The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-09-04
DEATH ON rns RAE.
a Ferr,bls R..lFes1 Disas.sr = q

| a TerrfbLo BA3iroad Disaster In Colorado
DENVER Col. Aug eS.-A News
Greelsy special says the barnIng Of q
eircua car nine miles north of Greeley
early this morning was attrndSd with
Undesirable horrors. The burned cas-
was next to The engiae. The cars con-
contained Orton's AnRlo-American cir
Gus, which left Fort Collins about mid.
night over the Greeley, salt Lake and
| Pacific road. The train was Hsrtne
| Windsor, small station near Greeley,
running about twenty-five miles an
hour, when Engineer COilepEiest. discoE.
cred car on fre, reversed the enGInE
and threw opened the whistle valve.
There were 60 men in the car, arranged
in three tisrs OF bertbs on either side.
The forward side door was closed, and
the men who aWOke discovered the
lower unOecupied beFths next 70
It, containing rubbish, on fire,
ming the car with smoke and cutting
on escape in that direction. The only
means of egress was through 3 small
| window between the car and engine.
John Pine, OF EdgertOn, Wis, and El-
mer Milet, of Iowa, craWled through
the opening and tried % pass In water
from the engine tank. Owing to the
sutocatiDg gases II was difficult "a arouse
| the sleepers. eome were kicked and
bruised in q shocking manner and pitch
| ed out of the window. The screams Of
| those unable to get through the block.
aded aperture were terrifying
The wild glare Of flames and the light
OF the cars showed the victims outside,
who writhed in agony on the cactus beds
| and caused the wild beasts in the ad.
joining car to become frantic with terror,
| making the scene appalling. The per-
formers who occupied q rear car, gszed
! with white faces at the awful spectacle.
In the midst of the confusion
two or three heroic souls appeared equal
70 the occasion and bravelY cut away 70
their companions to hnd them already
IN the agonies of death. Albert Lake,
In charge of the animals, and Mr.. Kent,
walked over the cactus In their bare feet
pouring buckets of oil on the blistered
unfOrtunates and wrapped them IN blan-
kets.
An old Pacific coast sailor named w.
Mcdonald, formerly Of Forepaugh's was
frIgh fully burned, the flesh hanging In
shreds. The neartrending cries of The
men on the prairie, the smOthered Sap-
peals OF the dying within the car, the
roar of the flames aud IhefhoWlIDg of the
animals, made 3 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 Greedy for assistance, returning
with DR.. Jesse Halves. president of the
State Medical association.
Many of the rescued, on being pulled
through the small window, had limbs
broken, joints dislocated, and hands and
feet burned of. The roasted trunk of one
body was found with the legs of another.
The flesh was roasted from the shriveled
carcssses pulled out OF the ruins. At
daylight the bodies were carried into
Greedy tor inierment. The county COM
missioneTs buried the remains IN q huge
coffin, Z feet vide and 10 feet long, in
Greedy cemetery. ReY. Mr.. Reed, of
the PRESBYTERIAN church, conducted the
funeral services. The coroner empaneI.
ed jury who were unable to learn the
cause of the fire or any important facts
as the manager with the remainder of
the company left Immediately for Col
den to I'LL an afternoon engagement. It
is impossible to get a complete list of
the dead, ss many were engaged but q
day or two and their names were un-
known.