The record-union., 1897-09-11
The COLORADO
TRAIN WRECK.
At Least Thirty Persons Known to
Have Been Killed.
While Eighteen Were Taken Out Of the De-
hris Seriously Injured.
The Accident Caused by a Collision
of a Passenger Train and a Spe-
cial-SeveraI Cars Demolished
and the Track Torn Up in Both
Directions for Rods.

NEWCASTLE (Col), Sept. 10.--The
worst railroad wreck in the history of
the State of Colorado occurred at 1925
this morning on the joint track of the
Denver and Rio Grande and Midland
Railway, one and a half miles west of
this place. After twelve hours in
cessant work by the wrecking crews in
clearing away the debris and rescuing
the bodies of those who perished, it is
yet impossible to secure more than es-
Inmates of the loss of life, and not half
those known to be dead have been iden-
titled. Many of the unfortunates nev-
er will be known, and it is possible that
the number killed will always be IN
doubt From the best information OBJ
tainable now, fully thirty persons are
believed to have perished, while eigh-
teen were taken out of the wreck suf-
fering serious injuries.
The wreck was caused by a head-o
collision between the Rio Grande pas
senger train, running forty miles an
hour, and a special Colorado Midland
stock train, running at a speed of prob
ably thirty miles.
So terrific was the concussion that
both engines, baggage and express cars,
smokers and day coaches and two stock
cars were totally demolished, and the
track torn up for rods in both direc-
tiOns.
TO add to the horror of the scene, the
wreckage at once caught fire from an
explosion of a Pintsch gas tank ON the
passenger train, and burned so rapidly
that many passengers pinned beneath
the debris were burned to death before
help could reach them
The generally accepted theory as to
the cause of the wreck seems to be
that Conductor Burbank of the Mid
land special, anticipating the time of
the passenger, undertook to "steal a
station" and beat the passenger into
Newcastle. Burbank escaped unin-
jured, and upon orders from Coroner
Clark has been placed under arrest by
the Sheriff.
The Midland engineer, Ostrander, is
missing, and a thorough search all
about his engine, fails to reveal his
bones or any vestige of his remains. 1t
is thought that possibly when he saw
the threatened danger he jumped from
his engine, and, realizing his negli-
gence, took to the hills
Mr.. and Mrs. E. H. Strouse, who live
one-fourth of a 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 at Newcastle
CT Of hn ix,i,
far as known is as follows:
Dead-J. F. keenan,, mail agent of
Denver; Robert S. Holland. fireman
Denver and Rio Grande; Mrs. Alexan-
der Hartman and two sons of Hercher.
H.; James Errick, Chicago; Charles
Leeper, Clarion, Pa; VIM. Gordon, en-
gineer of passenger train VIM. Hints,
fireman.
Injured-Rev. Alexander Hartman,
Hercher, ILL.,, both legs broken and
badly burned; John S. Strander of
Blackfoot, Idaho, leg broken and face
cut and burned and bruised; Miss Pearl
Cornell of Alciel, Oregon, hip dislocat-
ed; ]. c. Yeager of Toledo, o., injured
internally; j. Longman Of Whittier.
Cal, slightly wounded Mrs. Mary Is
rael of st. Paul, Mimi, slightly in
jured internally; J. f. Snyder of Tnde-
pendence, Kans., slightly burned; D.
II. McAneney of Victor, Col, face
burned: o. V. Tyson of Cockren, Mo,
cut badly about head; r. H Brickley,
Chicago, back injured; J. G.. Young of
st. Louis, cut on forehead; Thomas
Nash, Mohab, Utah, left arm broken
and badly burned on face; Frank 2.
Mannix, Victor Col, bruised and
slightly burned; r. w. Shott, Leeper,
Pa, badly bruised: Brakeman Knapp.
leg crushed; James B. Foley, express
messenger, bruised; VIM S. Missemer,
express messenger, bruised
The case of Engineer Ostrander of
the freight engine is still in doubt.
Ten bodies We're found in the ruins
of one car. and four in another. The
charred remains of two women, ap-
parently clasped in each others arms,
were found. Their heads and lower
limbs We're burned Off In the dress
bosom of each was found a lady's gold
watch upon one side of which was in
scribed From mother to Mamie
kilograms from all parts of the coun-
Try 1HQulflnS LOT Irle0QS ana relatives
are pouring in.
Frank P. Mannix, a newspaper man
of Victor, Col. who was in the smok-
er, escaping with some painful bruises
and burns said to-day: Words can
not express the horror of the scene.
The crash came Unexpectedly. Sud
denly all was darkness The air was
filled with cinders, splinters and heat
ed gases. Then the flames darted up
on either side. The scene was simply
The flames were in a
sense a godsend. for with their aid the
windows were located, even though
had to jump through burn
ing flames"
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 GER
tain that the number killed will al
ways remain in doubt.
The Coroner found a shaving mug
with the name Of wv. Nicholson" upon
it. also a gold watch with the name of
IF. c. Potter" engraved on the outside.
The first man to arrive at the wreck
was F.. H Strouse, who resides on his