The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
COLORADO
RAILROAD
CALAMITY
Fully Thirty Persons Are
Believed to Have
PeriShed.
EIGHTEEN SERIOUSLY
INJURED.
Many Of the Victims Names
VIII Probably Never
Be Known.
HORRORS OF THE BURNING
WRECK.
Under Arrest-The Engineer
Is Missing.
Many Of the Victims Names
VIII Probably Never
Be Known.
HORRORS OF THE BURNING
WRECK.
Conductor Of the Stock TraIr
Under Arrest-The Engineer
Is Missing.

wreck that occurred at 1925 o'clock this
morning on the joint track of the Denver
and Rio Grande and Midland railways,
one and q half miles west of this place.
was the worst in the history of Colorado.
After twelve hours incessant work by the
wrecking crews n clearing away the debris
and rescuing the bodies of those who
perished. it is yet impossible to secure
m ore than al estimate of the loss of lie,
and no; half those known 10 be dead have
been i'd Identified.
Many of the unfortunates never VIII be
known, and it is possible that the number
killed WIFI always be in doubt. From the
best Information obtainable now fully
thirty persons are believed TO have per-
ished, while eighteen were taken out of
the wreck suffering from serious injuries.
The wreck was caused By a neadend
co.i-ion between a Denver and Rio
Grande passenger train, running at the
rate OF 20 miles an hour, and special Col
oraio Midland stock train running at a
speed of probably so miles.
So terrible was the conclusion that both
engines, baggage and express cars, smoker
anu day coach and two stockcars were to-
tally demolished and the track torn up for
rods in both directions. 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 beneal the debris were burned to
death before 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 spe-
cial, anticipating the time of the special,
undertook 20 steal a station" and beat
the passenger into Newcastle Bur bank
escaped unin jured and, upon orders from
Coroner Clark, has been placed under ar
rest by the Sheriff.
The Midlana engineer, Ostrander, is
mis- Ing, and a thorough search all about
his engine fails TO reveal his bones or any
vestige OF his remains. Il is thought that
posi- bly, when he saw the threatened
danger he jumped from his engine and,
reslizing his negligence, took to the hills.
Mr.. and mrs. E H. Strouse, who live
one-ouarter of mile from the scene of
the accident, report that when the two
trains mt the shock was so great as to
literally hurl them out of bed. Some saw
he noise was heard and the shock felt in
Newcastle.
The lead as far as recognized are:
J. T. keenan,. mail agent OF Denven.
Robert s. Holland, fireman Denver and
RIO Grande, of Salida.
Mrs. Alexander Hartman and two sons
Of Hercher, I'll.
James Errick OF Chicago.
Charles Leeper of Clarion, Pa
William Gordon, engineer passenger
ira n.
William Hints, fireman.
The injured are: Rev. Alexander Hart
man OF Hercher L., both legs broken and
badly burned; Johu S. Stander OF Black
ford, Idaho, leg broken and face cut and
burned and bruised; Miss Pearl Cornell
OF Alclel, Or, hip disIocated; J. G. Yea
ger of Toledo, Ohio, injured internally;
j. Longman 0. Whittier, CAL, slightly
wounded; Mrs Mary Israel of St. Pau,
Minn.. slightly injured internally; J. F.
Snyder of Indepe ndence, kans, slightly
burned \. a. McA ensy o. Victor. Cole,
face burned; o. Y. Tyson OF Cockrell, No,
cut badly abont b. mead r. II. Brickley,
Chicago, back injured; J. G. Young, OF ST.
Louis cut IN forehead, not serious !;
Thomas Nash of Moab. U-ah, lett
arm badly broken and burned IN
face; Frank P. Mannix, Victor, Colo,
Leeper Pa, bad bruised; Brakeman
Knapp, ieg crushed; James B. Foley. e1-
uress messenger, bruised; William ;.
Missemer, express messenger, bruised.
The case of Eng neer O5trander of the
freight eng ne Is still in doubt.
Charred fragments OF limbs and bodies
of a mum Der of persons have been taken
out OF the ruins, but it is not likely than
anv more bodies will be positively identl-
fed. and it seems certain that the mum Der
kill d will always remain in doubt.
The Coroner found a shaving-m with
the name "W Nicholson" upon it, also
gold watch with the name OF F. c. Potter
engraved on the outside.
As soon as the news of the wreck
reached Glenwood a rehef train was oent
from that place and this afternoon the
more seriously wounded were sent 10 the
Denver and Rio Grande Company's
nos pital at Salida.
General SUPERINTENDENT Sample OF the
Denver and Rio Grande happened to be
in the vicinity OF the disaster, and soon
reached the scene, taking charge OF the
work of removing he bodies.
Ten bodies were found in the ruins OF
one car and four in another. Tne charred
remains o. two women, apparently cIasped
IN eacn Others arms, were found. Their
heads and lower lin bs were burned on.
In tha dress bosom OF each was found
ladv's gold watch, upon one of which was
inscri bed From Mother to Mamie.
kilograms from all parts OF the country
inc4iring for friends and relatives are
pour ng in constantly.
Frank P Mannix, newspaper man OF
Victor, Colo, who was IN the smoker and
ese aped win some painful bruises aEd
burns, said to-day:
Words cannot express the horror OF
the scene. The crasn came UNEXPECTEDLY.
Suddenly all was darkness. The air was
filled with cinders, splinters and heated
gases. Then the flames darted up on
either side. The scene was simply indc-
scribaDie The flames were in sense
rodsend. for with their cid the windows
were located, even though passengers had
10 jump through The flames"
The first man to arrive at the wreck was
Z. H. Strouse, who resides on his ranch,
about 300 feet from the track Mr.. Strouse
was awakened by the collision. de hur-