed in by the impac
against the others. But two mem
bers of Miss R oberts' company Gu
of total of % people were injured
Miss Roberts herself escaped entire
ly nnscathed. The escape fror
death of those on the car was re
markable, considering the manne
in which the coach was splintere
and torn to pieces. The men an
women were hurled from one en-
of the coach to the other.
There we're three tracks wher
the accident occurred, which is j
the open country.
The people of Cotton were fir;
Ito be notified of the catastrophe
Hundreds Of people hurried to til
scene of the wreck. Physicians an
nurses were taken from San Bel
nardino and Cotton and ministere
to the injured.
The derailment of the train ws
caused by the crew Of switch er
gine leaving switch open at th
: point. It is said that the engir
passed through the switch fe
moments before the overland ar
I peared. A switchman named Mo-
] rison was in the yard. After th
7 switch engine had passed on t
| another track, the engineer aske
I the fireman If he had rethrown th
I switch. The fireman recalled ths
] he had neglected to do so, and th
I engineer whistled frantically fe
: Morrison to close it. The signs
| was not given in time. as Morriso
{ did net reach the switch before th
I overland had plunged through an
] been derailed.
: At the time of the disaster 1t wa
| running at a high rate of speed i
) order to make up time. There we
| absolutely no warning of the in
! pending catastrophe. The engines