Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-11

New Castle, Colo, September 10
| The worst wreck in the history Of the
State Of Colorado occurred at 1925
this morning on the tracks Of the
Denver & Rio Grande and the Colorado
Midland railways, one and a 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 persisted, 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 1S5 are taken
out of the wreck suffering from serious
injuries.
The wreck was caused by a head
end collision of Denver & Rio Grande
passenger train running at the rate
of forty miles an hour and special
Colorado Midland stock train, running
at a speed of probably thirty miles.
So terrific was the conclusion that
both engines, baggage and express
cars, smoke and day coaches and two
stock cars were totally demolished and
the track torn up for rods in both di-
rections.
To add to the horror of the scene,
the wreck caught fire from the explo.
sion Of al 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 seems to
be that Conductor Burbank, of the
Midland special, anticipating the time
of the passenger, undertook to steal a
station and beat the passenger into
New Castle.
Burbank escaped uniniured, and
upon orders from Coroner Clark has
been placed under arrest by the sheriff.
Midland Engineer Ostrander is miss
ing, and a 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. E. H. Strouse, who live
a quarter 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 New Castle.
The list Of dead as far as are known
is as follows:
LIST OF KNOWN DEAD.
LIST OF KNOWN DEAD.
WILLIAM HINES, FIREMAN.
WILLIAM GORDON, ENGINEER.
F. KEENAN,. MAIL AGENT.
AIRS. ALEXANDER HARTMAN AND
TWO SONS, OF HERSHER, ILL
JAMES ERRICK, CHICAGO.
CHARLES LEEPER, CLARION, PA.
THE INJggED ARE:
Rev. Alexander Hartman, of Hersher,
H., both legs broken and badly
burned; cannot live.
John H. Stander, Of Blackfoot. Idaho.
leg broken, face cut and burned and
bruised.
Miss Pearl Cornell, Of Alciot, Ore
hip disIocated.
]. c. Yeager, OF Toledo, O., injured
internally.
J. Logman, OF Whittier, Cal, slightly
wounded
Miss Mary Israel, Of s.. Paul, MINI,
slightly injured internally.
j. F. Snyder, of Independence, Kan,
slightly burned
D. H. McEnery. Of Victor, Col, face
burned
O. V. Titson. Of Cooker, Mo-, cut badly
about head.
r H Brickley. Chicago, back injured.
J. G. Young, of st. Louis. cut in fore
| head; not serious.
Thomas Nash, OF Mohab. Utah; left
arm broken, badly burned in face.
Frank p. Manndx. Victor. Colo, bruis-
ed and slightly burned
r y. 6hCt. Lasper. r.. hadIy 3hruiDed.
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