The Delta independent., 1888-12-04
A TERRIBLE COLLISION.
Two Trains Endeavor to Pass on the
Same Track.

Inc nr1t news that reached Denver was
very meagre, but 1t was enough to startle
The officials at Rio Grande headquarters
whom the words came flashing TO them,
TRAIN and Rock Island train IS have
sollided one mile west of Husteds. Two
men killed, both engines demolished, train
| On fre.n
The Rio 0rande's Salt Lake Express,
known to thu train men as No. 7, left Den
| ver nj $40 o'clock with good load of pas
sengers. The Inflated train was drawn by
engine 5ll, with Engineer Marcus KERN In
the cab and Peter Neaglc fireman The
| conductor WIS j. Fl. Smith.
All are old-time Rio Grande train men
They signed their orders at this city
which gave them their rights TO Palmer
Lake, at which place they received and
signed the order on which hinges the liza
bilisy for tho wreck. They interpreted it in
the way which the dispatcher intended
that 1t gave them rights on the track as far
- Roswen, where they must meet and pass
the Rock Island train waiting at that point
II necessary until she arrived. With nothing
TO cause them 10 fear in the slightest any
accident on their trip, they pulled out OF
Palmer Lake and started down tho divide
With but one thought, that of meeting the
Rock Island train at Roswell, the engineer
pulled open the throttle and began his ride
| 70 disaster and almost death
When the train passed Husteds II was
bowling along at the rate Of thirty -dve or
forty miles per hour. As yet there was no
'romonition Of approaching danger, but ere
luofhar mill, had l.eaY opa han
,en!ng In that vicinity might have heard
he shrieks Of two locomotive whistles fol
owed M instant later by horrible crash.
Then there was sound Of escaping steam,
he criss of tho injured and The frightened
eries Of men, women and children, accom-
ponytng rush TO a place of safety. Soon
the deadly car stove got in its work, and
the mall, baggage and express cars were In
danes. IL Was a scene at which the stout
sst heart would quail, yet after the first
moueutAry cxcitincnt had subsidized, the
Snin,ursd trainmsn, assisted by some OF
the psssonecrs, began u search To see IL any
sf their comrades had been in1ured, or what
was more 70 BE- feared. had suffered death.
Ths bodiss Of Baggngcman Finn and
Exprsssnas Phipps Of the Rock Island
train were soon found. covered with debris
aud firmly claspcd within the embrace of
the srim monster. The injured engineer
aud fireman of the Rio Grande, Munroc
and Neagie, were removed from the reach
sf tho flames which threatened them and
carried to place Of safety. In The mean
time a messenger had been dispatched 10
the nearest telegraph station. Husseds. for
the purpose of securing aid and preventing
other trains from rushing in and adding to
the horror, and In less than an hour relief
trsips were speeding from two directions
70 succor The injured and dsneraiised
train men.
The names Of the killed .sd injured are
- follows:
". II. PHIPPs, Rock Island saprsss
messenger, instantly killed.
J. II. FT.INN, Rock Island bagRassnan,
Instantly killed.
MARTIN MONROE, RIO Grande tray
cling engineer, badly bruised and scaided.
slight fracture Of skull.
PETER NEA6LE, Rio Grands fireman,
sut about head and face, and injured in.
formally.
HESRYICoK. Rio Grande basgas.man,
ahghtiy bruised
c. b. WILSON, mail aes.t, slightly
bruised.
JOSEPH BERRY Rock lsiAsd sagi.esr,
bruised in jumping.
scaldcd, bruised badly and skull fyNctured
in jumping.
A reporter called at the once of General
Manager S, T. Smith n, the Rio 0rande
headquarters to learn from him the ofnciai
report Of the wreck and how 1t occurred.
He said that very measre details had been
received up To that hour. everybody at the
scene Of the wreck being apparently so ex-
cited that be forbors from questioning them
until they should have become moro quiet
From the information on hand he gave the
following version OF the wreck:
"Train No. ls, tho Rock Island vcstibulc
passenger train coming this way met our
train No. Z, the Salt Lake through express,
about one mile west OF Husscds, sixty
three miles from Denver. Both dispatchors
at Pueblo say they tclegraphed to have
both trains pass ut Roswell, one mile this
side Of Colorado Springs, the Rock Island
train being ordered TO lie there for our No.
Z. The conductor and engineer Of No. iS
both Aligned that order, Notwithstanding
that they started out Us though no order
existed, passed Roswell and met No. u
mile wsst of Husted's, with the usual re-
suit.
Both engines were badly wrecked and
burned up. Three OF our cars werc broiS
Oh up, caught fire and were burned with
total loes. They wcrc tho mail, baggage
and express cars. Two Of the Rock Island
employees were killed, presumably the en-
ginecr and fireman. Tho cnginccr and Arc
man on our train wcrc injured, but l
learned that IL Ia not fatal in either case
Tho blame so far can loern rcsts wholly
upon the dead Rock Island engineer and his
conductor.
ANOTHER EXPLANATION.
CoLoRApo SPRrSes, Colo, Nov 2e.--J
j. Burns, Superintendent Of TrAnsporta-
tion Of the Denver b Rio Grande, and W.
A. Deuel., Superintendent of the irst div
Ision. arc both at Colorado Springs to In.
vestigate the cause Of the catastrophe,
They will be present at tho inquest, which
will be held tomorrow morning q 10
O'Clock. Thoy state that the train men are
Innocent Of carelessncss and are asA 70
blame. They further admitted that the 70
.tAlsls-x ,,,.A~ knA~.r~an eha a.