The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-09-11
PASSENGER TRAIN WRECKED
TERRIBLE DISASTER ON THE DEN
 VER AND RIO GRANDE. [,


 FER AND RIO CYANIDE. Many Persons Killed and Injured Near New Castle, CoIorado-Twenty- five Said to Have Perished--In Collision With a Freight Train.
 Newcastle, Col, Sept. 10.-A head-on collision took place early this morning between a Denver and Rio Grande pas senger train and a Colorado Midland freight train one mile west of this place. The wreck took place on what is called the Rio Grande Junction Road, running from Newcastle to Grande Junction, and belonging jointly to the Denver and Rio Grande and the Colorado Mid land. The passenger train consisted or an express car, smoker day coach, a chair car, and two sleepers. There were about two hundred passengers on the train, Immediately following the collision there was an explosion, and the Wreckage took fire.
 The reports as to the number killed
 
 here that conservative estimate places the number killed at twenty-five, but a dispatch from the Denver and Rio Grande offices at Denver says that not more than twelve were killed.
 Following is a partial list of the killed:
 Mrs. Alexander Hartman and two children, Hersher, Ill,
 Ostrander, engineer
 Robert Holland fireman.
 Charles Leiper, Clarion, Penn.
 James Keenan, postal clerk.
 James Brick Chicago.
 Four more bodies have been brought in which are burned beyond possibility of Identification.
 The following are among the injured: Alexander Hartman, Hersher, H., both legs broken; will die.
 Robert Gordon, engineer, terribly bruised; may die.
 Hines, fireman, terribly burned, can- not recover
 Miss Pearl Cornell, Oregon, leg broken.
 John H. Standard, Blackfoot. Idaho cut and burned, both legs broken.
 
 R. J. Sheets, Leiper, Pa, slightly hurt.
 James c. Foley, express messenger, Denver, bruised.
 William Messemer, express messen- gfr, Denver bruised.
 w. l.. Hawthorne, conductor, bruised. P. H. McAvoy, Victor, Col, burned about head, back bruised.
 Frank P. ManniX, Victor, Col, slight ly bruised.
 R. H. Birckley, back hurt
 Mary Israel and son Nathan, both horribly cut.
 o. V. Tyson, bruises.
 Brakeman Knapp, leg crushed.
 J. c. Yeoger, Victor, Col, badly hurt. J. H. Standard and Alexander Hart man have been removed to hospital at Salida. Both will probably die Hart man was minister, travelling with his wife and two children to the coast.
 So thoroughly were the trains demol- ished that but few of those caught es- capped alive. those not killed by the shock of the collision being burned to death in the ruins of the cars.
 The train. dispatcher claims to have given orders correctly, and the freight conductor is blamed for the disaster. He could hot be found immediately af- ter the wreck. He should have stopped at Silt five miles west of here. There is sharp turn in the road where the accident took place. and two previous wrecks have taken place there. The freight train consisted of seventeen cars the first three being loaded with horses and the last with cattle. The freight engine telescoped the passenger en- zine.
 The accident occurred at the worst possible point. Two minutes later each engineer could have seen the approach of the other train, but this was impos- sible where the disaster took place, ow. ing to the curve. The surviving train men say the trains were not running fast, but the facts seem to be that both the passenger and freight were going at full speed-about twenty miles ar hour for the passenger and ten ol twelve for the freight
 Two express messengers on the Rie Grande train escaped. They were James c. Foley and William s. Mes semer, both of Denver They had pile6 up the through baggage in one end ot the car and were busy with the egt cases in the other end when the shocl came They were pitched headlone about the car, and when it toppled ovel | they were stunned and bruised by thu | loose baggage. Then the car began tt | fill with smoke, and death by burning or suffiocating seemed their fate. Fin ally, as the car burst into flames, the! managed to cut a hole with ain axe il i the side of the car, and by the aid O some men outside they were able t pull themselves through. | Miss Pearl Cornell of Oregon had he | leg broken. She was returning from { visit to friends east and was in col | lision at Glen Falls, Idaho, while on he | way east.
 T. F. Daniels, the passenger brake man who was unhurt, came back t' | this place and notified the railway off cials of the accident. A special trail was sent out, with physicians ant | nurses, as soon as possible. The tracl will not be cleared before tomorrov | night, and passengers will have to b. | transferred around the wreck.