Friday, June 26, 1914
MERCED EVENING SUN

TWO KILLED IN Y. V. R. R. WRECK
CONDUCTOR J. C. MAHONEY
AND S. J. HARRIS LOSE LIVES
SEVERAL OTHERS INJURED
Spreading Rails Cause Two Cars to Plunge Into Merced River at Point One Mile East of North Fork. --- Relief Train Brings Passengers to Merced and Injured Are Rushed to County Hospital. --- First Accident in History of the Yosemite Valley Railroad.
       Conductor J. C. Mahoney and Stonewall Jackson Harris, former county surveyor of Mariposa county, were killed and nine passengers were injured, three seriously, when two cars of the Yosemite Valley passenger train No. 3, due to spreading rails, left the the track and plunged into the Merced river one mile east of North Fork station 22 miles below El Portal, at 10:30 o'clock last night. The engine and two Pullmans did not leave the grade. A relief train which left Merced at 11:30 o'clock last night brought all the passengers, including the injured, to Merced and the injured immediately conveyed to the county hospital in waiting automobiles. Drs. W. E. Lilly, Brett Davis and H. Kylburg were on the relief train and rendered invaluable aid to the injured en route to Merced.
       The train left El Portal a little after its regular leaving time, 8 o'clock, and later was held up on a siding by an up train, but regardless of this loss of time was not running faster than its usual schedule when the accident occurred. The train was in charge of Engineer E. S. Wilkie, an experienced engineman, for many years with the Santa Fe, and Conductor J. C. Mahoney, also an experienced railroad man.
Two Cars Fall Into River.
       When one mile east of North Fork at a point where the river runs close to the railroad, the combination car and baggage car left the track, one driving wheel of the engine slipped off the track and the front trucks of the first Pullman also left the rails. The train ran a short distance on the ties ties before the combination car and day coach turned over and rolled into the water.
       Passengers in the combination coach say that Conductor Mahoney sprang for the signal cord, then ran into the baggage car and it is presumed he jumped out the side door of the baggage car into the river. His body has not be recovered. S. J. Harris, who was also in the combination car, ran to the rear platform and was about to jump when caught between the combination car and day coach. He was crushed to death.
The Injured.
       The seriously injured are Brakeman M. J. Hickey, broken leg and bruises, W. J. Holden of Merced, bruised about head and face, and Miss Mille Hanson of San Francisco, dislocated hip.
       The slightly injured are Miss Mabel Kelly of Oakland, damaged eye and bruises; Miss Cora Arnold of San Francisco, nervous shock; Mrs. C. A. Kimbley of Ventura, sprained ankle; Mrs. Emma Ottoms of Chicago, slight scratches; Mrs. R. T. O'Donnell of Ogden, shoulder and arm bruised; Mrs. Emma Wassergond of Chicago, slight scratches.
       The only others in the combination car besides Harris and Mahoney were C. H. Harmon of San Jose and Robert Stites, car repairer for the railroad company. They escaped uninjured except for a few scratches. The passengers in the day coach received a wetting in addition to their injuries and the shaking-up, but the passengers in the two Pullmans were not hurt in any way.
       The body of S. J. Harris was taken to Bagby today where an inquest will be held. Stonewall Jackson Harris was an old resident of Mariposa county and was very well known. He had been county surveyor for many years. The Jackson(Harris) home place was at Jerseydale, where his family resides. He leaves a widow, one son and daughter.
       Conductor Mahoney had not been with the Yosemite Valley railroad very long, but he leaves a brother who has been on the road for several years, and who is well known in Merced.

First Accident on Y. V.
       Last night's wreck was the first one since the Yosemite Valley railroad has been in operation, eight years in which any one was seriously hurt. The Yosemite Valley road has always prided itself on the excellent condition of its roadbed and visiting railroad men frequently have complemented the officials for this fact. The maintenance expenses of the Yosemite Valley road have always been heavy, far above the average of other railroads. What caused the rails to spread last night is not known. It may have been the unusually heavy traffic of the past few weeks, or possibly one of the periodical mountain storms. Had the week spot been such as could have been detected, the wreck never would have happened, for the Yosemite Valley road employs many track walkers and large gangs of section men at all times. Naturally, General Manager O. W. Lehmer feels badly about he terms "the sad accident," the first thing to mar the splendid transportation record of the road. He went to the scene of the wreck on the relief train, worked all night and all day today, answering questions cordially and doing whatever he could to help matters.

