June 27, 1914
Mariposa Gazette

DISASTROUS WRECK
Fatal Accident on Y. V. Railroad --- Several Passengers Killed.

       The most disastrous wreck in the history of the Yosemite Railroad Company, occurred on Thursday night when two coaches enroute from El Portal to Merced were overturned at Eagle gulch, a point opposite the mouth of Sherlock creek.

       Details of the accident are not obtainable here as we go to press and the exact cause of the accident is not known.

       County Surveyor S. J. Harris, who was a passenger on the train, was caught in the debris while in the water and all efforts to extricate him were in vain. He remained in this position for about two hours before death relieved his sufferings.

       Conductor Mahoney, who was in charge of the train, is missing and it is believed he was thrown into the river. About 200 passengers were aboard the train and a large number were seriously injured.

       Doctors and nurses were rushed to the scene of the accident by special train as soon as possible and the injured persons taken to Merced, where they are being made comfortable as possible.

       The latest news to reach Mariposa is that one of the injured died while being taken to the hospital and that two others are not expected to survive.





Saturday, June 27, 1914
MERCED EVENING SUN

INTERESTING EXPERIENCES OF

THOSE ABOARD WRECKED Y. V.
TRAIN COME TO LIGHT TODAY

Remarkable Escapes From Death or Injury and Acts of Courage Are
Features of Merced River Canyon Accident. --- Wreckage Shoved
Aside and Trains Resume Regular Schedules. --- Body of J. C.
Mahoney Not Found. --- Injured Are Doing Well.

       The aftermath of Thursday night's fatal wreck on the Yosemite Valley railroad today brought to light a few more interesting facts and incidents that otherwise the situation changed but little in the past 24 hours. The body of S. J. Harris was taken the wreckage yesterday afternoon and removed to Mariposa for burial this morning. The body of Conductor J. C. Mahoney has not been located, although searching parties are at work on both sides of the Merced river for some distance below the scene of the wreck. All the injured passengers in the county hospital here are doing very well and there is little likelihood of further deaths. The wreckage has not been entirely removed, but the Y. V. track has been opened and all trains are running practically on regular schedule today.

       The statement has been published widely that Harris was pinned fast in the wreckage and was drowned slowly as the river rose. This is not borne out by local people who were present. It was true that Harris was in the water and that the water crept up close to his neck, but it did not cover his head and death came not in the form of drowning.

       Mrs. C. A. Kimbly, whose residence was given as Ventura, left the county hospital yesterday and went to Los Angeles on the 4:40 p.m. Southern Pacific train. Mrs. Kimbly resided in Ventura but a short time, and has since returned to Los Angeles, where she made her home for many years.

       Brakeman M. J. Hickey is the most seriously injured of those at the hospital. His condition is still doubtful, although it is not considered dangerous at this time.

Remarkable Escape
       Perhaps the most remarkable escape from death or injury of any one on the ill-fated train was that of Robert Stites, a car repairer in the employ of the company, who was returning from El Portal. Stites was riding in the combination car in a seat opposite Conductor Mahoney when the crash came. Before he realized what was happening he found himself in the cold waters of the river. The top of the car had been jerked off, just as though a stick of dynamite had been place under it, and Stites was pitched out through the space where the roof had been. He landed clear of the wreckage and neck deep in the water. He was dazed for a moment, then collected himself, looked back and saw the engine standing on the track alone and the first two cars piled up on the river bank. He realized then that there had been a wreck. He swam ashore uninjured and joined in the work of helping the injured.

       It is Stites opinion the Conductor Mahoney was pitched through the open roof of the car in the same manner, but was stunned when he hit the water so could not swim out.

Fireman Leonard's Acts.
       None of the many acts of bravery and presence of mind at Thursday night's Y. V. wreck was more consequence than that of Fireman James Leonard, who probably prevented a heavy logging train from crashing into the rear of the Pullman cars. As soon as the engine of No. 3 was stopped, Leonard jumped out of the cab, grabbed red lantern and ran far up the track to flag the oncoming logging train. He then returned to the scene of the wreck and performed a second act of note. He almost succeeded in saving the life of S. J. Harris, who was pinned tight between the two wrecked cars and more than waist deep in the icy waters of the Merced river. Leonard tried in vein to free Harris, and then seeing that this was impossible, turned his attention to keeping Harris from drowning. He held Harris' head above the water, all the time still trying to free Harris' legs, until he found that the best and only thing to do was to prop Harris' head up above the water, which had been rising until it reached his neck. Harris died before the water reached his head and when death came his head was still above water.
Woman Assists Friend.
       Mrs. I. A. Boho, a pretty little matron of Fresno, was one of the passengers in the overturned day coach with her friend Miss Nell Hedrick of Fresno. When the crash came and the car rolled over into the water, Mrs. Boho scrambled to her feet and made her way to an opening, the only avenue of escape in reach. But instead of ?? out alone, she returned to where Miss Hedrick lay with a injured ankle and although the water was almost knee deep in the car, assisted her friend to the opening, helped her out first and then drew herself out of the car to safety.
Miss Hedrick's Story.
       Miss Nell Hedrick of Fresno who was in the car that went into the river tells a very clear story of what happened after the first crash.

