El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-05

been the worst that ever occurred in
: Mexico. Thursday evening l was on
the northbound passenger which was
running about twenty minutes behind
a freight, and about midway between
La Mancha and Symon We were stop
ped by this wreck. 1t is impossible
to describe the scene of death and ruin
that it presented.
1T seems from the best information
that could be gained that two freight
, trains, one adouble-header hauling is
heavily loaded cars. the other a string
of % emptieS. each running down
grade, at not less than thirty miles an
hour. dashed into each other with all
the stupendous power that such trains
would have. The engines struck. re-
bounded: struck again and two rolled
into the ditch; the third blowing its
way through, crashing timber and over
screaming humanity.
These engines are known in MeXi-
co as battleships, so named on account
of their huge size. One of the large
engines which are used here would
look like pigmies by the side of them.
On each engine is crew of four. an
engineer. a fireman and two helpers.
In one of the trains We're twelve con-
Struction cars, which were filed with
men, women and children. Each train
allowed to ride by the brakeman up
on payment of a small stipend. The
ruin caused when two such trains met
! in a head end collision can be better
imagined than described.
Our train arrived possibly twenty
minutes after the wreck, and We found
thirteen dead, among whom were an
American engineer and fireman, their
names l could not learn. Between
fifty and sixty wounded. lying around
under chapparal- Not even a start had
been made to clear away the debris
and wreckage which was piled up forty
or fifty feet high.
Between thirty and thirty-five cars
were damned up in a chaotic mass.
torn. splintered ana shivered into ev-
cry conceivable shape.
1t was necessary to build over 500
yards of track to allow the passenger
train to get around. which delayed us
twenty-foo hours"
SUPERINTENDENT HARTMAN'S
ACCOUNT OF THE WRECK.
Superintendent Hartman of the Chi
huahua division of the Mexican Central
railroad, came up last night and re-
turned to chihuahua this morning.
Mr.. Hartman was on the passenger
occurred near Jimulco last Thursday
night and was at the scene of the
wreck few minutes after it occurred.
He says that the reports here about the
affair have been exaggerated.
The railroad company does not OBJ
ject to the facts being published about
such an affair as that" said Mr.. Hart
man. land if you could have seen any
of the officials you would have got the
exact facts. There were only ten peo-
pie killed. One was Engineer Ross, an
American fireman. a Mexican fireman
and two Mexican brakemen, making
five of the train crew. Only five of the
workmen on the work train were kill
ed ten in all There were thirteen
others injured but none of them have
died or will die from their injuries.
Those who were killed were killed in
stantly and there was very little suf-
fering."
Mr.. Hartman says that both trains
were almost completely demolished, the
engines being rendered entirely use
less
The cause of the wreck. says Mr..
Hartman. was negligence on the part
of Conductor Robinson and his en-
gineer They might have misread
their orders but should not have done
it He thinks the uninjured engineer
and the two conductors escaped to FL
Paso and no one will be arrested or
prosecuted for the affair. 1T was bad
enough" continued Mr.. Hartman, land
there is no use in exaggerating il or
blaming any one too much now.
SPARKS FROM THE ENGINE.
Claim Agent Scheidenmantle. of the
G.. H., was here yesterday.
Roscoe Darr. a helper in the G. II.
copper shop. has resigned his position.
Engineer F. D. Hadlock. of the G. H,
is laying off on account of the sickness
of his little child.
Joe Maloney, a freight conductor on
the s. A & A. p. is here from Yoakum
on a short visit
Engineer z. J. Hadlock. the record
breaking Kid. has taken a lay-off
from his work on the T. & r. and gone
east on business.
T. r. Rice, a train porter on the
G. H., is in town today making ar
rangements for a big oaks walk at
Chopin hall on Christmas night.
William Sachs. G. H.. machinist.
and Miss Mary Harden. sister of Mrs.
Frank Powers, will be married at the
Powers home tonight at O'Clock.
Charles Allen. conductor of the Linn
tied running east from this place. is
at home sick and his run was taken
out this morning by Conductor J. S.
Moss.
B. H Sherwood. Of Yoakum, VII -
to work in the machine shops of the G..
H., tomorrow. He is nephew of Vice
President and General Manager Mon
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