Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-30
INDISPENSABLE HORRORS.
TEN MEN PERISH IN 4 BURN
NE RAILROAD CAR.
Caught Like Rats in Trap-De-
tails Of the Disaster-Ap-
pailing Scenes.
SPECIAL pY TELEGRAPH TO THE REcoRD-Us1oy. |

!SHENlAl III ltitOhA1lI ~ tsCNCEAD-
DENVER (Col.), August 29th.-At IL
o clock last night train belonging to the
Anglo-American circus, Miles Orion, pro-
prietor left Fort Collins for Golden via the
Greeley, Salt Lake and Pacific road. Forty
minutes later, when near Greeley, the
sleeping-car, in which rs men employed as
roustabouts in the circus were asleep,
caught fire and was wholly consumed. Ten
men persisted Two were serious and five
were slightly burned. The fire was COM
municated from an open torch, with which
the car was lighted, to a quantity of gaso-
line which was being carried in the same
car, causing an explosion. 1t is impossible
to learn names at present. It's believed
that the employees of the circus were en-
tirely responsible for the accident.
Details of the Disaster.
DENVER, August 29th.-The Ne1cs' Gree
lev special says The burning Of the circus
car nine miles north of Greeley was attend
ed with indescribable horrors. The burned
car was next to the engine in a train of sew
enteen cars, containing the Orton's Anglo
American circus, which left Fort Collins
about midnight for Golden, over the Gree
lev, Salt Lake and Pacific road. The train
was nearing Windsor, a small station near
Greeley. running about 25 miles an hour,
when the engineer, Collepriest, discovered
the car on fire. He reversed the engine
and threw open the whistle valve. There
were sixty men in the car, arranged in
three tiers of berths on either side. The
forward side door was closed, and the men
in the hunks were sleeping against it. The
rear side door was also closed and the men
who awoke discovered the lower unoccu-
pied berth next to it, containing rubbish,
on fire, filling the car with smoke and cut
ting off escape in that direction.
THE ONLY MEANS OF EGREss
Was through small window between the
car and engine John Pine, of EdgertOn,
Wis, and Almer Millet, of Iowa, crawled
through the opening and tried to pass in
water from the engine tank. Owing to the
suffocating gases it was difficult TO arouse
the sleepers. Some were kicked and
bruised in a shocking manner and pitched
out of the windows. The screams of those
unable to get through the blockaded aper-
ture were terrifying The wild glare of the
flames the light of the burning victims
outside who were writhing in agony on the
cactus beds, caused the wild beasts in the
adjoining car to become frantic with terror,
making the scene appalling. The per-
formers, who occupied the rear cars, gazed
Il. g, ln n 10
In the midst of the confusion two or three
heroic souls appeared equal to the occasion,
and bravely cut their way to their compa-
Mons, to find them already in the agony of
death. Albert Lake in charge of the ami
mails, and his friend Kent,
WALKED OVER THE CACTUS IN BARE FEET
Pouring buckets of oil on the blistered un
fortunates, and wrapped them III blankets.
An old Pacific coast sailor named Melon
aid, formerly Of Forepaughs show, was
terribly burned, the flesh hanging in shreds.
The heartrending cries of the men on the
prairie smothcred the appeals of the dying
in the car. The roaring of the flames and
the bowling Of the animals made the scene
terrible beyond description. The odor of
roasting flesh, and the distant cry of the
coyotes added to the general horror of the
scene. The voices of the dying grew
fainter and soon ceased Meantime the
engine had gone to Greeley for assistance
returning with Dr. Jesse Hawes, President
of the State Medical Association. Many of
the rescued, in being pulled through the
small window, had their limbs broken,
Joints dislocated. and hands and feet were
found burned off.
ROASTED TRUNKS OF BODIES
Were found in one place, lees in another
and piles of roasted, shriveled carcasses
pulled out of the ruins.
At daylight a fiat-car carried the shat
tered charred bodies into Greeley for inter
ment. The County Commissioners buried
the remains in a huge coffin, seven feet
wide by ten feet long in the Greeley Gene
terry Rev Mr.. Reed, OF the Presbyterian
Church, conducted the funeral services.
The Coroner impaneled a jury, who were
unable to learn the cause ofthe fire, OF any
important facts
As the managers, with the remainder of
the company, left Immediately for Golden,
tofll the afternoon engagement. Itisimpos-
sibe to get a complete list of the dead, as
many were engaged but day or two.
The names the dead as learned, are as
follows: Alex Mcleod, of Marinette,
Wis., Thomas McCarberry, of Independ-
ence, Ia; John Kelly, OF New York city,
otherwise known as Silvcrthorn :"
Frenchy Frank, George Smith.
LIST OF THE INJURED.
Following is the list of the circus car fire
victims taken to ST. Lukes Hospital in this
city E. E. Fairbanks, aged %, arms legs
and face badly burned; Albert Borden,
aged II, of Logan, Kansas, arms and face
badly burned Thomas Golden, aged Il, of
Detroit. Michigan, very badly burned on
back and legs; n. J. Zimmerman, aged Is,
of ST. Louis, Mich, arms, legs back and
face fcarfully burned; Frank King, of Me
nominee, Mich, badly burned about the
hands and feet; Michael McGlinn. aged %,
of Hoton. Mich, face and hands badly
burned; Hugh O'Donnell, aged SO, of New
Orleans La, badly burned about the face,
arms, hands and back, and will probably
die.
\ number of the rescued agree that in
the car were two barrels of gasoline, which
were exploded either by the shocks from
the engine, or from naked torch with
which the men were accustomed TO light
themselves TO bed.
Another FrightfuI Accident.
WHEELING wv. va, August GOTH
night, at II O'Clock, freight
train on the Cleveland, Lorraine and Wheel