The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-09-22
TWO MINUTES IN HADES.
A Graphic Account of the Railroad
Accident.

A private letter from one of the
Madison Square people, gives the fol
lowing particulars Of he accident re
ferred to in yesterdays HERALD. 1t
seems that the company was only two
and half hours late instead of six, and
that they played Colorado Springs after
all:
Il suppose you have heard of our
accident in the Black Canyon yesterday
morning. sent you a telegram an
nouncing our safety. But it was the
closest CALI l ever had. 1 was stand
ing in the front part of the observation
car, next to Maud Harrison, and could
see the track in front. We were goi,,g
a.. a criminal rate of speed, for We WeI
nearly two hours late; suddenly q msn
said Were off the track The car il.
front made a lurCh to the left and back
the brakeman seized the cord and
threw his whole weight upon it: il
broke, and felt that our chauc. ,,.I
lie broke with it. There were abou,
100 people Standlng on the observation
Car. ne Car dLCdO VI Us w as flL
all we could see The ties were hying
i'll splinters mixed with the dus.
underneath the train. The car ahead
of US was topping over from right 10
left at a fearful rate. 1t made one fear
ful Iurch and 1 knew if it capsizad
there would be no nope for US, buta
projecting rock struck it on the fore
corner left hand, tearing off the corner
and portion OF the roof, but knocking
it back on the lies again. By this time
our hind wheels were off and we wer.
shaking over the ties and SWaying from
right to left. This lasted about tWD
minutes. But it seemed q century.
Miss Harrison, when the rope broke
gave big sob, buried her face in her
hands and tainted. l held her in my
arms and tried to console her. But in
imagination l saw all our manglgd
bodies lying in the canyon below.
However, it finally became known 20
the engineers that something was
wrong III the rear, and they slowed up
and stopped. Then nearly all Il e
women had Mysteries while all the men
stood with blanched faces and trembling
limbs. We, of course, had to do what we
could to quiet the women. and then
tried to find out what had occurred.
The two cars Immediately pre-
ceding the observation car were
the only ones injured. Our car
was all right. But those two cars had
an awful time-sides knocked in. roof
torn off, all the iTon-Work underneath
and wheels smashed, while the insides
presented "a picture of dismay: stove
upset. baggage, bottles, lunch baskets
clothing, Water-tanks, everything scat
tered about in confusion. After a deal
of trouble they were uncoupled and we
went on, leaving them there. The pa
per calls 1t an unavoidable accident. 1t
was reckless and criminal to run at that
rate of speed. The porter of our car
had spoken twice before that morning
of the speed and the length OF the train.
He shook his back head and seemed 10
feel very uneasy, and he'd made the
rip seyenty-iYe times, be told US.
Well. we reached here aC 8 30. two snd
d hall hours late, without any other az.
cident beyond knocking the horn off
poor cow near Pueblo. The audience
waited and at $50 We began Saints and
Sinners, finishing at u. | had but
three hours sleep on train Friday night
and the excitement of the day ana the
long journey, and an empty stomach
somewhat lnIerlt red, I'm afrai w1ra
my artist rendition of my part. But
l got to the hotel at 1870 and ate and
d ank for the first time in ten hours
feel aWfully tired to-day, so tired that
my head aches. Though my face Wa,
blanched yesterday, | felt no fear ~
death. but that 1 might become 4 man
gled cripple seemed uLpeTmost in nv
thoughts, and l didn't want that. !
stood perfectly quiet, b, lding hard
and saw everything; but when we be
gan to slow up, took q long breath
and when We stopped my heart began
10 beat again. 1t was a terrible expert
enCe from the TACT Of our utter helpless
ness. One could do nothing but face
and take it, which We all did. think
manfully. Everybody, women and all.
behaved Splendidly; but a quiet seri
BUSINESS settled down upon US all and
nobody ventUred a joke fJr an hour O,
two. But nearly everybody took :.
quiet drink, and We needed it. And /
think have reason to thank God that
l am here this quiet Sunday morning.
p. 81 have read the newspaper re
port again. But it was no unavoidable
accident" II was downright crimina
carelessnes and the engineer should
have been IynCEed on the spot. We
were going st about thirty miles an
hour, and in the time we were off the
track We went 8 quarter of a mile;
some OF the passengers went back and
measured it. Ii is almost impossible to
get anything into a paper here reflect
ing on railroad management No long
train on those light rails should be per-
United by law to go at over fifteen
miles an hour oyer = ose dangerous
places. l want no mole of it in mine"
From g Denver newspaper we learn
that c numerical tourist named Bar
ney was badly hurt by jumping from
the cars; it is not thought that this is
the Barney known intimately here-the
rier Of NJ 8 y Tao sdal