The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-09-17
30 DEAD, 1876 INJURED.
FRlGHTFUL HEAD-END COL
LISION IN COLORADO
Explosion and Fire FOIlow-Many Pas
sengers Burned to Death In the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Under Arrest
He Attempted to "Steal Il Station"

| NOlob NICCh III viz hiobOiy III OhO ppopO
of Colorado occurred at 1925 yesterday
morning on the joint track of the Den
YER & Rio Grande and the Colorado
Midland railways, one and q half
miles west of here. After twelve
hours incessant work by the wrecking
crews in clearing away the debris and
rescuing the bodies of those who per-
ished, it is yet impossible to secure
more than an estimate of the loss of
life, and not even those known to be
dead have been identified. Many of
the unfortunates will never be known,
and it is possible that the number
killed will always be in doubt. From
the best information obtainable now
fully thirty persons are believed to
have persisted, while 1856 who came out
of the wreck alive are suffering from
serious injuries.
The wreck was caused by head
end collision between a Denver &c Rio
Grande passenger train, running at
the rate of forty miles an hour, and a
special Colorado Midland stock train,
running at speed of probably thirty
miles an hour So terrific was the
conclusion that both engines, baggage
and express cars. smoker and day
coaches and two stock cars were to-
tally demolished and the track torn
up for rods in each direction. To add
to the horror of the scene, the wreck
age at once caught fire from an ex-
plosion of Pintsch gas tank on the
passenger train, and burned so rapidly
that many passengers, pinned beneath
the debris were burned to death be-
fore help could reach them.
The most generally accepted theory
as to the cause Of the wreck is that
Conductor Burbank Of the Midland
special, anticipating the time of the
passenger, undertook to ''steal sta
ton and beat the passenger into
Newcastle. Burbank escaped unin-
jured, and, upon orders from Coroner
Clark, has been placed under arrest
by the sheriff Midland Engineer Os-
trander is missing, and thorough
search all about his engine fails to
reveal any vestige of his remains 1t
is thought that when he saw the
threatened danger he jumped from his
engine and, realizing his negligence,
took to the hills.
Mr. and Mrs. f. II. Strouse, who
live one-fourth of mile from the
scene of the accident. report that when
the two trains met the shock was so
great as to literally hurl them out of
bed. Some say the noise was heard
and the shock felt in Newcastle.
TIN dead, as far as recognized, are:
WILLIAM GORDON, engineer pass
enger train.
F. j. KEENAN,, postal clerk, of Den
yer.
ROBRT S. HOLLAND, fireman Den
yer & Rio Grande railway, of Salida.
MRS. ALEXANDER HARTMAN
and two sons, of Herscher, Ill.
WILLIAM HINES, fireman.
JAMES ERRICK, of Chicago.
CHARLES LEEPER, of Clarian, Pa.
The injured are:
Rev. Mr.. Alexander Hartman, Her.
scher, ILL.,; both legs broken and badly
burned.
John II. Stander of Blackfoot, Idaho;
leg broken, face cut and burned and
bruised
Miss Pearl Cornell of Alciel, Ore
hip dislocated.
J.C Yeager of Toledo. Ohio; in
jured internally.
j. Logman of Whittier, CAL; slight
ly wounded.
Mrs Mary Israel of st. Paul, Mimi;
slight injury internally.
j. +. Snyder of Independence, Kan;
slightly burned.
d. II. McAneney of Victor, Col. face
burned.
O. V. Titson of Cockerill, Mo-, cut
badly about the head.
R. II. Brickley, Chicago, back in
jured.
j. G. Young of st. Louis, out in fore
head, not serious.
Thomas Nash of Moab, Utah, left
arm broken, badly burned in face.
Frank P. Mannix, Victor, Col,
bruised and slightly burned.
R. w. Shot, Leeper, Pa, badly
bruised
Brakeman Knapp, leg crushed.
James C. Foley, express messenger,
bruised.
William S. Missioner, express mes
senger, bruised.
The case of Engineer Ostrander of
the freight engine is still in doubt.
Charred fragments of limbs and
bodies of number of persons have
been taken out of the ruins, but it is
not likely that any more bodies will
be positively identified, and it seems
certain that the number killed will
remain in doubt The coroner found
shaving mug with the name "W.
Nicholson" upon it. Also gold watch
with the name of f. c. Potter en-
graved on the outside.
The most conservative estimate
places the list of dead at from twenty
five to thirty-five. The remains OF
what is supposed to be ten persons are
confined in two caskets, with nothing
to identify them.
I
No KIondIke Stocks for Colorado.