The Meeker herald., 1897-12-25

Near B0AAHa-
Denver, Dec. pat $50 o'cleek last
evening q special south bound freight
train on the Denver 4 Rio Gran4s road
plunged into a runaway peoeeAger
coach two miles this side of Castle
Rock, Colorado, injuring thirty-atx Of
the seventy occupants Of the car. The
car was almost completely Wreeked,
the engine of the special freight
ploughing Its way fully hftaeA feet
into 1t. OF the thirty-six men injured,
none were fatally hurt. About ha1f q
doAen sustained broken bones, the re-
mainder escaping with bruises and lac
Grated desh.
The occupants Of the car were the
steel gang that has been located at
Castle Rock for the past week relay
ing rails and making general repairs
along the line. The car they were
seated In was chair car used By the
road to transport the men from place
to place.
The engine of the special freight
which ran into the car was not badly
injured. The engineer and fireman saw
the car coming down the grade to-
wards them and Jumped in time to es-
cape being injured when the collision
occurred The head brakeman Of the
freight WAS unable to get on quick
enough. and sustained few bruises.
The most seriously injured men were
taken to Scdalia. where half dozen
physicians set their fractured bones
and bound up their cuts and lacera-
tions. Those that were not badly In
jured caught the north-bOund train No.
4 and went to their respective homes
in the small towns between here and
Castle Rock.
The accident was peculiar one.
That half the men in the car were not
killed outright was one OF those mIrac-
ulous escapes that often falls to the
lot Of railroad man. When the crash
came. the runaway car was going not
less than thirty-five miles an hour
down gentle incline. increasing its
momentum the farther 1t went. The
special freight was not going very fast.
rs 1t was climbing the grade.
Before jumping. the engineer shut of
steam and applied the air and steam
brakes The double check brought the
train almost to stop before the car
came bounding down upon II. Had
this train been going as rapidly as the
car was. not half the men in the car
would have survived the collision.
About 6.30 o'clock the steel gang
boarded the chair car, waiting for the
freight train, which was to take 1t to
Sedalia. to be made up. The car was
switched back and forth several times
in the yards opposite to the depot.
Presently the ear started towards Den
yer, and the men on the inside thought
the train had been made up and that
they were on their way to Sedalia. Con
sequently they paid no attention to the
rapid way the car ran. The truth was
that the coupling pin connecting It
with the car ahead OF It snapped as
the freight train gave a sudden Jerk
forward. and started to roll down the
track. as there is a gentle grade for
many miles north Of Castle Rock.
The men, all unconscious OF their per.
flOus condition. chAtt1d and laughed
with each other, not realizing that each
minute carried them nearer and near
er to a special train coming In the OPP
posite direction on the same track. It
was not until after the crash came.
and those that escaped injury crawled
out Of the wrecked car and sized up
the situation. that they realized the
true condition of affairs.
Every chair In the passenger car had
been wrenched from its fastenings to
the floor and had fallen over in a con-
fused mass. The wreck Of the interior
Of the car was complete. The special
freight had completely shattered the
car. throwing splinters in all directions,
covering the confused mass Of groan-
ing and crying men and damaged
chairs