The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-09-05
A HOLOCAUST.
Car Load OF Men Burned Near Greeley,
Colorado.


A Car Load OF Men Burned Near Greeley,
Colorado.
A Wild and Horrible Midnight Scene With a
Circus.
DENVER, Col, August 29.-At II O'Clock
last night a train belonging to the Anglo.
American Circus, Miles orion proprietor
left Fort Collins for Golden via Greeley,
Salt Lake and the Pacific road. Forty min
utes later, when near Greeley, q sleeping
car, In which there were seventy-fve men,
employed As roustabouts OF the circus, were
asleep, caught fire and was wholly consumed.
Ten men persisted. Two men were serious
ly and five slightly burned. The fire was
communicated from an open torch, with
which the car was lighted, to quantity Of
gasolene, which was being carried in the
same car, causing an explosion. 1t Is i'm
possible to learn the names OF the burned
men at present. 1t is believed the employees
of the circus are entirely responsible for the
accident.
DENVER, Aug. 29.-The Ne,us, Greeley:
The burning of the circus car, nine miles
north of Greeley, was attended with indie
scribable horrors. The burned car was next
to the engine in train of seventeen cars,
containing Orton's Anglo American circus,
which left Fort Collins about midnight for
Golden, over the Greeley, Salt Lake & Pa.
ci6c road. The train was nearing Windsor,
a small station near Greeley, running 25
miles an hour, when Engineer Colleprisst
discovered the car on fire, and reversed the
engine and threw open the whistle valve.
There were
in the car, arranged ia three tiers Of berths
on either side. The forward door was closed
and the men In their hunks were sleeping
against 1t. The rear side door was also
closed, and the men who awoke discovered
the lower unoccupied berth next to it, con-
tanning rubbish, on fire, filling the car with
smoke, and cutting off escape In that drec-
ton.
THE ONLY MEANS OF EGRESs
was through a small window between the
ca: and engine. John Pine, of Edgerton,
WIS, and Elmer Millet, of Iowa, crawled
though the opening and tried to pass in wa
ter from the engine tank. Owing to the suf-
floating gases 1t was difficult to arouse the
slsepers. Some were bruised in = shocking
manner, and pitched out of the window.
The screams Of those unable to get through
the blockaded aperture were terrifying. The
wild glare Of the flames and the sight of the
burned victims outside who were writhing
with agony on cactus beds, caused the wild
beasts in the adjoining car to become fran
tic with terror. The performers who occu-
pied the rear cars gazed with white faces at
the awful spectacle. In the midst Of the
confusion two or three heroic fellows ap-
peared equal TO the occasion and bravely cut
their way to their companions to find them
Already in the agonies Of death. Albert
Lake, In charge Of the animals, and his
friend Kent, walked over the cactus In their
bare feet pouring buckets Of oil on the bis
tered unfortunates and wrapped them In
blankets. An old Pacific coast sailor named
Mcdonald, formerly Of Forepaugh's show,
vas terribly burned, his flesh hanging in
shrt ds.
THE HEARTRENDING CRIES
of the men on the prairie were smothered
ty the appeals Of the dying in the car. The
roar Of the flames and the bowling Of the
animals made the scene terrible beyond de-
the distant cry Of the coyotes, added to the
general horror Of the scene. The voices OF
the dying grew fainter and soon ceased. In
the meantime the engine had gone to Gree
ley for assistance, returning with DR.. Jesse
Halves, President of the State Medical As
ISOLATION. Many Of the rescued in being
pulled through the small windows had their
limbs broken and joints dislocated, and
hands were found burned of.
ROASTED TRUNKS
and bodies were found in one place, legs in
another, and piles Of roasted, shriveled car
cases were pulled out of the ruins. At day
light fat car carried the shattered, charrsd
bodies into Greeley for interment. The
county commissioners buried the remains In
q huge coffin seven feet wide and ten feet
long in the Greeley cemetery. Rev. Mr..
Reid, of the Presbyterian church, conducted
the funeral services. The coroner impan-
nelled jury who were uhsble 10 learn the
cause Of the fire or any important facts, as |
the managers with the remainder of the |
left Immediately for Golden to fill |
an afternoon engagement. 1t Is impossible |
to get complete list of the deaths, as many
were engaged for q day or two, and their |
names were unknown. The names of the
dead as learned are as follows: Alex Nc.
Leod, Mannette, Wis; Thos. McCarboy, Of
Iowa; John Kelley, of New |
York City, and the others were known as
Andy, Frenchy, Frank, George
and Smithie, and one unknown.
The following Is list of the sufferers by
he circus car fire now at St. Luke's hospital
N this city: E. Z. Fairbanks, aged 20, arms,
egs and face badly burned; Albert Borden,
,ged II, Logan, KS, arms and face badly
burned Thomas Golden, aged II, Detroit,
Mich, very badly burned on the back and
egs; N. J. Siemmenman, aged Is, st. Louis,
No., arms, legs, back and face fesrfully
'urned; Frank King, of Memominse, Mich,
'adly burned about the head and feet Nj
hael McGleDn, aged %, Hatton, Mich, face
md hands badly burned; Hugh O'Donnell,
go SO, New Orleans, La, badly burned
bout the face, arms, hands and back, and
will probably die. A number of the res
ued agree that In the car were two barrels
4 gasoline, which were exploded either by
parks from the engine or from q naked
orch with which the men were accustomed
o light themselves to bed.
Union Pacific Changes.
New YORK, August 2S.-At meeting Of
L tn A