Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1907 — AWFUL ENDING TO SUBS' MIRTH [ARTICLE]

AWFUL ENDING TO SUBS' MIRTH

Death Lays in Wait on the Treacherous Rail-Hit Harvest Is Terrible. THIRTY-ONE DIE IN THE CRASH Others Are So Badly Wounded That They Will Probably Die DEFECTIVE SWITCH IS THE OAUSE Winds Dp a Masonic Merry-Making with a Deadful Tragedy—Scene of Terror and Turmoil— Names of the Vlo- \ time.

Santa Barbara, Oal., May 14.—While hurrying northward over the coast line of the Southern Pacific railroad, home-ward-bound after a week of fraternizing and fiesta In Bos Angeles 145 Shriners of Ismalia temple, of Buffalo, and Bajah temple, of Reading, with their families and friends, were hurled into the midst of death when their special train, running fifty miles an hour, struck a defective switch at Honda, a lonely station on the sand wastes of the Pacific beach, derailing the train, smashing the coaches into flinders, killing thirty-one almost instantly, and injuring many others. Of the injured, many are terribly hurt and will probably die. List of the Thirty-One Dead.

Following is a revised list of the dead and injured: Dead, at Santa Barbara—J. Douglas Hippie, H. K. Gittleman, A. L. Roth and Gilbert Steefe, Rending, Pa.; W. D. Wasson, Buffalo. N. Y.; J. W. Cutter, Binghamton, N. Y.; Charles M. Lowing, Pullman conductor, Buffalo, N. Y.; C. W. Austin, New York; John Lacey and R. W. Sweeney, negro dining car waiters; Mrs. William W. Easick, Reading; Mrs. John W. Cutter, Binghampton, N. Y.: Mrs. Henry J. Fiahgr and Miss Cora Young, Steveland; Mrs. Brumach, George N. Hagerman. Benjamin Stoltz, Harrison R, Ilendel, Oliver F. Kauff-« man and Harry G. Miller, Reading. At San Luip Obispo—S. S. Snydbr. Mrs. S. Snyder, Richard Esslck, Thos. J. Bruinbach and Miss Stoltz, Reading; L. N. Ellenbogon. Allentown, Pa.; noward Moyer, Hazleton, Pa.; Alonzo B. Rogers, St. Paul, Pullman conductor; unidentified woman, probably Mrs. Mary C. Ivlfis, of Rending, Pa.; Mrs. L. N. Eilenbogen, Allentown, Pa. Terribly Hurt in the Wreck.

Injured, at Pan Luis Obispo—R. A. Bickford, hrakeman, of San Francisco, fatally; R. Fountain, hrakeman, back injnred and lower part of body paralysed- W. H. Boyd, of Reading, Pa., badly scalded; Martin L. Henry, Shnmokln, Pa., injured spine and severely scalded; 11. R. Lee. Orwlgsburg. Pa., face lacerated, both hips cut and fractured leg; J. Logan, Buffalo, N. Y.. log fractured and three ribs broken; H. A. Hartsel, Easton, Fa., severely saddl'd and fractured leg; uhas. McKinney, Binghampton, N. T., back Injured; Mrs. M<4Cmney, severely bruised about the body; Mrs. Fred Grummond, Binghamton, N. Y., ankle broken; A. W. Roppoie, Bennis Point. N. T., severely bruised abouf neck. Engineer Champlain, badly scalded; Firemen Gleun Thompson, face, arms and internal injuries; MYs. Hendel and daughter Helen, Reading, Fa., not serious; J. Galvin Hoffeditg, Rending. Pa., left leg fractured, scalp wounds. Due to Defective Switch

The wreck occurred at 2:35 p. m„ one hour and forty-five minutes after the coudave visitors, forming a merry party, had spent all the morning sightseeing at santn Barbara. The special plunged upon the defective switch, and in an instant the big locomotive, baggage car. diner and Pullman coupled with it were hurled together in a huge heap of wreckage. The engine shot forward on the broken track, tearing up the rails and ties and twisting the huge iron spans into fishhooks. The dining car, in which were thirtytwo persons eating their noon day meal, leaped Into the air and was thrown directly on top of the demolished locomotive. Nearly every person in this coach was instantly -killed. The terror and turmoil of the scene was indescribable. Many of those who escaped instant death by the first impact were crushed by the. rear coaches hurled upon the wreckage. Others, pin loned in the debris, were roasted alive. Engineer Is a Hero.

Engineer Frank Champlain was pitched with his cab twenty-five feet beyond the engine, and got up and ran three-quarters of a mile seeking _help, before he discovered that his arm was broken and that he was severely scalded. A man standing behind his wife In the baggage car was hurled through a huge rent In the roof and blighted In soft and yielding sand glmost uninjured. The woman was forced through ti«e floors, and wreckers had to lift tons of baggage to get her body out. But the unfortunates who occupied every seat In the dining car were caught in a veritable death trap. A last call for luncheon had Just sounded * few minutes before. The car was filled almost entirely with Beading people when the wreck occurred. Was Only ill Two Hoars. Winona, Minn., May 14. John A. Mathews, 83 years old, a wealthy pioneer, is dead of pneumonia, after an Illness of two hours.