       "Mrs. Boho and I had been in the Valley for about ten days" said Miss Hedrick yesterday afternoon, "and left Camp Curry Thursday afternoon by stage for El Portal. We reached El Portal and while waiting at the station for the train we heard people talking about the derailment of the train a day or two previous. I thought nothing more of the accident until about 10:30 Thursday night when there was sudden jar and the car started to go over several bumps. After running along on the ties for a short distance the cars seemed to break away from the engine. Then the car that I was in started to slant down at the front end and went over the embankment. There was an awful crash, people shrieked, the car paused for a moment and then turned completely over and stopped bottom side up. The passengers were thrown to all parts of the car and when the car turned over lights broke and went out. We heard an explosion from the gas tanks. The water came in through the windows and was about two feet deep in the spot in the car where I was lying. The seats loosened by the wreck were directly over our heads. Several fell and one struck me on the leg. I was pinned under the broken seat until pulled out by a young man. I was passed along then out through an opening and my rescuer kissed me. I guess he mistook me for his wife.

       "I do not know how long we were in the wrecked car before relief arrived. It seemed to me it was an hour and a half. The baggage car caught fire and burned to the edge of the water. We in our car did not know but what the sparks might jump to our car. It was an awful experience. People near me cried and groaned. I could do nothing for them. I saw an old man lifted out of the car. He was covered with blood and badly cut.

       "They made stretchers out of doors from the cars and the injured were placed on these doors. The doctors in the relief train arrived at 5 o'clock in the morning and then we were taken back to Merced."

       Mrs. Boho was not seriously injured in the wreck. She was struck on the back by a flying suit case and dazed for some time. She also suffered a nervous shock because of the harrowing experience.

       Others at the scene of the wreck are inclined to the belief that Miss Hedrick was so excited and nervous that her story of what transpired was greatly exaggerated. All disagree with Miss Hedrick and the fact is that cars did not burn.

Man Who Summoned Aid.
       Colonel Edward Fletcher of San Diego, a well known writer, is the man who ran several miles down the track to Bagby and telephoned to Merced for aid. On his way down the railroad he stumbled into a hole and injured his right leg, but limpingly continued his journey to Bagby. Fletcher, according to many passengers, was the real hero of the wreck although he insists on giving praise to many others.




Saturday June 27, 1914
SAN FRANCISCO
Call and Post

FATAL YOSEMITE WRECK PROBED BY R. R. BOARD

       A searching investigation into the causes of the fatal wreck on the Yosemite Valley railroad near Bagby that resulted in two deaths and the injury of a score of persons will be made by the railroad commission. An agent of the commission, W. J. Hanford, chief service inspector, has been sent to the scene of the wreck.

       O. W. Lehmer, general manager of the road, attributes revenge of discharged Mexican employes as a possible reason for the accident. The only other theory thus far advanced as a cause for the train leaving the track and plunging into the river is the spreading of the rails.

WAS SECOND ACCIDENT
       It is known that the night before the fatal accident a train jumped the track, but at that time no damage was done.

       Colonel Edward Fletcher of San Diego, whose heroic work was instrumental in saving at least a dozen lives after the crash occurred, said today that he was convinced that three persons had been killed instead of two, as was first reported. He said that he helped to drag the body of a man weighing about 225 pounds from the wrecked day coach, and that it could not have been the body of Stonewall Jackson Harris, surveyor of Mariposa county, because Harris was a small man, weighing about 145 pounds.

BELIEVES IT WAS REVENGE
       "I am satisfied that revenge was behind the wreck," said Colonel Fletcher. "The engineer, E. S. Wilkie, told me personally that he believed such was the case. He based his opinion on the circumstances surrounding the derailment of the train the night before and on the similarity of the second disaster."

       Traffic on the Yosemite Valley railroad was resumed on schedule time this morning, the debris of the wreck having been cleared from the track. General Manager Lehmer says that trains are running as usual.

ENGINEER RESIGNS JOB
       E. S. Wilkie, the engineer of the wrecked train has tendered his resignation.

       The body of Conductor John C. Mahoney, who was hurled into the river when the train left the track, has not been recovered. It is thought it may have been carried a long distance below the scene of the wreck by the rapidly rushing waters of the Merced.

       Most of the survivors of the wreck, including the injured, have reached their homes or other destinations. Among them are Mr. and Mrs, E. L. Hueter of San Francisco, who were standing on the back platform of the car in which they were riding when the accident occurred. They aided in rescuing the injured and those pinned in the wrecked cars.

       Miss Mabel Kelly of Kenosha, Wis., is in the hospital at Merced, suffering from shock and exposure, according to word received by her sister, Miss Eva Kelly, 1569 Jackson street, Oakland.

INJURED OAKLANDERS HOME
Misses Nina and Leona Hoots and their mother, Mrs. J. A. Hoots, all of whom were injured in the wreck, have returned to their home at 326 Hobart street Oakland. They were returning from the Yosemite with S. A. Warner, a contractor living at 1350 East Twenty-seventh street, Oakland, who is the fiance of Miss Nina. The car in which they were riding turned over and lay partly in the river. Warner, who was knocked senseless, recovered and passed out through a broken window the members of his own party and everybody else in the car before he would leave.