The state herald., 1897-12-24
RODE ON. A WILD CAR.
THE RESULT WAS a COLLISION
Seventy Track Men on tho Rio Grandc
Have = Narrow Escape From Death
Near Sodalia. VA


Denver, Dec. 22-At 6:3O o'clock last
evening n special south-b0und freight
train on the Denver Il Rio Grande rOad
plunged into runaway passenger
coach two miles this side of Castle
Rock, Colorado, injurlng thirty-six OF
the seventy occupants of the car. The
chr was almost completely wrecked
the engine Of the special freight
ploughIng Its way fully fifteen feet
into 1t. or the thirty-six men injured
none We're fatally hurt. About half a
dozen sustained broken bones, the re.
mainder escaping with bruises and lac.
Grated flesh.
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 rnn 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 off quick
enough, and sustained n few bruises.
The most seriously injured men were
taken to Sedalia. where half dozen
physicians set their fractured bones
and bound up their cuts and lncera-
tions. Those that were not badly in
jured caught the north-bound train No.
and went to their respective homes
m hnt
Castle Rock.
Tne 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 it went. The
special freight was not going very fast.
ms 1t was climbing the grade.
Before Jumping, the engineer shut off
steam and applied the air and steam
brakes. The double check brought the
train almost to stop before the car
came bounding down upon it. 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 ear. 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 car 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-
scquently they paid no attention to the
rapid way the ear ran. The truth was
that the coupling pin connecting 1t
with the car ahead Of II snapped as
the freight train gave sudden Jerk
forward, and started TO roll down the
track. as there is n gentle grade for
many miles north Of Castle Rock.
The men. all unconscious of their per-
ilous condition, chatted and laughed
with each other. not realizing that each
minute carried them nearer and near
er to n special train coming In the op-
posite direction ON the same track. 1t
was not until after the crash came.
and those that escaped injury crawled
out OF the wrecked ear and sized up
the situation. that they realized the
true condition of affairs.
Every chair In the passenger car had
been wrcnchcd from its fastcnings to
the floor, and had fallen over In 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 ana crying men and damaged
chairs.