Track Cleared Quickly.
       The track was cleared today. No time was lost in sending a wrecker to the scene and the usual traffic to El Portal was resumed.
       The Yosemite Valley Railroad company officials today spoke words of high praise for the Merced county hospital, not only for excellent equipment and condition of the institution, but for the very capable manner in which the injured person were received and cared for, under the direction of Superintendent Lola A. Cease.
       The relief train which brought the passengers to Merced this morning consisted of an engine, two coaches, one baggage car and one freight car. Most of the baggage of the passengers was brought to this city on that train and is at the Y. V. depot. Many of the passengers proceeded north and south on the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe lines this morning without delay.

Women Do Heroic Work.
       Passengers who arrived here on the relief train this morning said that several women passengers, who were escaped injury, performed some remarkable work in the way of alleviating pain of the suffering. For hours hours they worked unceasingly and hard and, although completely worn out when the relief train arrive, insisted on doing anything else they could to help the physicians. One elderly women in particular rendered invaluable aid to the injured, and another passenger later inquired her name, but smilingly refused to give it, saying she preferred to have nothing said about her or her work.
       Engineer Wilkie and Fireman James Leonard stuck to the cab until the engine was brought to a stop. Neither was injured.
       John C. Mahoney, the dead conductor, was 35 years of age. He leaves a brother, Will Mahoney, brakeman on the Y. V., and a sister Miss Agnes Mahoney of Oakland. The latter has been notified of her brothers death.
Injured Doing Well.
       It was stated at the county hospital late this afternoon that all of the injured are doing well; in fact one of them probably will leave for Los Angeles tonight. In one or two cases it is still too early to determine the full extent of the injuries.





Friday June 26, 1914
SAN FRANCISCO
CALL and POST

2 DIE; 20 HURT YOSEMITE WRECK
TRAIN LEAPS BANKS INTO MERCED RIVER
       Scene on Yosemite Valley railroad near Bagby, where train jumped track and plunged into icy waters of Merced River. According to telegraphic description, the picture below is almost the identical spot where two were killed and 20 hurt last night.

Edgar Cohen photo postcard - the blck and white was printed in the paper

       Two are known to be dead, four are seriously injured - some of them so seriously that they may die - and 16 other minor injuries, as the result of the wreck of a train bound from El Portal, at the entrance to the Yosemite valley, at 10 o'clock last night.

       Two cars, the baggage car and the day coach, plunged down a 20 foot embankment into the Merced river, carrying with them their helpless, shrieking occupants.

CARS PLUNGE INTO RIVER
       Black darkness and the danger of fire added horror to the station. With the light only of lanterns and fires built along the track heroic rescuers, men and women, worked frantically to rescue from death the dozens of imprisoned passengers.

       Partially submerged in the icy waters of the river, those caught in the two coaches were in imminent danger of death by drowning.

       Many with broken bones, crushed bodies and bruised limbs, screamed desuerately for aid as they saw the waters surrounding them and the flicker of a fire that they feared would spread to the coaches and contend with the rushing waters for their lives.


COACHES TURN UPSIDE DOWN
       The cars, plunged over the embankment, turned completely over. One car bust open, hurling the conductor into the river. His body has not yet been recovered.

       The wreck occurred nearly six miles west of Bagby, the nearest station, and it was necessary for some one to go to that place for help. The man who did it was Colonel Edward Fletcher of San Diego, one of the 60 passengers on the train. Through the blackness of the night he rushed through the dark canyon, struggling part of the way with an injured leg, and told the station master of what had happened.

       Within a short time, doctors, nurses and a wrecking crew were rushing to the scene of the wreck.


THE DEAD
STONEWALL JACKSON HARRIS, county surveyor of Mariposa county.
JOHN C. MAHONEY, conductor.

SERIOUSLY INJURED
Miss Lily Hansen, San Francisco, hip dislocated, bruises and contusions.
Cora Arnold, internal injuries.
M. J. Hickey, Merced, brakeman, right leg fractured.
W. J. Holden, Merced, possible fracture of skull.

