The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1910-02-26
WRECK EVIDENCE
Further Particulars Brought Out
Regarding the Death of Engi-
neer Fred Morey

pupiisn all The testimony taken before
the Coroner's jury 10 luiring into the
cause OF the death Of Fred Morey. the
engineer who was killed near Diamond
Station on the e. & p. Railway On the
night Of February IA. The taking OF
testimony was concluded late Friday
afternoon, and the following additional
witnesses testified: Assistant Supt. A.
X. Randolph. Section Foreman +. I'm.
Obersteg and DR.. w. +. Burnett, whose
testimony was as follows:
Testimony of Sapf. A. r. Randolph
l am assistant superintendent Of the
Eureka & Palisade Railway and reside
at Palisade; I went to the wreck that
occurred on February IA; arrived at the
scene about 1855 on the morning Of the
18th Of February; found the engine Of
our train No. 8 on its side down q 10
foot embankment in water four to six
feet deep; the tank was resting at an
angle Of about 45 degrees In line with
the track, with two loaded cars of coal
and two empty ore cars derailed and
piled mp in a break in the roadbed OF
about 80 feet; my first effort was to To-
cate the engineer, who / found to he
pinioned under his engine under at least
four feet of water; I located his body
within q very lew moments, and found
it absolutely impossible to release him
without lifting or turning the engine;
had with me car foreman Downey and
master mechanic Keysaw, and after Q
few moments consultation instructed
them to turn the engine over. which
was done after q considerable length Of
time; the entire fiat or depression on
both sides Of the track was completely
inundated for q long distance from the
roadbed, making it impossible to set q
dead man" in order to turn the loco
motive by steam power. and our only
cou was to use jacks. which we did.
using hydraulic, transfer. screw and
pump Jacks; at 8 p. IN. on February 16
we succeeded in turning the engine
aud releasing the body Of the engineer;
he was found with his right hand caught
behind the throttle, with his elbow
partly under the lubricator; in my opin.
ion the cause Of his death was being
pinioned beneath his engine and the
boiler resting on his breast; think the
cause Of the wreck was an unusual
amount of water being deposited o n the
west side of the track without any
known cause, and apparently diverted
t o this particular point through some
unknown cause; l think the wreck
would have occurred in daylight from
the fact that all conditions went to show
that the water had undermined the
roadbsd below the frost, leaving the
rails and ties with about IS inches Of
frozen earth or dirt intact and in posi-
ton there was no torrent of water, or
more than a slight current flowing
through the break in the roadbed. and
the water having approached the road
bed from the west after undermining
the track did not have force or fall
enough to find an outlet beyond the
main travelled o. county road which
runs parallel with the railroad at a dis
lance Of between 200 aud 800 yards.
leaving nothing unusual to attract the
attention of IN engineer or fireman; l
do not think this depression could have
been seen by an engineer in time to stop
in daylight, because there could have
been no depression Of the rails or ties,
or the engine would have struck the OPP
posite bank instead Of passing over. in
my opinion; the rails at that point will
average 80 feet; / believe 30 feet OF the
roadbed to have been washed out; !
found that the water had fallen several
feet on the west side Of the track, and |
found the water on the east side Of the
track at an ordinary level. except sep
age, with no outlet; the water that had
accumulated and broke the bank simply
found its level and remained with no
outlet; to my knowledge there never
was a culvers or anything to indicate a
water channel ut this point; if there
had been l believe / would have the in
formation from my records and maps
1 personally took the body out and
brought it TO Eureka, taking IL TO the
undertaking parlors and notifying the
| Coroner at once.
Testimony of r. I'm Obersteg
l am section foreman of the E. q T.
| Railway, stationed at Diamond Station;
| the wreck occurred on February IA on
my section; / have been employed on
| that section for about four years; am
| familiar with the section of the track at
which this wreck occurred; TO my
knowledge I never knew or saw any
water accumulate at that point before.
except a few little pools; l went over
that section of the track the day before
the wreck-on Sunday; the track was
in good condition aud there was nc
water there; one train passed over the
section now washed out on the morning
OF the day Of the wreck. going TO Paii'
sade: never notified the company in any
of my reports that there should be
culvert put in that fill where the wreci