The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-11
DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.

ever occurred In Colorado. occurred at
1915 this morning, mile and a half
west of this town. The Denver and Rio
Grande passenger train No, /, vest
bound, collided with Colorado Mid
land stock train, going east, wrecklng
both engines and several cars In both
trains, Shortly after the collision fire
broke out in the ruins, The mail, bag
gage and express cars, smoker, day
coach and tourist sleeper were burn
ed. A number of passengers who were
not killed outright, but pinned in the
wreckage, could not be extricated, per-
ished in the flames, There were about
two hundred passengers. II Is estimated
that twenty-five persons were killed,
many more bruised, scalded and burned
OF whom over six are likely to die of
their injuries
The accident occurred at the worst
possible point. Two minutes running
time and they would have avoided the
wreck, as each engineer could have seen
the approach of the other train. The
trains colllded on n curve or bend
around mountain and there was no
opportunity to avoid the wreck or even
slacken their speed. The surviving
tralnmen say the train was not run
ming fast, but the facts seem 20 be both
the passenger and freight were going
at full speed, about twenty miles an
hour for the passenger, with ten or
twelve for the freight.
The Rio Grande junction road, on
which the wreck occurred is Ia Joint
track operated by the Denver and Rio
Grande and Colorado Midland road. 1t
Is a standard gauge track, seventy-sev-
en- miles long running from New Castle
10 Grand Junction, connecting the two
roads with the Rio Grande western. The
road west OF the Grand river and nearly
all the way are high bluffs on one sida
OF the track and the stream on the oth-
er, It being five to ten feet below the
surface OF the track. The RIO Grande
passenger train was due AZ New castle
at 11:Oj p. M, and should have reached
the point one and one-half miles beyond
New Castle, where the accident occult
red by ill0.
The train must therefore have been at
least one hour late as the accident oc-
CURED AT l2:l0 a. M
Cause OF the Accident.
One report as to the cause of the ac-
cldent Is to the effco: that Conductor
Burbank, of the Colorado Midland
stock train, made a mistake of ten min
utes on figuring on the time the Rio
qrande'train passed New Castle. and
therefore he was responsible for the dis
aster. Engineer Ostrander, of the stock
train, could either confirm or deny this
report II he were alive. but 1t is belieV-
ed he is under the debris.
W. l.. Hawthorne. conductor or the
passenger train, was in the smoking car
at the time OF the collision and was
thrown about and severely bruised. Ho
says the gas cylinder under one Of the
wrecked cars, exploded and everything
appeared TO be in flames within short
time. He says he does not think more
than two or three passengers In the
smoker were burned to death, but will
not say there was not more than this
number. The passengers In the day
coach Jared the worst. out Of twenty
nine people In that coach only six are
now known to have escaped. All was
confusion and some may have escaped
unnoticed. As In all similar accidents.
the englnemen ore first to lose their
lives.
Engineer Ostrander went down with
his hands on the lever Robert Hol-
land. fireman on the passenger, was so
badly hurt that he died at o'clock En-
glneer Gordon, of the passenger may
live, although he Is badly injured and at
first was thought to be fatally hurt. He
suffered great pain from rupture in
addition to his other injuries. He was
thrown over n barb wire fence by the
force OF the collision.
Hines, the Midland fireman, was so
badly hurt that the doctors who exam
ined him at o'clock, said that he could
not recover, He was shockingiy burn
ed, but bore his pain bravelv. James
Keenan, the postal clerk, VIII not live
until noon, The doctors say. He Is ter
rlbly scalded
Two express MESSENGERS on the Rio
Grande train saved their lives, bUt their
escape was brilliant one. They were
James c. Foley and William S. Messe-
GAr, both Of Denver.
Cut Their Way out,
They had piled up the through bag
gage in one end OF the car and were
busy with the egg cases in the other end
when the shock came. They were pitch
ed headlong about the car and when 1t
toppled over they were stupned aud
bruised by the loose baggage. II was
several minutes before they were able
90 aid themselves. Then the car COM
menced to fll with smoke and death by
burning or suffocatlon seemed their
fate. They realized their position and
began a battle with an axe to lIbcrate
Themselves. Finally as the car burst
into flames they saw daylight through
the huic they we're cutting, and by The
aid OF come men outside they were able
to pull themselves through-brulsed ana
bleeding, hut still safe.
II is difficult to get particulars about
the dead and injured so great la tho
confusion In addition to the above
named. IT IN nov known Tint Alex
Hartman. Of HorschCr, MS, has both
legs broken and cannot I'VE HIS wire
and two children were the lrRt or the
dcnd to be removed from the wrcckngc.
Miss Pearl Cornell, Of oregon, had her
leg broken This lady wns returning
from n visit To friends east and was IN
collision at Glen Falls, Idaho, while
on her way east
r. Il. Dlntls, the passenger brake
man who was unhurt, came back to this
place ana notified the railway officials
Of the accident A special tiuln was
Gent out with physicians and nurses as
soon na possible. At $40 q. m, another
gpoclal relief train was sent from Glcn-
wood Springs, whore news Of the wreck
caused gtcat excitement NclEhhorlng
rancho houses worc used Tor the rocop-
lion NJ the injured and all did what
they could 10 help
The trnck win not be- cleared before
to.mofrow night and passengers VIII
bavo to be- tFnnsforrcd around the