Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-05-14
ooLLlsIoN NrAR EL RIro.

Krcirht Trains Nos. sss and s3a wrecked
Five Men Badly Injured.
A head end collision between the two
freight trains, No. 633 and No. S3f, Oc-
CURED two miles the other side Of nj
Rito at about o'clock last night
The collision was reported In this city
at about o'clock last night, and In the
absence Of definite information, a large
number OF exaggerated rumors were soon
In circulation 10 the eject that the crews
on both trains had been killed, which
caused a great deal Of excitement on the
streets IA we'll IA worry among the
friends and relatives OF the trainmen.
No. S33 left here yesterday morning at
about IL o'clock, and was In charge Of
Conductor II. o. Strong, with W. T. Strain
aud W. A. Adams as brakemen; Nose
Holman, engineer, and Charles Davis
firing.
The crew on No. s3i was composed Of
Conductor II. X. McGOwan, Brakemen
William McClurken and X. s. Robins;
Charles WhitoOmb, engineer, and George
Calvert, fireman.
At 4 o'clock No sSl, wrecking train
In charge OF Conductor james FuTlong
aud Engineer Clump went out 10 the
wreck. Doctors Cornish and Elder alsO
went out 10 take care Of the wounded.
They returned 10 the city this morning
with Moses Holman, engineer on No.
S33; Charles WhiteOmb, engineer on No.
S3i: James Johnson, cOlOTed man, and
!. NJ. Yanderwerker. the civil engineer.
who all received injuries in the wreck.
Il. :. Robins, the front brakeman on
No s3i, who was also Injured, was taken
10 Laguna.
These flye we're the only ones injured.
Engineer WhitcOmb was taken TO his
home on south Broadway and Messrs
Holman, Vanderwerker and johnson were
taken to the Santa Fe Pacific hospital
NOT FATALLY INJURED.
Although severely bruised and suffer-
ing intense pain. none Of the men are
seriously injured and Doctors Cornish
and Elder hope To have their patients
around again IN a short time.
Engineer Holman is badly scalded In
the lace and on the hands, arms and
neck.
Engineer Whitcomb sprained his right
knee and has also some bruises on the
shoulder, which he received In jumping
from his engine.
James johnson, the cOlOred man, who
was riding In the ice box Of the refrig-
orator, is suffering from fracture OF
the right leg. The wonder II how h.
ever escaped with his life, IA the ear IN
which he was riding was smashed into
splinters.
JIM. Vanderwerker was riding In the
cabo0se Of No. S33 when the collision Oe-
Cured and was thrown over, receiving
some bruises on the chest
Il. 5. Robbins, the brakeman, Is scalded
in the face, has number OF bruises on
the chest and his hands are also cut.
HOW 1T HAPPENED.
Just who Is responsible for the wreck
is not known; at least hts name IL not
given out by the officials here. No. S3i,
which had the right OF track over every
other freight train, was travelling on
scheduled time. and had TO walt orders
at every station this side OF Grants II
had orders 10 leave Laguna at 6:35, but
did not get started until few minutes
later The collision occurred at very
sharp bend In the road about two miles
the other side OF El RitO, where II was
impossible for the engineers TO see each
other until they were 80 close together
that II was out OF the question TO stop
the respective trains In time, as No. S34
was moving along at q rate OF about
twenty-five miles an hour aud No. S33 at
about twelve miles an hour. The crew
on the latter thought that No. S3i was
being held at Lagnna. For some reason,
however, this order was never received at
Laguna, and the collision resulted.
FREE BREAKFAST AT GRANTS.
Passenger train No. 2. from the west,
due here at l0:25 last night, arrived at
about 1915 20 day, passing by the wreck
shortly after 10 o'clock this morning.
The train was held Ut Grants all night
and this morning the section house at
that place supplied all the passengers
with free breakfast. Nine cars besides
the two engines were wrecked. Six Of
the ears we're loaded and three empty.
Some OF the loaded cars contained Cali
fornia fruit, and a. No. . this morning
passed by the scene OF the wreck very
SLOWLY, number Of the passengers got
of and supplied themselves with enough
fruit for the entire train.
X. s. Robins was taken on the train
at LagunR and Is now at the hospital
here.
There Ia report TO the effect that the
engine on No. 1913 needed water very
much and that Conductor Strong asked
the operator at III Rito 10 telegraph La
Runa for No. S34 to wait until the other
train reached there, and this message, II
Ia said, was never sent. II IL alsO re-
ported that the operator at ri RitO has
resigned.
All efforts 10 confirm these stories
failed, IA local officials evidently had
strict orders 10 keep mum.