Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-03-08
NET |. IN AWFUL FAIE !
Passengers in Texas Railroad Wreck
Pinned Down and cremated in
the Wreckage.
Nine Coaches in Ashes and Number
Of Victims is Not Known at
this Time.
Accident Occurred at Remote Point in
Mountains and Details are.
Meager Yet. ...5

Ell Paso, Tex, March 8.-The Gal
weston, Harrisburg and San Antonio
westbound passenger train No. 9 was
the Ell Paso and Sanderson division,
at 3 a. m. Nine coaches and a bag
gage car were burned. Only one
coach escaped and this was occupied
by Mr.. Ryan and 40 New York capital
lists. Engineer Mast, a native Of st.
Louis, and Fireman Harry Bertsch of
FL Paso we're killed.
The train is now a smoking heap Of.
ruins. Many bodies were burned
been found at 10 o'clock. Superin-
tendent Martin, with DR.. Turner and a
corps of physicians, left at 5 o'clock on
special for the scene of the disaster.
Express Messenger Adams was badly
scalded and several clerks we're in
jured. Wrecking outfits have been
sent from Alpine, Maria and Marathon,
the nearest stations to the wreck. 1t
is reported that some of the injured
would have lived had they not been
helpless and later burned
Later reports are to the effect that
38 persons were killed and as many
more injured. The wreck was caused
by a broken rail. The cars immediate
ly began burning and the station agent
at Tabor, seven miles away, saw the
reflection of the flames and went to the
scene as fast as flandcar would take
him. On reaching the wreck wild
scene greeted him. Passengers who
were able to get out were running
hither and thither frantic in their eff
forts to rescue those who were in the
burning cars. It is thought that few
| passengers in the two day coaches
were saved, as both cars piled On top
OF the baggage and express cars and
were the first to catch fire. The Pull
man and tourist sleeping car passen-
gers were
Rescued From the Flames
and if reports are true none was killed
on those cars. although several are re-
ported injured.
Owing to the fact that the wreck is
so far away from telegraph station
the only reports to reach here are over
the Galveston, Harrisburg and San An
tonic lines, and the first was the con-
ductcr's report to the chief dispatcher.
AS soon as it was received a wrecking
train. with Superintendent Martin and
all the available surgeons, hurried to
the scene, leaving here at $50 with a
seven hour run before them. Surgeons
and nurses were also picked up at all
way stations.
A still later report says there are Is
known dead and many injured. Many
OF the passengers were on their way to
California. A few lived here.
The dead trainmen, whose families
live here, went down with their engine,
which was overturned and covered up
with the debris of the splintered
coaches. The first coach was filled
with immigrants and nearly all of
these perished. Seven other cars were
overturned, but private car attached
to the rear end, occupied by a New
York capitalist named Ryan, did not
leave the track. Conductor Stockwell
who reported the accident, walked
seven miles to a telegraph Office to
warn an approaching train and send
the news of the disaster to the super
intendent' office here.
The wreck occurred at a remote
point 200 miles east of this place in
the rugged mountains. The train
jumped the track on reverse curve,
which skirts a ravine. 1t had just de
scended grade two miles in length
and was running at high rate OF
speed when it struck the curve. Day
had not broken and most of the pas.
sengers were still asleep.