Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1907-04-01
TRAIN WRECKED;
rs PEOPLE DIE
FOURTEEN COACHES DERAILED
ON SOUTHERN PACIFIC.
RAN INTO OPEN SWITCH
Number of injured About 100 Many of
Whom May Die-Engineer and
Fireman Jump But Are Caught in
the Wreekaee-Most of Dead Are
Italians.

Cotton, Cal, March ga disas-
trous wreck on the Southern Pacific
occurred just east of Cotton yester-
day afternoon when west bound train
No 8 from New Orleans for San
Francisco. ran into an open switch
while going at a rate of 40 miles an
hour and 10 of the IA coaches were
derailed with frightful results. Twen-
ty people are known to have been
killed and the final list will total
much higher than this number. The
injured number about 100, many of
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. They occu-
pied a smoker and day coach.
The dead were terribly MANNED and
mangled. Eighteen were taken to an
undertaking establishment at Cotton
by O'Clock and eight additional
bodies could be seen underneath one
of the overturned and demolished
raised until a derrick was brought
from Los Angeles, 60 miles away
The injured were carried to this
city in vehicles of all sorts and the
Cotton hospital was quickly filed to
its capacity. Many were then taken
to the Presbyterian church and to
private residences in the vicinity
only Two Americans Killed.
But two Americans are known to
have been killed, although several OF
those among the injured will I'M
doubtedly die within the next few
hours George L. Sharp of Muncie,
Ind, was instantly killed. bag
gageman whose name has not been as
certained also was killed. Engineer
Clarence E. Worthington and Fireman
Victor Crebb both jumped, but failed
to get clear and were caught in the
wreckage. Both were terribly burned
and scalded.
John Golden, a conductor, was in
the pullman section of the train and
escaped injury.
Out of about so Pullman passengers
there were but two who sustained SER
ious injury. The three Pullman
coaches and the diner, which were on
the rear of the train, did not leave
the track The occupants of these
cars were practically unframed The
Florence Roberts Theatrical company
i0h
from the track and both ends of it
were crushed by the impact against
others. But two members of the com
pany out of % were injured. Miss
Roberts herself escaped entirely I'M
hurt. The escape from death OF the
occupants of CHS car is remarkable
considering the manner in which the
coach was splintered and torn tol
pieces. Men and women were hurled
from one end of the car to the other
Caused by CareIessness.
The derailment of the train was
caused by the crew of a switch en-
CINE leaving a switch open at this
point. 1t is said the engine passed
through the switch a few minutes
before the Overland appeared. a
switchnan named Morrison was in
the yard. After the switch engine
had passed on to another track the
engineer. asked the fireman if he had
re-thrown the switch. The fireman
recalled that he had neglected. to do
so and the engineer whistled frantic
ally for Morrison to, close it. The
signal was not given in time,