The Meeker herald., 1893-01-07
WRECK ON The SANTA FL ROAD.
MANY PERSONS INJURED.
A Passenger Train Goes Down An Em-
bankmant Near Colorado Springs.
and the Cars Catch Fire.

There was frightful wreck on the Santa
Fe railroad on Thursday morning at O'Clock.
The train going south, composed OF six heavily
loaded cars. jumped The track when two miles
from Hustled.
The train was late and was making up
time. 1t running at the rate OF forty
miles an hour. In some unaccountable man
ner the rails spread While running on the
ties every coupling the train broke. The
engine and express car remained OH the
track one day coach was thrown square
across the track and the Pullman and two
day coaches rolled down on opposite sides OF
the cmbankmeut a distance OF fifteen feet.
The half-awakened passengers were con-
| fused and terrified. To some Of them who
were half-awake Il seemed as II the train
would never stop It's grinding, swaying mo-
| ton. To add to the horrer of the scene, the
| two day coaches caught fire from the stoves
| In them and filled the air with sitting smoke.
| The tralumen were unusually cool. They
got axes and projected 10 cut holes in the cars
| and let out the Imprisoned passengers. Those
| ia the Pullman ss-~--he first to BIO ta'sen out
One Of the passengers climbed to the top oil
his berth and CROPPED for window, which he
found aud opened. In this way the men and
| women were taken out
| Mr. W f. Barnes, teller In the Exchange
bank In Colorado Springs, was riding in one
Of the dag coaches. He said: I'VE were go
Ing along At the usual rate OF speed when the
| day coach was In made lurch to one side
| and then the other, and then rolled down the
| cInbankmcnt and landed upside down. The
| car Immediately caught fire from the stove.
| The roll down dazed me somewhat, but
made for the doors and with L. ID. Mcdonald,
who was also passenger, broke the door
from It's hinges, and set about to rescue the
women and children, who were screaming
and crying in heart-breaking way. We
succeeded in getting them all out, including
Mr. Van Loon and family, and also a young
man who was unconscious. We did not have
much time TO spare as the car was burning
| rapidly, and was soon consumed. The pas
scngers were unable to save anything they
had in the car with them, and all was de
siroyed."
Mr. Van Loon was on his way 20 Oakland,
| California, with his family consisting Of his
| wife. his aged mother and three children.
| They were ia the passenger coach near the
stove when the crash came. Mrs. Van Loon
was pinned fast to the floor by the seats, and
In front Of her lay her two sons, who had
been knocked unconscious. The third child,
a little girl, was nowhere to be seen. Mr.. Van
Loon was pinned fast and was unable to tx.
irlcate himself, The Imprisoned family had
given up all hope of rescue when the door
was bursl open aud they were saved from a
| frlghtful death. The Two boys, VIII aged IA
and Bcrtlc aged II, were carried out for dead.
| Mrs Van Loon vas dragged out from under
the debris and her dress was fairly torn of.
Ia II was a gold watch and large amount Of
| money, which went up in smoke The old
lady falnted when she got out. The twoboys
were the most serlously injured of all the
passengers. At midnight WIN Van Loon was
resting under the influence OF ether His
brain Is injured and the physicians give no
hope OF his recovery. The others are doing
Sina Banzigcs, a swedish girl, narrowly
| escaped with her life She was on her way
to California. When the accident occurred
| she was thrown from her seat to the floor
The stove was upset and she fell on the Goals
| with the seat over her. She was obliged to
crawl over the Goals on her hands and knees
to save herself. She Is badly burned on her
hands and limbs and her face is somewhat
| dlsiigured. Her clothing caught fire, but was
| put out by other passengers with the use OF
snow and blankets.
Congress man-elcct Pence was in one of the
Pullmans with his wife. Mr.. Pence says:
at seemed an eternity while we were roll
Ing over. We were pinned up in there and 1t
| took US some time to make our way out.
when We did so finally VIC found that the
| coach was on fire. We were all in our bare
| feet and didn't seem to mind the snow We
set out to help tho Others. Before this was
done, though, another danger stared us In the
| face. The forward end of the Pullman was
on fire. Ilcrolsm and self-sacrIfcc were
shown as scarcely ever before. Bill Young, a
millionaire mine owner who was In the party,
| gathered up n lot OF blankets that were In the
| sleeper and in his bare feet jumped into the
| bank OF snow. lie spread blanket on the
snow, filed 1t, and then passed II up TO US.
We then put the wet blanket over the blaze
and succeeded in squelchng 1t. This was re-
peated several times In half hour. Young
certainly saved several people from injury
and DEATH
| Twenty-four people were injured, but those
mentioned above were the most seriously
| hurt. The other injuries consisted of bruises
and cuts. +. l.. Story. the Pullman sondue-
| tor, had his arm broken, but walked six miles
| to telegraph station.
| The injured passengers were taken to
| Colorado Springs where they were cared for.
| The passengers highly commended the
| train men for their efficiency in the emer-
scncy
TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES.