Weekly journal-miner., 1915-09-01
OF WRECK IS REHEARSED
 AT INQUEST
DETAILS OF DISASTER PRACTICALLY THE SAME AS RELATED IN THE JOURNAL-MINER.
(Continued from 1age D


 tain. Word from M. A. Ryan, ot
 Hamilton, California, as to its dispo'
 sition, is being awaited.
 Probably the most detailed and in-
 teresting story of the accident at the inquest yesterday was that of the en- gineer, A. w. Pentland. His story was slightly different than that pub hshed on the day after the accident, but on the whole it was the same. He attributed the accident to the un- usual amount of water which was flowing in the creek at that time. He also said that Cottonwood creek, a short distance farther north, he mo- ticed while walking towards Hillside, did not carry as much water as the one at which the accident occurred. 1 He also said that Cottonwood creek was twice as large as Date creek.
 Dr. H. T. Southworth testified to the nature of the wounds and in juries, causes of death, the ages and gave descriptions of the four dead men. The ages were given as fol lows: Beck, "A; Dollack, 2S; Duck, 5 and Dr. Durfee between 5 and 4O
 o. H. McNeely's, the fireman, story tallied with that of the engineer in almost every detail, with the ex- ception of his escape from the cab which naturally was different than Pentland's. He said that they were | 50 feet on the bridge before the tim. bers started to crack and the engine to go down. He jumped out of the cab window and onto the big driver, which threw him into the water. He was washed down stream and after returning and receiving instructions from the engineer started out to Date Creek for assistance. He had not gone far before he met the section foreman coming south with a gang of men. They had heard the whistle blowing and thought something was wrong. They then returned to the trestle and assisted in rescuing the injured. McNeely said that the parts of the bridge near the banks were built on mud sills. He also said that the accident was caused by cloudburst or an unusual amount of rain.
 The experience of the conductor, H. H. Shaw, was to be hurled over four seats in the chair car when the accident occurred. It was but few seconds before the lights were ex- tinguished. He told of how the wo- men were taken from the chair car into the sleeper. He assisted in res. cuing one of the women from the dressing room, in which she had been caught. He said that it was two hours before the water started to re. cede, and then they started taking the men from the engine side of the stream to the sleeper, where they were sheltered. He also assisted in digging two of the dead men from the wreckage of the smoker.
 L. A. Mckinley, connected with the water service department of the San ta Fe system, told of the digging out of the four men from the wreck, and | how they were found. Beck" he said, "was caught under the baggage car, while the negro was caught be- tween two seats. Mckinley also de clared that high water caused the ac- cident.
 Charles Green, the Santa Fe's trav- cling bridge inspector, explained the different parts of the bridge and how it was built. He said that he had made an inspection of the bridge and found 1t satisfactory at 6;30 o'clock Thursday evening. His investigation after the accident showed that seven bents remained standing on the north end and five on the south, and that nine bents were gone from the cen ter. He did not know how many had been washed out. The biggest part of the bridge was piles driven into the ground, while the portions near the banks were placed on mud sills. Green has been bridge inspec- tor for three years. He said that he did not know how old the bridge was. His last thorough inspection was made on August 4. Green said that he remembered a case where seven bents under a bridge had been washed out, leaving the ties and the rails without a noticeable sag. He said that he had ridden over a bridge in such a condition on a handcar.
 George F. Anderson, bridge super i said that when he arrived 1 at the wreck Friday afternoon he found that the deck of the bridge had been pushed north for over 15 feet. The timbers he examined were all in good condition. He did not see all the bents, which were washed out, (