OTHERS WOUNDED
Mrs. C. A. Kimbley, Ventura.
T. B. Kimbley, Los Angeles.
Mrs. Margaret Ottens, Chicago.
Mrs. Emma Wassergend, Chicago.
Mrs. R. T. O'Donnell, Ogden
S. A. Warner, Oakland.
J. A. Hoots, Oakland.
Miss Nina Hoots, Oakland. 		Miss Leona Hoots, Oakland.
Paul Alexandris, St. Helens, Cal.
Miss Mabel Kelley, Oakland.
Mrs. L. A. Bebo, Fresno.
Miss Nell Hedrick, Fresno.
R. E. Stites, El Portal.
Miss Elsie Betz, Philadelphia.
Charles H. Harmon, San Jose.

OAKLAND WOMEN ARE DISASTER HEROINES
VICTIMS FIGHT FOR LIVES AS CARS SINK
IN RIVER AFTER 20 FOOT CLIFF LEAP
       Undaunted by the horror of their surroundings, three women, school teachers and nurses, worked heroically to rescue the dying and injured and to care for those who had been taken from the wreck. They were Mrs. Z. W. Potter and Mrs. Mabel McBride of Oakland and Dr. Susan Harris Hamilton of Mountain King.

       Eight men and three women, all wounded, were taken from one car through a broken window.

       The engineer of the train, Wilkie, escaped without injury.

       J. A. Hoots, with wife and daughters, and S. A. Warner, all of Oakland, left for the Yosemite in Hoots automobile and were expected back in Oakland today.

       Mrs. Warner of 1350 East Twenty-Seventh street, received a postal card from her son, S. A. Warner, today announcing that they expected to return today. She can not explain how they came to be on the train, unless their automobile broke down.

       Hoots resides at 326 Twenty-first street, and both of the daughters were employed in the East Oakland branch library.


SPREADING RAIL CAUSED WRECK
       O. W. Lehmer, general manager of the Yosemite Valley railroad, said today over the long distance telephone that the wreck was caused by a spreading rail.

       "This is the first passenger wreck we have had in eight years. We have not completed our investigation as yet, although I am convinced that the accident was due to a spreading rail."



SURVIVOR TELLS GRAPHIC STORY OF FATAL WRECK
By COLONAL EDWARD FLETCHER
       This is the story of Yosemite railroad wreck as told by a survivor who resides in San Diego:

       MERCED, June 26. - We left El Portal at 8 p. m., on the train we were informed by the porter that the train the night before had run off the track. At 10 o'clock p. m. I retired. A few minutes later a hard jolt and grinding noise brought me to my feet.

       Half dressed I rushed out and saw the Pullmans on the edge of a 50 or 60 foot embankment, while down below the passenger, smoking car and baggage coaches were nearly half submerged in Merced river. The engine was off the track, but safe.

       A small blaze below showed where the cars were, but this soon went out as the water rose, and I found out later it was the only kerosene lamp that did not go out till the rising water reached it.


CARS TURN UPSIDE DOWN
       The cars had turned upside down. The smoker broke open completely and the conductor was throw into the river. His body has not been found.

       Grabbing a light from a porter, I rushed down and slipped to the side of the day coach and helped a man out. Calling for help, I soon had three or four good men with me. We pulled out of that window eight women and three men, all badly bruised and nearly helpless.


SEVERAL WOMEN BADLY HURT
       The brakeman's legs were broken. One woman has a fractured hip and is hurt internally. Several women are badly hurt. One poor fellow from British Columbia is so badly injured he will surely die.

       Altogether are two dead, one or two probably fatally or seriously injured and eight or nine slightly injured.

       If the wreck had taken fire it would have been too horrible to contemplate. The engineer came down and helped. On asking him, if anything had been done to secure aid, he said, "No."

       So Mr. H. B. Griffiths, a lawyer from Oakland, started to flag a log train we had passed a short time before and it was none too soon, as we were on a bad curve.

HURT IN RUN FOR AID
       At the engineer's request I started for Bagby, the nearest station, nearly six miles below, for help. It was the worst walk and run down that dark, black canyon I ever experienced. On my way down I strained my leg, but not seriously, by stepping through a hole in the dark while going over a high trestle.

       At Bagby I telephoned for a train, doctor, etc. and four or five hours after the accident they arrived, all doing everything possible to help the injured.

       Special mention should be made of H. B. Griffith and S. A. Warner, both of Oakland; also Mrs. Z. W. Potter and Mrs. Mabel MacBride, Y. W. C. A., both of Oakland, and Dr. Susan Harris Hamilton of Mountain King, near the accident. These three women, all school teachers and nurses, for five hours did wonderful work in helping the injured.