Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-05-10
8 Die When
FastElectriic
TraiinsCrash

quest over one or more of the eight |
victims killed yesterday when two cleo
trio passenger trains on the Southern
Pacific railroad colided head on near
here. Officials of the railroad COM
pany already have placed responsible
ity for the wreck squarelv on the t
shoulders of Silas X WiHett. the mo-
torman of one of the trains, declaring
that he violated orders when he ran
past Bertha station. willett was killed
in the collision.
The state public service commission
also was preparing to investigate the
wreck in an effort to fix responsible
tiy.
OF the SO persons who were injured.
five were considered today to be in a
precarious condition. Among them
was Miss Camille Dosch. society editor
of Newspaper here and sister of Arno
Dosch- Fyeprot noted war correspond
ant, Both of her legs and one were
fractured
Evidently each train had been hid
den from the engineer of the other un-
til they were within 200 or 500 feet
of each other on the single track.
The wreck occurred at 1923 o'clock.
Car Lifted Off Track
The forward coach of the fast-going
train 124 from Hillsboro bored into
and through the vestibule of the for
ward car of train 1O7, lifted it slightly
and showed it partly off the track.
But the lifted end of this front car
of the outbound train from Portland
sheared through the forward car of
train 124, crushed the vestibule and
continued on for about quarter car
length into the coach.
1t was here that all the deaths oc-
Cured. There were many people, in
cluding women and children, seated
near the front Of the inbound Hills
boro car. The heavy steel bumper OF
4 the other car, lift as 1t was, slid along
the floor of their car, plowed into
them and crushed them. For the mos
part they died there as they sat, poor
mangled, twisted remnants of human
. beings.
Passenger Coach In Front.
This car in which they died was
passenger coach Usually on the rec
electric trains of the Southern Pacific
the smoker and baggage car Is at thu
: head of the train. This was the cas-
: with train 107.
But on train 124, composed OF onl
7 f. 10.
| day coach, with many women and chill
{ dren aboard it, was first and tn
smoker last.
The men back in the smoker wer
shaken up, but no one was seriousl.
hurt there. But up forward in tn
first car men, women and childrel
were either killed or badly injured
Virtually every person in this car wa
injured in some manner, though no
lall the injuries were serious. Their
were also many persons injured IN tn
forward car of train 107, the out
bound McMinnville passenger.
. fBut for the fact that these Southern
Pacific red cars are OF all-steel con
} struction the loss of life would hav
been much greater
"I had time to think of but on
, thing-apply the emergency brake
said r. A. Bland, motorman of trail
No. 1O7, the outgoing passenger
Bland was brought to Good Samari
! tan hospital with severe cuts about tn
| head and face and with his left kne
f badly crushed. His condition is no
, serious and he will be able to leave tn
e hospital within few days.
Cause VIII Remain Mystery.
2 oI never will be able to explain VIII
1 was not killed outright, he said
: "Just as we rounded the curve ! say
the other train rushing toward us.
t realized the crash could not be averte
: and I had no more than applied tn
+ brakes when the two trains came to
: sether. | had no time or opportunit
J. to hmm. and the first thing kne'
d the other train was plowing throug
y u.s."
The injured motorman would nc
: offer any possible theory for the trai
! crash.
: "I know was not to blame " a
that he would say.
Later he said that his orders SHOVE
that the trains we're to pass at Berth
BLAND DISPLAYED every evidence
Grief when he learned that Motorma
4 WiIlette of the incoming train ha
y been instantly killed. The two moto
rs man vere close friends and the II
Z iured man would not say one woi
le which might tend to shift the blan
r on the dead motorman.
/ watch Stops at 1928.
re w RI Fisch, brakeman on the II
le coming passenger, No. 124, had ~
" ieft tho front car and had entered u
'r smoker in the rear when the crai
NJ came. He was thrown to the floor
N the car and sustained painful laeer
tfong about the face and head. II
ie nose was badly cut and bruised.
IN Fisch said the two trains crash'
re head on without an instants warnin
n and he found himself crawling 0
e. from under the debris before he req
er lied what had happened.
ry After being brought to Good sama
Ie- itan hospital, where his Injuries we
dressed. Fisch was taken to his hor
at 74s Reed street.
The injured Trademarks watch n
slapped al 1923 a. m, and this Is I
10 Iieyed TO have been the exact time
the crash.
n Eight are Killed
ngf Mrs. Charles A. Crooks, Hillsboi
TO Frederick J. Peebler. 304 Rt
re street. Portland an engineer who w
n off duty.
Mrs. c. r. Arundel, Dosch stati
"a Ore.
as Robert Arundel, I. Dosch static
:. ~-.1 r.coch Toaoafvr Ioe