San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-11
HOLOCAUST.
That Terrible Colorado
Wreck.
ONE COACH AND ALMOST ALL
OF ITS PASSENGERS
CREMATED,
Probably Thirty Persons We're
Burned To Death Graphic De-
tails Of ESCAPED Passengers.
The Work Of Destruction
Facilitated By An EXplO-
sion Of Gas,


coroner, says that only ten bodies
have so far been taken from the
ruins of the Denver and Rio Grande
train wrecked near this place. These,
with KEENAN,, Holland, Hines, and
Gordon, make fourteen in all, but
there is no doubt these are less than
half those who persisted
The most conservative estimates
placed the list of dead from twenty
five to thirty-five.
The remains of what are supposed to
be ten persons, are confined in two
caskets with nothing to identify them
and 1t is expected that they will be
buried.
The first man to arrive at the wreck
was e. H. Strouse, who resides on his
ranch about three hundred feet from
the track. Mr.. Strouse was awakened
by the collision. He hurried to the
scene and assisted in rescuing the pas
sengerS in the smoker and day coach.
When he reached the scene, few min
utes after the collision, four of the
cars were all ablaze, and the heat was
so terrific that it was impossible for
anyone TO get near them. In very
few minutes he thinks, at least fif-
teen or twenty were cremated.
J. G. Young, one of the survivors,
says he was in the smoker at the rear
end and when the collision came the
front end of the car and part of the
roof was thrown on him, pinning him
down in the seat. He succeeded in
freeing himself and escaped through
window. There were from twenty
three to twenty-five in the smoker, and
he does not think more than eight got
out alive, all the rest being cremated.
AS the day coach was Immediately
behind the smoker, he thinks there
were from thirty to thirty-tive in ii,
and to his best knowledge, only two
succeeded in making their escape.
He says that all who We're in the
chair car got out safely before the
fire reached it, as did those in the two
PullmanS.
Fred. s. Rockwell, stock agent of the
Burlington road, who was a passen-
Der on the wrecked train, told his ex-
perience as follows:
81 had just left the sleeper in COM
pany with a gentleman and passed
through the day coach into the peXt
car. We had barely seated ourselves
when we were hurled violently from
our seats by the shock of the collision.
We got out safely. A moment later
terrific explosion of gas rent the
air and after it came a burst of fame.
After getting my bearings, was hor-
rified TO discover that the smoking car
had ridden over the day coach, cut
ting its way almost to the seats, en-
casing the car in a manner to shut off
all hope of escape. 1t was in this day
coach where the horrible harvest of
death took place. / procured an axe
and with others managed TO chop
through window and got out two wo-
men and men, who were badly hurt.
Another man was struggling to get
his foot loose. He was self possessed
and told me he was not injured other
wise. He could not free his foot and
was compelled to stand helplessly
by and see him consumed in the
flames. The five that were rescued
were the only ones that could have |
possibly escaped from the car. 1t was |
crowded with men, women and chill |
dren. 1 should say that fully thirty |
adults were cremated there"
Conductor Hawthorne, of the i'll
fated train does not place the loss of
life at so many as generally supposed.
On checking up his tickets, as nearly |
as he can tell, eight were killed of
hose in the coach.
GlenwoOd Springs, Col, Sept. H.
Coroner Clark intends to make a
thorough investigation of the railroad
on the Junction road near
Newcastle and fix the responsibility
'or the terrible loss of life resulting
.herefrom. The jury will begin to
axe testimony as soon as the attend
lnce Of the survivors of the crew can
De explained. Engineer Ostrander, of !