title: Death in the desert. The sabotage-derailment of "The City of San Francisco".
abstract: The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 was a milestone in American history. Seventy years later in August 1939, the westbound, new Southern Pacific Railroad streamlined passenger train "City of San Francisco," was intentionally derailed at high speed in northern Nevada by saboteurs who had moved a rail out of alignment. This resulted in a spectacular wreck, claiming the lives of 24 passengers and crew. Despite the finding of physical and trace evidence; and lengthy, exhaustive investigations by railroad police, the FBI, and forensic scientists, the perpetrators were never brought to justice. Deaths resulting from vandalism and sabotage are among the least common of railroad-related deaths; however, acts of vandalism and violence including train derailment are increasingly frequent in this country. Law enforcement officers and forensic scientists must be able to place these incidents in their proper perspective and to successfully investigate and solve them by employing all means at their disposal.
mesh_terms: D003415:Crime; D004190:Disasters; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009505:Nevada; D011890:Railroads / Q000266:history*