The Elbert County tribune., 1898-11-24
TwOENGINEs COLLIDE
wRsck oN rHE RIo oRANDE.
Fast Passenger Train Crashes Into ths
Locomotive Of Freight Near Colo
RADIO sprIngs--Onc Seriously Injured.

Denver, Nov. ia special to the
Republican last night gives the fol
lowing details OF n collision on the Rit
Grande rond:
-Four persons We're injured, one seri
ously. In head-end collision about q
quarter of mile north OF Edgertor
and nine miles north OF this city nj
5.27 o'clock this afternoon.
Soutl-bound passenger train No. II
and nm extra nortb-bound freight on
the Denver & Rio Grande road collided
about n hundred yards south of sid
ing. The passenger train, known as
the Missouri Pacific. because II carries
the Missouri Pacific sleeper, has the
right OF way, and the freight train, II
Is said, should have been ON the siding
The injured are:
ID. Il. Ainsworth OF Denver, freight
fireman; Internal injuries: may die.
George Root of Denver passenger
engineer, sprained right shoulder and
right knee: cut on head; not serious.
Frank Bennett, freight engineer,
sprnincd ankle.
Baggngeman O'Kecfc. scalded.
Fireman Strain OF the passenger,
slightly bruised.
All the injured live in Denver.
No. II was about one and one-half
minutes late, according to Engineer
Roots schedule. and he had all steam
up and the throttle wide open trying
10 make up on the down-grade time he
had lost In climbing the hill. He esti-
mates that he was going about fifty
miles an hour when he rounded the
curve just north of Edgerton.
After rounding this curve he had a
sweep OF about thrce-quarters of n mile
straight down to the Edgerton ice
house. The siding lies along this
straight stretch of track. Engineer
Root had no orders to slow up Mt Ed
gerton. and. the freight being an extra
and he knowing nothing about Its pres
ence on the road. he kept the throttle
open as he passed the siding.
The freight train emerged from be-
hind clump OF trees just ms the pas
senger engine had got beyond the sid
ing. There was n terrible crash. the
engines smashed each other for about
three feet back and the tenders tele-
scoped Into the cars next behind them,
that OF the passenger train going into
the baggage car. and that of the freight
train into box car. both so far that
the cars rested ON the tenders trucks.
Neither engine left the trnck, and
with this pile of debris the road was
blocked beyond hope of clearing II. II
is thought, within nine or ten hours.
Engineer Root behaved very heroic
ally. In spite Of the high speed at
which he was going he made frantic
efforts TO stop his train before the col
lislon came and almost succeeded. The
air brakes We're put on hard, sand
turned loose and the throttle closed.
Then the engineer jumped, following
his fireman, Strain, just before the
crash came.
Engineer Bennett of the freight train,
which was hauled by engine No. 257,
was making strenuous effort TO gain
the siding. He knew he was late. for
1t and was going at high rate of
speed. AS he was just rounding from
the Edgerton curve on to the straight
stretch he had no time to stop his train.
When he saw the headlight he called
out and jumped.
Fireman Ainsworth was busy and
did not see the approaching train. He
was In the cab when the collision came,
md was thrown about twenty-five feet
by the force of 1t. He alighted in a
ditch. and was. suneenscious when he
was picked up.
1t Is feared that he cannot survive.