RAILWAY DISASTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7032, 10 December 1890, Page 1

RAILWAY DISASTERS.

The overland Southern Pacific passenger train, or Californian express, went down with the North end of the long trestle bridge crossing what is known as Lake Labash, about half a mile North of the Chemwa Indian Training School, five miles from Salem. The trestle bridge must have given way as soon as the engine Btruck it, and train and trestle all went down together. The engine was overturned and halE buried almost in the mud. Then followed a first-class coach, which was ea?ed from going over by alighting with the front end on an old tree, broken off about even with the trestles. Following this were the tender, mail baggage and express cars, twisted and broken entirely out of shape. The Beats in the cars were everyone broken to splinters, and the partitions in the cars were broken into a thousand pieces. Then followed the smoker, the seats in which were nearly all broken. Next was the tourist sleeper. Engineer John M'Fadden, Fireman Finneal and an unknown man riding on the front platform were killed. In all about a dozen were seriously injured. Nearly every passenger on the train was injured. A telegram from Erie (Pa.), dated Oct. 19, says : — A horrible catastrophe was averted on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railway to-day, near Silver Creek, through the bravery and coolheaded conduct of the engineer. A detached section of an East-bound freight train had been run into by another section, and a portion of the ddbris thrown over on the West-bound track just as the No. 5 fast train, going West at the rate of fifty miles an hour, came along. The engineer, John Burns, of the passenger train, saw a truck ahead, and then a freight car. He sawthat it was uselees to attempt to stop his train. He could jump himself, but he would sacrifice the lives of his one hundred and fifty passengers. His fireman had left him. The heroic engineer resolved to stand by his engine. He put on all steam, and, opening his sand pipes so aB to get a firmer hold on the rails, threw the truck off the track and cut through the freight cars and other dibris. Burns, with wonderful fortitude, held the lever, and the moment he had cleared the obstruction reversed the engine and threw on the air brake. As the train entered the wreck the sides were torn out of three coaches. The screams of jbhe women rose high above the screeching of the steam. Although the engine was dismantled .brave engineer Burns emerged from the lUbris alive, but covered with scars and bruises. Stouthearted men embraced him hysterically, realising that his heroism had saved the train. Several passengers were seriously injured. After the people were quieted Mr C. M. Spitzer.a Boston banker, headed a list and over -iOOdols were presented to engineer Burns by the passengers.