The herald., 1897-09-11
BRUISED,
CRUSHED,
BURNED
In a Horrible Railroad
Disaster
TRAINS AT FULL SPEED
Come Together and at Once
Take Fire
THIRTY PEOPLE ARE KILLED
THE BODIES BURNED BEYOND
RECOGNITION
THE BODIES BURNED BEYOND
RECOGNITION
Charred Fragments Of Humanity
Furnish the Only Basis for an
Estimate Of the Number
Of the Dead

Associated Press Special Wire.
NEWCASTLE, Col, Sept. 10.-The
worst wreck in the history OF the state
of Colorado occurred at 1850 this morn
ing on the, track Of the Denver & Rio
Grande and Midland railways, one and
half mile west of this place. After
twelve hours incessant 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 an estimate Of the loss
of life, and not half those known to be
dead have been identified. Many Of the
unfortunate never will 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 perished,
while eighteen were taken out OF the
wreck suffering from serious injuries
The wreck was caused by a head-end
collision between Denver & Rio Grande
passenger train running forty miles an
hour and special Colorado Midland
stock train, running at a speed Of prob
ably thirty miles an hour. So terrific
was the concussion that both engines
baggage and express cars, smoker and
day coach and, two stock cars were to-
tally demolished and the track torn up fol-
rods in both directions. TO add to the
horror of the scene the wreckage a. once
nf =
Pintsch gas tank on the passenger train,
and burned so rapidly that many pas
sengers pinned beneath the debris were
burned to death before help could reach
thin.
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 station"
and beat the passenger into Newcastle.
Burbank escaped uninjured, and upon
orders from Coroner Clark has been
placed under arrest by the sheriff.
The Midland engineer, Ostrander, is
missing, and a thorough search about
his engine fails to reveal his bones or
any vestage of his remains. 1t is thought
that possibly when he saw the threat
ened danger he jumped from his engine
and, realizing his negligence, 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.
The list OF the dead and as far as known
is as follows: Dead:
IF KEENAN,, mail agent of Denver.
ROBERT S. HOLLAND, fireman, D. r.
and r. G. of Salida.
MRS. ALEXANDER HARTMAN and
two sons of Hercher, III.
JAMES ERRICK of Chicago.
CHARLES LEEPER Of Clarion, Pa.
VIM. GORDON, engineer Of passenger
train.
WIN. HINTZ, fireman.
Injured:
REV ALEXANDER HARTMAN,
Hercher, Ills, 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 Alchiel,
Ore, hip dislocated.
]. C. YEAGER of Toledo. O., injured
internally.
LONGMAN of Whittier, Cal, sligtly
wounded.
MRS. MARY ISRAEL CT st. Paul,
Mimi, slightly injured internally.
J.F. SNYDER of Independence, Kan.
slightly burned.
D. H. M'ANENEY of Victor, Col, face
burned.
O.v. TYSON of Cockrell, Mo-, cut bad
ly about head.
r. H. BRICKLEY, Chicago, back in
jured.
JIG. YOUNG Of st. Louis, cut on, fore
head.
THOMAS NASH. Mohab. Utah. left
arm broken. badly burned on face.
FRANK p MANNIX, Victor, Col,
bruised and slightly burned.
r. w. SCOTT. Leeper. Pa, badly
bruised.
BRAKEMAN KNAPP, leg crushed.
JAS. B. FOLEY. express messenger,
bruised.
VIM. S. MISSEMER, express messen-
ger. bruised.
The case of Engineer Ostrander of the
freight engine is still in doubt.
Ten bodies were found in the ruins OF
one car and four in another. The charred
remains of two women, apparently
clasped in each others arms. were found.
Their heads and lower limbs were burned
or. In the dress bosom of each was found
. lady's gold watch. upon one side Of