The Meeker herald., 1888-05-19
A HORRIBLE WRECK.
3
A Train smod bed. and then
Blown Up With Giant
Powser.
why cons,,na NJ Not suppor, ,n.
riumed KnIsl in the Cam.
pals" 'ssi'

L.ApSILLH, Ma8i-A special tole.
gram to the Eveslp pg Chronicle here
dated at Colorado prings, says: The
through freight IN ot tho Atchispn,
Topeka and Santa arrived here this
morning. The q ne was detached
from the train to Z steii out cars for this
place and ieadvllt During the inter
val train OF ioust cars started down
| n ni.,ct. ura.ls sosa(U M. sa'-..~ ES......z
nrrpui, passenger uain had stopped nj
Fountain station, twelve nile, below
here. The train crcw on the Thunder
bolt, seeing the approach of tie runa-
way train, gave the alarm 10 the Tassen-
gers, and before the collision took place
all the people escaped from the .rsIn.
There was no time 81 gel the passenger
train of the main tracs so the crew did
the only thing That remained for them
10 do to save human lives. The runn-
way freight struck the passenger train
while running at u speed OF sixty miles
an hour. and bu, for the presence Of
mind OF the Thunderbolt crew, many
more lives would hays been lost. There
were two railway men In the ctb1oso of
the runaway train. WHO were oil duty,
taking free ride, and were asleep al
the time. They wcfc uslcrrl INTO an
other world without Consciousness Of
the cause. Tho peopl. Of Fountain
seeing n collision Inevitable, rushed iu
III. depot while the passengers were
fleeing from II; one OF them WAS - badly
injured that he has since died. There
w.r. twelve other citizens injured.
Among the fourteen runaway ears there
WAS one containing 3o,c'J pounds Of
gian, powder, consigned Ia II. II. Tom
kins' Hardware company. LcaJyillr.
An explosion Of the powder immedi'
aicly followed tho collision. which
shook the ground Tot miles. People
locked 10 the station from NIL diTcc.
tions. believing tho noise WAS oceH-
stoned by an earthquake. Th- depot is
completely demolished. aud the debris
burned up. Scarcely building In town
escaped damage. The ground beneath
tie train Is torn up Ia depth Of ton
fee, and sixty fee; In circumference,
The conclusion was - great that car
wheels 'i,,- sysl ssis slosp .,iasaAe aaf sl.s N'.
p;own several hundred feet Ss"r, sn,
track. Both trains were NJ course com.
pic,ciy destroyed with all their contents.
The loss 10 the company will hc veTi
heavy In rolling stock and freight Dc.
stro,cd. \ wrcckng train aud u large
force Of men arc nj the scene oi Tie dis.
as;cr. A tcmporar. track laid around
the track viii prevent any interruption
Of ira,iic. either freight OF passenger.
Later adyiccs iion Fountain. the
scene Of the Santa f- road accident,
state: The Thunierlolt express was
standing on the iiuck In front Of the
station. when the caboosc and some Of
ihc ears. whose brakes got loose In some
way. ran down fT0m the side of the
track and struck The train with tcrtiiir
force. The car which was loaded with
nap,ha exploded ani set the train on
lire. While the men wcr. cndcayoring
10 say. the ears and depot. another car
containing powder, bclongiig To IL. IL.
Tomkins y Co. Of Lsaiyillc, caught Gre
and exploited. completely demolisliinc
the depot. several dwellings, and num-
bcr of cars. One woman and two men
were killed 10y the explosion, and some
twelve or thirteen persons were
wounded, but none very seriously. Two
cars were entirely nurncd. and sixteen
ears together with the locomotive were
more or less wrecked. II is supposed
tina, tramrs le, OF ihe brakes from the
cars.