Weekly journal-miner., 1915-09-01
ENGINEER PENTLAND
 HAD NARROW SHAVE

Tt all happened so quickly and was so unexpected that it is very hard to remember many of the de
 tails of the accident" said A. w.
 Pentland, engineer on the north
 bound train, which was practically
 destroyed by plunging through a
 bridge near Date creek Thursday night t.
 Pentland, who was in bed under
 care of attendants and a physician, although but slightly injured, related the story of the accident and his part in it to a Journal-Miner reporter yes terday, it being in substance as fol- lows:
 "On leaving Wickenburg at 7;32 o'clock, off in the distance we could see that a storm was awaiting us higher up in the mountains. It did not start to rain until we arrived a Congress Junction, when 1t sprinkled a little and we travelled on to Piedmont reaching there at the usual time. After leaving the last named place it was raining slightly and clouds covered the entire sky. At bridge number 204 and at number POS we noticed but little water in the creek beds and did not expect to strike the storm. at least until after reaching Hillside. The bridge, or trestle on which the accident took place is about 150 feet long, and coming from the south bill is round ed before the trestle is in sight and then the engine is out on it before the bed of the creek can be seen from the cab. As we rounded the hill the trcstle looked safe through the rain, which had increased to steady downfall by this time. The engine kept up tlie regular pace and was soon in the middle of the fatal trestle. As the center was reached 1 heard the crash of timbers, which sounded like the cracking of a rifle. By this time it had dawned on both I and my fireman, O. H. McNeely, that something was wrong, and be- fore either of us could say anything the rear part of the engine, that is the cab, started to go down and the front end of the tender started to close in on us. We both gave up all hope of living through it and each made a dive for his window. Just about that time the engine fell over the trestle upstream while the tender fell in the opposite direction. Mo Neelv jumped through his window, but I was unable to get through mine because 1t was now practically the bottom of the engine and on the bottom of the creek. The water at that time was about 10 feet deeD and the entire cab was submerged, and for a period which seemed like hours I was caught in it.
 Fortunately 1 did not become ex- cited, and started to go up, but my head hit the side of the cab, which was now the roof, and I had to feel my way out of the end of the cab l and got out in that way. After get ting out of the cab I could not get to the surface because of timbers | on top of the water. I finally did. al though 1 hardly know how 1 came { to the surface, and clung to the ten der, working my way over to part of the engine, which was slanted up the trestle. I then tried to reach into the cab and see if I could find the fireman. Grabbing cushion thought sure l had him and that he had been drowned During all this time the engine whistIei which through some manner Or other had been opened, was blowing a mourn ful strain, it being partly submerged. It continued until the steam gave out I finally found McNeely look ing for me on the top of the engine and he told me of how he had jumped and landed on the. driving wheel which was still spinning and which threw him on the top of the engine without scratch. It is a that he was not caught in the spokes of the wheel.
 "McNeely and 1 worked our way Up to the trestle and on to land. l J sent him to the nearest section house