The Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (New Albuquerque, N.M.) 1882-1884, 1884-08-30
A CHANGED PROGRAMME.
OrtOn's Anglo American Circus SuF-
fers Serious Fire.
A NUMBER OF PERSONS BURNED.
The Case of Conspiracy Against Gov
Ireland. of Texas. and Others,
Observation-Disclosures News.



Greeley special says: The burning of the
circus car nine miles north of Greeley was
attended with ndescribable horrors. The
burned car was next to The engine in the
train of seventeen cars containing Orton's
Anglo-Ameriean circus, which left Fort
Collins about midnight FOR Golden. over
the Greeley, Salt Lake = Pacific railroad.
The train was nearing Windsor, small
station near Greeley, running about 20
miles per hour, when Engineer Collepriest
discovered the car on fire. He reversed
the engine and threw open the whistle
valve. There were sixty men in the car,
in three tiers of berths on either
side. The forward side door was closed
and the men in the hunks sleeping
against it. The rear side door was
also closed, ,and the men who
awake discovered the lower unoccupied
berths next to it containing rubbish to be
on fire, filling the car with smoke and
cutting off escape in that direction. The
only means of egress was through the
small window between the car and engine.
John Pine, Edgerton, Wis, and Elmer
Mtllet, Iowa, crawled4 through the open
ing and tried to pass in water from the
engine tank. Owing to the gasses 1t was
difficult to arouse the sleepers and some
were kicked and bruised in shocking
manner as they passed out of the win
dow. The screams Of those unable to
get through the blockade were terrifying.
The wild glare of the flames of light and
the screams of the burned victims who
we're writhing in agony on the cactus
beds caused the wild beasts
n hArn01a
frantic with terrbr making the
scene appalling. The performers
who occupied the rear car gazed with
white faces upon the awful spectacle. In
the midst Of the confusion two or three
heroic souls we're equal to the occasion and
bravely cut their way to their companions
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 buckets of
oil on the blistered, unfortunates, and
wrapping them in blankets. An old Paci-
fic coast sailor. named Mcdonald, former
ly of Forepaugh's show, was terribly
burned, the flesh hanging in shreds The
heartrending cries of the men on the
prairie, smothered the appeals of the dy-
ing within the car. Tlse rear efthe flames
and howling of the animals made scene
terrible beyond description. The odor Of
roasting flesh and distant cry of the coy
otes added to the general horror of the
scene The voices of the dying grew
fainter and soon ceased. Men have gone
to Greeley for assistance and are return
ing with DIR. Jesse Hawes, president Of the
state medical association. Many of the
rescued in being pulled through the
small window had limbs broken and
Joints distorted. The hands and feet of
some were found burned off. The roasted
trunks of bodies were found in one place
and the legs in another. Piles of roasted
and shriveled carcasses were pulled out
of the ruins. At daylight fiat car car
ried the charred bodies into Greeley for
interment. The county commissioners
buried the remains in a hugh coffin
seven feet wide and about ten
Reed, of the Presbyterian church, con-
Quoted the funeral services. The coroner
empanelled a jury, who were unable to
learn the cause of the fire or any import
ant facts, as the managers with the re-
mainder of the company left Greeley fol-
| Golden to fill an afternoons engagement
J It is impossible to obtain list ofthe dead
as many were engaged but day or two
! The names of the dead, so far as learned
are as follows: Alex. Mcleod. Marientte
Wis. Thos. Mccarthy, independence, la.
John Kelly, New York city. and Others
known as 'Silverthorn," !" "Andy, Frank,
"Frenchy," George, ''Smithie," and one
unknown.
DENVER, Aug. 2o-The following is a
list of the sufferers of the circus car fire
now at ST. Luke's hospital. in this city
+. f. Fairbanks. age p, arms, legs and
face badly burned: Albert Borden, age II,
arms and face badly burned: Thomas
Golden, age II, Detroit, Mich, very bad
ly burned on the back and legs; N. J.
Zimmerman, age 10. St. Louis, arms, legs
back and face fearfuily burned; F. Sank
king, age n, Menomeoee, Mich, badly
burned about the hanus and feet
Michael McGlynn, age 28, Hollen, Mich.
face and hands badly burned; Hugh
O'Donnell, age 50, New Orleans, La.
badly burned about the face, arms, hands
and back. He will probably die. A
number of the rescued agree that in the
car were two barrels of gasoline, which
were exploded either by sparks from the
engine, or from naked torch with which
the men were accustomed to light them
selves to bed.