The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-14
Luxurious Two Million Dollar Train Wrecked
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best of our belief and judgment the wreck was caused by rail misplaced by a person or persons unknown"
 Harris displayed two crosShars and . drift pin." which he said the saboteuYs had used to pry up spikes and ties on the outside of the track at a point where 1t curves into the entrance of the Humboldt bridge which is set in the V of narrow cliff-canyon.
 The train, railroad officials said, pressed the rails out from their bed as it took the curve, spreading the rails forward of the thunder ing Diesel-electric engine and, with c blinding screaming crash, " nlunging six cars into the river and strewing seven others in terri ble wreckage along the right of way.
 Statement Issued
 George G. Patterson, of the Southern Pacific operating depart ment, issued this statement after viewing the wreckage:
 "It was obviously the work of either a railroad man or someone who had experience at track work at some time. The cleverness with which the track had been taken up and then replaced in position to wreck the train, could mean only one thing-sabotage. The person or persons who did it knew their business. Not even the wires were disturbed to break the connection and thus set the block signal against the approaching stream-liner.
 We are proud of the train crew and the way they worked. They did everything that could be done There was no distinction. Porters walters, cooks, conductors, barber stewardess-all of them acted al- most as if they had been trained before in what to do in event of such horror. No one can be sim gled out for bravery or conspicuous work"
 Only Three Cars Upright
 Only three cars of the train re- rnAined upright on the tracks.
 The train, whose twin 900-horse- power Diesel engines are capable oi turning its driving wheels to a max irr1ulfi. speed of 1l0 miles per hour was west bound from Chicago tc San Francisco.
 Early this morning Southern Pa- riAa AatAofivne and a Jafau of lo tectives directed by Coroner Harris went into shacks and houses up and down the right of way and for miles on either side, questioning ev- cry person they found. They sought either a disgruntled railroad em- ploye or maniac, but, above all a person or persons expert in rail- roading.
 The Interstate Commerce com- mission was expected to dispatch operatives here and Attorney Gen. eral Frank Murphy was expected by authorities to order investigators in the San Francisco bureau of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to start an inquiry in conjunction with those already underway.
 Four Hours Before Wreck
 Railroad officials said they had definitely determined that the sab- otage was accomplished less than four hours before the wreck, since Q heavier train had passed over the . tracks four hours ahead Of the City of San Francisco. They said tho 1ocsening of the rails required al least 30 minutes. Forty four spikes were removed, they said, and tum. bleweeds were carefully placed over the faulty section.
 Uouthern Pacific inspectors said the evidence of sabotage survived the wreck because the rails had not become entirely detached from their cross tie base. Because of that cir cumstance, they were enabled to see, they said, that an angle bar to hold the rails rigidly parallel had been removed, some 40 spikes had been pulled up, and rail binding plate had been unbolted and bolted back in an upright position so as to serve as derailer. The loosened rail was pryed inward. the inspect ors said, thus narrowing the track The impact of the onrushing train then caused the contaminated rail to spring outward, they alleged.
 50 Miles An Hour
 Engineer Hecox was driving the Diesel-engined power unit at ap- proximately 50 miles an hour. The momentum pulled the auxiliary power car and the baggage car over