The San Francisco call., 1908-05-01
Pitts Skill and Nerve
to Avert Collision
Brakeman Makes Heroic Fight
to Save Oncon1ing Passenger
Train From Destruction


Tearing down the grade. of the
Southern Pacific company's coast line
tracks from Twenty-fourth street to
Capp, two runaway gravel cars
crashed into outbound passenger train
No. -. known as the funeral train.
destroying the passenger engine. the
two cars and scattering wreckage
along the tracks for a block
Charles Symons. brakeman on the
runaway cars. who risked his life try
ing to prevent collision. and rode the
gravel cars during their mad flight
was hurled through the air by the col
lision and had his ankle broken. James
Herrin. Wells Fargo messenger on the
passenger train. suffered a badly. cut
hand No passengers were hurt and
the engine crew escaped injury by
jumping.
Pitting his strength and then. his in
genuity against the laws OF gravity.
defective brakes and a traffic schedule
that placed the passenger train in the
way Of the runaway cars, Symons des-
perately fought to avert the crash which
he knew was impending. The odds
against him were too heavy and he
lost. but nevertheless he made himself
hero. He was lucky to escape witt
such slight injury.
FIGHTS HARD TO SAVE TRAN
Symons and his foreman. John Gal
lagher were aboard the cars whep they
broke away at the top of re hill at
Twenty-f fourth street. Seeing fnat the
brakes would not holI CsaiIs CHER
shouted to hts companion 10 jump ard
alighted from the rnnawass before.
they had fairly started- at flashed
across Svmons' brair that The passen-
ger train was abotG due and talaf il
-. -. &c 49,
that were fsar x dcwa toward 1t and
destruction
castine asida tho assahts OF his o-sn
sefety, tae oraseip ipsn clubhed up the
brak seeis Il both cars Against
the a4osnentryn strcady gained. how
tac saEe axes had but little
e
nsrnal sitiRz where there is a
-siighs vfsa N If tracks. Symons all
but 5-cueat tae rsfiaways TO stand J.
still re <aiszihgi taat once they had
passe3 ovsS The 81 y of the hill moth
ing cald prevent them from contin-
uing Their fsigat Til they were thrown
from the tracks Sysnous Jumped down
from the hka1 ( ar and sprintlng ahead
tried to shunt them insor the siding.
He was not quite quick enough how
ever. and as hts hand grasped the
switch the cars rolled past and started
down the hil
Symons ceawlsc aboard the last ear.
hoping that he still might prevent the
collision which he knew was Imminent
with a red flsg 10 HIS hand he stood In
the forward car signaling franticalfv.
At breakneck speed theTnoad train tore
mast street crossings. scores or people
narrowly escaping beins kun over and
hundreds giving chase 70 <itc cars to
see what would be their end
Engineer George Resting of the pas
senger train saw the cars te&ring
down upon him while his train was
sttll two blocks away. After stopping
sbe train he and his nreTnsn.
Ianks. Jumped to safety
The force OF the collision was sum
cient to drive the engine tender
through the forward baggage car and
IN completely wreck both g-1Tel. cars.
we'll as the engine.
Tbe brakeman hero was 1stcanscieus
when picked UP and 1t is feared that
more serious injuries than sthose flrs,
renorted may develop later ~ He ,A be-
ing treated at st. Luke's hospital HIS
wife. who from the door of their house.
ss2 san Jose avenue. Witnessed his gal
lanr struggle to stop the cars. WAS
one OF the first to reach his sids-