The Portland daily press., 1884-08-30
BURNED TO DEATH.
Terrible Scene on a Railroad in
Colorado.
SEVERAL PASSENGERS PERISH
I'm A BLAZING SLEEPING CAR.

DENVER, Col, Aug. ga dispatch from Greedy
10 the News says the burning of circus car nine
miles north of Greedy was attended with indescriba-
Die horrors. The burned car next to the engine in
train of Ii cars, containing Orton's Anglo-Amer-
lean circus, which left Fort Collins about midnight
last night for Golden, over the Greedy Salt Lake g.
Facinc railroad. The train was nearing Windsor,
small station near Greedy and was running at the
rate of twenty-five miles an hour when Engineer
Caileprist discovered the to be on fire and at
once reversed his engine and three open the throttle
ValVe. There were 60 men in the car arranged in
three tiers of hunks on either side The forward
SIDE door was closed and the men in their bnnks
were sleeping against it. The rear side door was
also closed and the men who awoke discovered a
lower unoccuped birth next to it containing rub
Dish on fire. filling the car with smoke and cutting
on escape in that direction. The means of segress
was Through a small vii dow between the car and
engine. John Pike Edgerton of Wisconsin and Ell
mer M1llet of Iowa crowded through this opening
ana Tried to pass in water from the engine tank but
owing to the sutfocating gases IL was difficult to
arouse the sleepers and some were kicked and
bruised IN shocking manner and pitched out of
the window. The screams of those unable TO get
through the blockade to the aperture were terrfy-
ing while the wild glare of the flames and the sight
OF burning victims outside who lay writhing in
agony on the cactus beds caused the wild beasts IN
the adjoining cars to become frantic with terror
making the scene an appalling Que. The perform
eIs VINO occupied the gazed with white fac
In the midst of the confusion two or three heroic
souls appeared equal TO the occasion. They bravely
cut their way to their companions but only to find
them already in the agony of death. Albert Lake,
in charge of the animals, and his friend Kent,
walked over the cactus in bare feet, pouring buck
cts of oil on the blstered unfortunates and wrap
ping them in blankets. An old Pacific coast sol
der named Mcdonald, formerly of Forepaugh's
show, was terribly burned Heart-rending cries of
men on15he prairie smoehered the appeals of the
dying within the car, and the roaring flames and
bowling animals made the situation terrible beyond
description.
The engine had gone to Greedy for assistance, and
returned with DR.. Jessie Haines. Many of the res
cued, in being pulled through the small windows of
the car. had their limbs broken and their joints
dis ocated. AT daylight, a fiat car carried
the charred bodies to Greedy for interment. County
commissioners buried the remains in a coffin seven
feet wide and ten feet long. coroner impannelled
jury but theywere unable to learn the cause of the
fire or any important facts the managers with the
remainder of the company left Immediately for
Golden to fill an afternoon engagement 1t is i'm
possible to get complete list of the dead. AS far
az learned the list is as follows: Alex. Mcleod,
Marincete Wis. Thomas Kelly, New York city;
and others known only as "Silver Thorn" "Andy,s'
"Frenchy,'' Frank GEORGE and '"Smiihie
and one unknown. A half dozen OF the injured are
lying in a hospital here.