The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-05-16
A -ooustY- WRECKED TRAIN.
Two Sections of Freight Crash Together
and Naphtha Sets the Powder OF.

railway catastrophe occurred here at 2:45 this
morning Rhich has no parallel in the history of
the state. AT 2:Sl the north bound Thunder
bolt' stopped at the station for orders. She
had barely come TO a standstill when caboose
and four loaded freight ears which had broken
away from a through freight at Colorado
Springs, thirteen miles away came dashing
down the long grade at lightning speed, crash
ing into the express and piling the cabOose
and first car in ruins on top of the
engine and baggage car. The car next TO the
caboose was huge tank of naphtha which, lin
being wrecked. scattered oil over the depot,
cars and adjoining buildings, which caught FIRE
and in an instant everything was in flames.
The engineer managed to escape without in
jury but the fireman was struck by flying tim
Der and seriously injured. The Pullman and
two day coaches of passengers were hastily de-
tached from the burning baggage car and run
down the track TO q safe distance from the fire,
which had now enveloped the depot and
was rapidly approaching the last car of
the runaway freight, when the alarm
was given that this car was loaded with powder
and Tor every one to run for their lives. All who
heard the warning attempted to obey, but had
gone but short distance when the 1900
pounds of giant powder with which the car
was loaded, exploded, shaking the earth as
though an earthquake. The report was dis
",
and the houses in this city shook as from an
earthquake.
The scene after the explosion is beyond
description, as every one of the twenty houses
In the city is almost totally destroyed together
with the new baptist church, which was blown
from its foundation and scattered over acres of
ground. Men, women and children were
knocked senseless, and pieces of broken rails,
car wheels and tinbers were carried with
terrific force for half a mile. Rails were torn
from the track, carried 100 yards and then
driven three feet into the ground, while a num-
Der OF freight cars standing on the side track
were blown TO atoms. The passengers
in the 'Thunderbolt" were severely shaken up,
and number were cut by pieces of glass from
the windows, but none seriously. The yard of
the Newton lumber company took fire and was
completely destroyed. People standing n
quarter OF mile from the explosion were hit
by flying fragments and badly wounded.
Immediately after the accident wrecking
trains, with physicians, started TO the scene to
clear away the debris and care for the dead and
wounded, which now number five dead and
thirty more or less injured. The dead are as
follows:
CT. SMITH, manager of the Newton Lumber
Co. He was trying TO extinguish the flames at
the depot when the explosion occurred. He
was badly wounded, a piece of iron being blown
through his body, making whole two inches
in diameter. lie died an hour later.
The burned remains of an unknown man
found underneath the engine after the fire was
extinguished
An unknown railroad man, travelling on
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy pass, light COM
plexion, sandy moustache and hair; slightly
lame, five feet eight inches in height He was
in the caboose asleep when the freight reached
Colorado Springs and il is supposed he was in
the car at the time of the collision, being in
stantly killed.
LAWRENCE WEIHART, German carpen-
ter Nrhil tn n ont he fire in hp
lumber yard, was struck on the head by fly
ing timber, causing conclusion OF the brain,
the victim dying soon after.
MRS. WEDRIG, while standing 500 yards
struck on the head by flying bolt and died in
two hours.
H. HUTCHINS-A merchant, sixty years old,
standing some distance away, was struck by an
iron bar and died this afternoon.
The wounded are:
WALTER LooMIs-Leg broken, serious in
juries.
CHARLES s. HATcH-Hip broken, injured
about the head and face; serious.
Mrs ]. NJ. HATcH-Injured about the head
and shoulder; serious.
Mrs. +. d. LUBEcK-Face and body seri-
ously hurt.
Miss MATTE HATCH, face and body slightly
bruised.
\. L. BELL and wife, injured about the face
and chest; slight.
WILLIAM BUTLER Wounded in the breast;
serious ,-.-l.
Miss NJ BELL, arm broken and dislocated.
Miss LULU BELL, face and body badly cut
and bruised.
H b. BoswoRTH, ankle broken.
III. MURRY, face badly cut,
Miss MARY DENNY, hip dislocated.
A. J. BENEDICT, badly hurt about the face
and thigh; his wife's face and arms were badly
bruised.
w. KNIGHT, ST. Louis, face cut
j. c. MUM, Tombstone, face cut
An unknown man. supposed to be Frank Ship
man, was killed. The cOroner's jury, after
viewing the dead, adjourned to meet at
Colorado Springs Wednesday next. It is almost
impossible to get any accurate figures about
the amount of damages. The loss TO the town,
which is completely ruined. is estimated at
$4,000, while the amount of the railroad COM
pany's loss is variously estimated at from
$75, 900 to 100000.