Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-11
Another 0eath-dealing Head
End Collision in the West.
Conductor Burbank Makes BIunder
and Many Lives Pay Penalty.
Newcastle. COL, Scene Of Worst Disaster
State Has Ever Known.


this morning. mile and a half east
of this town. Denver & Rio Grande
passenger train No /, west-bound.
coIlided with a Colorado Midland stock
train, going east, wrecking both en-
gines and several cars. Shortly after
the collision fire broke out in the ruins.
The mail. baggage and express cars,
smoker, day coach and tourist sleeper
were burned. A number of passengers.
who were not killed outright, but who
were pinned in the wreckage and could
not be extricated, perished in the
flames. There were about 200 passen-
gers. 1t is estimated that 25 persons
were killed and as many more bruised.
scalded and burned, of whom over six
are likely to die from their injuries.
The trains collided on a curve around
a mountain and there was no oppor-
tunity to avoid the wreck or even
slacken speed. Both passenger and
freight trains were going at full speed.
about 20 miles an hour for the passen-
ger and 10 or II for the freight.
The Rio Grande junction road on
which the wreck occurred is joint
track operated by the Denver & Rio
Grande and Colorado Midland Com
panies. 1t is single standard-gauge
track Il miles long. running from New
castle to Grand junction, connecting
the two roads with the Rio Grande
Western. Along the road west of the
Grande river and nearly all the way
are high bluffs on one side of the track
and no etr IN 40 ut hpine-
from 10 to 20 feet below the surface of
the track.
The Rio Grande passenger train was
due at Newcastle at 11.05 p. NJ. and
should have reached the point one and
half miles beyond Newcastle, where
the accident occurred by lilo. The
train must. therefore. have been at
least one hour late, as the accident
occurred at 1915 A. NJ,
One report as to the cause of the ac-
cident is to the effect that Conductor
Burbank of the Colorado Midland stock
train made mistake of 10 minutes of
figuring on the time which the Rio
Grande passenger train passed New
castle and that therefore he was chiefly
for the disaster Engineer
oStitiiitel VI iUt StOCh Train couiu
either confirm or deny this report if he
were alive. but it is believed he is
under the debris.
w. L. Hawthorne, conductor of the
passenger train, was in the smoking
car at the time of the collision and
was thrown about and severely bruised
He says that the gas cylinder under
one of the wrecked cars exploded and
everything appeared to be in flames
within short time He does not think
more than two or three passengers in
the smoker escaped being burned 70
death. The passengers in one day
coach Jared the worst. out of 90 peo-
pie in the coach, only six are now
known to have escaped. All was con-
fusion and some may have escaped un-
noticed
AS in all similar accidents, the en-
,;inemen We're the first to lose their
lives. Engineer Ostrander went down
with his hands on the lever. Robert
fireman on the passenger was
SO badly hurt that he died at O'Clock
Engineer Gordon of the passenger
may live, although he is badly injured
and at first was thought to be fatally
iui 1. Iit Suiitltu great pam HUN Il
rupture in addition to his other in
luries. He was thrown over a barbed
wire fence by the force of the collision.
Hines, the Midland fireman, was so
BADLY hurt that doctors who examined
aim at o'clock said that he could not
'ecover. He was -shockingly burned.
but bore his pain bravely,
James Keenan,. the postal clerk. would
lot live until noon, the doctors said. He
vas terribly scalded.
Two express messengers on the Rio
;rande train saved their lives, but their
scape was thrilling one. They were
ames G. Foley and William S. Messegar,
10Th of Denver. They had piled up the
through baggage in one end of the car
nd We're busy with egg cases in the
Their. When the shock came they We're
itchcd headlong about the car and when
teppled over they were stunned and
ruised by the loose baggage. 1t was
everal minutes before they were able to
id themselves. Then the car commenced
D ill with smoke. and death by burning
r suffocation seemed their fate. They
eaiiZed their position and began to battle
18th an axe to liberate themselves Fin
lily, as the car burst into flames they
lw daylight through the hole they were
utting, and by the aid of some men out
Ide they were able to pull themselves
bruised and bleeding.
In addition to the above named. II Is
nown that Alex Hartman of Horsher,
IT,. had both legs broken and cannot live
lis wife and two children were the first
the dead to be removed from the
'reckage.
Miss Pearl Cornell of Oregon, had a leg
roken. This lady was returning from a
lsit to friends in the East and was In a
pllision at Glen Falls. Idaho. while on
cr way East.
7. r. Daniels. the passenger brakeman,
no was unhurt. came back to this place
nd notified the railway officials of the
,cident. A special train was sent out
18th physicians and nurses as soon as
)ssible.
At $40 A. NJ, another special relief
ain was sent from Glenwood Springs.
here the news of the wreck caused great
icitement. Neighboring ranch houses
ere used for the reception of the in
red. All is being done to clear the
ack before tomorrow night, but till then
e passengers will have to be transferred
'ound the wreck.
Two cars of stock were wrecked and
e road was strewn with dead animals