The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-09-16

~ ",'u II Sceins CERTAIN tnat the number
Killed will remain in doubt.
AS soon as the news of the wreck
reached Glenwood a relief train was sent
from that place, and this afternoon the
most seriously injured We're sent to the
Denver and Rio Grande company's hos
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 and removing the bodies. Ten
bodies were found in the ruins of one
car and four in another. The charred
remains of two women, apparently
clasped in each others arms were found.
Their heads and lower limbs were
burned off. In the dress bosom of one
was found a gold watch, upon which
was inscribed From Mother to Mamie"
kilograms inquiring for friends and
relatives were received from all parts of
the country today.
Frank l.. ManniX, a newspaper man
of Victor, Colo. who was in the smoker
and escaped with some painful bruises,
said today:
Words fail to express the horror of
the scene. The crash came unknown to
anybody. Suddenly all was darkness
and confusion. The air was filed with
cinders, spinters and heated gases.
Then flames darted up on either side
This scene was simply indescribable.
The flames were in sense godsend
however, for with their aid the windows
were located, even though the passen-
gers had to jump through burning
flames. The freight train consisted of
seventeen cars, the first three being
loaded with horses, the next ear laden
with fruit and the balance filled with
cattle. The freight engine tore through
the passenger engine up to the bell. On
the passenger train were about 200 peo.
pie. about evenly divided between the
coaches. In the smoker next to the eX-
press car were about thirty. The crash
was followed by. an explosion, when
flames shot up from the ruins, and IN q
short time the wreckage was n burning
mass. The groans and cries of the i'm
prisoned passengers were heartrendins
Those more fortunate who escaped ~
jury set to work resculng those who
were caught in tho wreck"
The accident occurred at the worst
possible point Tbe trains = -.
possible point. The trains collided OF
n curve or bend around Il noun
tain and there was no opportunit.
to avoid the wreck or to even Stacker
speed. The surviving trainmen say
the trains We're not running fast, but
the facts seem TO be that both the pas
senger and freight were going at ful
speed-about forty miles nm hohf for the
passenger and thirty for the freight.
The Rio Grande Railroad, on which
the wreck occurred, is a joint track
operated by the Denver and Rio Grande
and Colorado Midland companies. 1t Is
a single standard guage track, seventy
seven miles long, running from New
castle to Grand Junction, connecting
the two roads with the Rio Grandt
Western. The road west of the Rio
Grande river nearly all the way are
high bluffs on one side of the tract,
and the stream on the other, 1t being
from fifteen to twenty feet below the
surface Of the track.
The Hi0 Gfande passenger train was
due at Newcastle at Hos p. M, and
should have reached the point one and
n half miles below Newcastle, where
the accident occurred, by ttnO. The
train must therefore have been at least
one hour late as the accident occurred
at 1915 n. M.
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 every
thing seemed to be In flames within a
Short time. He says he does not think
more chan two or three passengers in
the stf1Ser were burned to death, but
Will not say There were not more than
this number.
The passengers fh the coach Jared
the worst. Out of thirty people in that
coach only six are khoWR to have es-
capped. All was confusioh and some
may have escaped unnoticed. As In all
similar accidents the engine dfen were
the first to lose their lives.
Robert Holland. fireman on the pas
senger, was so badly hurt that he died
at 5 o'clock.
Engineer 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 a barbed wire
fence by the force of the collision.
Hines, the Midland fireman was SO
badly hurt that the doctors who exam
ined him said he could not recover. He
was shockingly burned, but he bore he
pain bravely.
The express messengers on the Rio
Grande train saved their lives. but
their escape was thrilling one. They
were James G. Foley and William s.
Messag gar. both of Denver. They had
picked up the through baggage In one
end of the car and were busy with the