Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-05-05
RailrOatling in Il Gale.
TRAIN TIrrED FRoM THE TRACK ny THE
WIND IN COLORADO.


From the Denver (Col } Tribune, April 26
Yesterday a reporter for the Tribune met
Mr.. w. b. Meycnesch, a woll-known TYPO,
who was among the passengers on the Denver
and South Park train blown oil the track near
Como last week. On asking tor the particu-
lars of the affair, he responded a. follows:
at was what you might call lucky ac-
cident: lucky for the reason that it happened
just when it did and as it did. because no one
was hurt to amount to anything. The wind
was first noticed rs being high when the train
reached Buena Vista. 1t kept on Increasing
in fury. and when the train reached Gerands,
in the South Park, there was regular hUrri-
cane blowing. got on the train at Gerands.
From there to Como is only short run
through the park, but it was three hours lhe-
fore got through. TIE wind was blowing
in squalls. At times it would slack mp, and
the train would jump ahead AS if something
had pushed il. Again the wind would strike
us, and the train would tremble and almost
stop. 1t was just rs if some giant hand had
taken hold of it and was pulling back
IL was very odd sensation. Every one
could feel the resistance to the train. The
engineer said he felt all the time As though
he were pulling dozen trains ut once. For
10 minutes before the accident Conductor
Patten was very nervous. We asked him it
over. lie said he thought not. but he was
afraid it would force a wheel of or break it.
He stood in the Smoker with his hand on the
bell-rope, ready it anything happened. The
brakeman was sent back into the coach with
instructions to do the same. The passengers
in the smoker were all young fellows. We
were chatting about what we would do
if the train blew over. Mr.. Egbert was in
the rear coach. He asked the chief engineer
what he should do il the train blew over
The engineer said he should stand by the
closet, so that nothing would fall on him.
and he took that position. Mr.. Egbcrt warn
ed him that the stove would catch him. and
he had just moved from the place when the
train went over.
The smoker went first. Ii tipped in the
easiest way imaginable. The conductor veil
ed, Here we go, every one caught hold of
the seats, and the car just naturally lay down
on its side. The strain twisted the draw-bar
off between the smoker and the baggage car
The engineer reversed his engine and stopped
within two car lengths. BY that time the
mail car and coach were both over. As soon
as we lit looked around and saw every one
hanging to the seats. | looked for the fire,
and saw that the rear stove had empted into
the closet opposite. Then climbed out the
window. went to the door, and by the time
got there the conductor had got il open. The
fire put out at once. We then
went to the coach to see if anv
one was injured, and found that the only
damage was that little bow had got his lin
cut on a broken pane of glass. The coach
had struck on a tie and broken in two We
then started forward. The first man who
tried to cross to the baggage car was knocked
down by the wind We got across as best
we could. When we reached the baggage
81, rhf l,.,l L.