The San Francisco call., 1909-12-10
FIVE ESCAPE DEATH
WHEN BRIDGEFALLS
Stage Coach PIunges Fifteen
Feet Into Stream and Pas
sengers Are Hurt
Especial Dispatch 10 The Call


SAN RAFAEL. Dec. "a young
woman and four men miraculously es-
capped death on the Bolinas road.
seven miles north of here, this morn
ing when a heavily laden stage
coach in which they were riding
plunged through a bridge into tur-
bulent stream Is feet below.
John Strain, an employe of the Fair
mont hotel, who resides at 447 Con-
necticut street. San Francisco, was the
most seriously injured, sustaining
deep laceration on the left side of his
head and possible internal injuries. His
cousin, Miss Una Albright, was also
hurt.
A. l. Jenkins. superintendent of the
Lagunitas rancho was badly bruised
and cut across the knees Jack Fra
Alexander Monigetti, dairyman of
Bolinas.
FLOOD WEAKENS BRIDGE
The heavy downpour of rain last
night flooded the stream to the banks,
washing away the underpinning of the
bridge before it subsidized. When the
stage. laden with passengers, mail and
boxes of butter, dashed upon it, the
structure collapsed. The two horses,
stage, passengers and freight were
hurled into the flooded stream with
the timbers of the wrecked bridge.
Strain. his head jammed between the
hub of a wheel and bridge timber,
was rescued in an almost unconscious
condition by Fraser. Miss Albright was
thrown between the legs of a frenzied
horse.
ROADWAY REPORTED SAFE
Word of the accident was telephoned
to San Rafael. and the party was
brought here this morning. Jenkins,
although suffering from the shock and
injuries to his knees, gave graphic
account of his experience. He said:
Half a mile above the bridge we met
a laborer, who told us he had driven
over the road from Fairfax, and that 1t
was safe. We were going along at
good rate, when l heard a noise like
an explosion. and Miss Albright
screamed She was sitting on the front
seat beside the driver. felt the stage
sinking under me. Then came a Vto-
lent shock, and could hear the water
rushing against the stage.
VICTIM CRIES FOR HELP
some one was groaning and calling,
For Gods sake. save mer tore aside
the curtains, and saw young Strain ly-
ing under the rear wheel, with his head
between the hub and a bridge timber.
Miss Albright had been thrown for
ward upon one of the horses, which
was on it's back, kicking violently. She
managed to climb over the wreck to
the opposite bank, where she clung
with her fingers digging into the soil.
Fraser helped Strain up the bank.
and 1 went to the aid of Miss Albright.
She went to the assistance of Strains
and while she covered him with blan-
ket and bandaged his head, / ran back
to my home: about mile distant to get
whisky and medicine for the others.
BLAMES ROAD INSPECTOR
L blame the road inspector for the
accident but am glad to be alive"
Strain, suffering from pain in his
side and the wound on his head, spoke
with difficulty. The whole stage
seemed to be resting on my head and
side" he said. II was gradually being
forced into the water, and would soon
have been crushed to death or drowned
IL Fraser had not come when he did"
Save for a few scratches, neither
horse was injured. The stage was res
cued from the stream and brought to
San Rafael.
Strain and Miss Albright went to
their home in San Francisco Jenkins,
who was bound for Petaluma, continued
his journey, after receiving medical at
tention here.
Supervisor Mike Burke, in whose dis