The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-29
Blame OPERATOR.
Station Agent Failed to Give
the Proper Orders,
Causing Wreck and Awful Loss
of Life Near Tucson.
90 BODIES RECOVERED.
But Few in State Permitting
of Identification.
One of the Dead Engineers
Hauled McKinley's Train.
BIG STREAMS OF OIL
Ran Along Each Side of the
Track and Were Ignited.
Loss to the Railroad Is Esti-
mated at 100000.

Tucson, Jan. 2s-The failure of Night
Operator George Clough at Wallis sta
ton to deliver orders to westbound
train No. 9, known as the Sunset Lin
tied, caused the head-on collision be-
tween trains No. Z and which occur
red fourteen miles east of Tucson and
six miles from Walls station with fatal
results.
At last accounts twenty bodies had
been taken from the mass of burned
and charred wreckage and it is be-
lieved that several more are buried in
the twisted and tangled mass of iron
and steel.
The dead: John Bruce. Tucson, en-
gineer; R. Wilkie. Tucson, engineer;
George McGrath, Tucson, fireman; J.
NJ. Hilton, capitalist, Cambridge. Six
teen dead unidentified.
Seriously injured: Fred Donahue.
Battle Greek, Mich; Ben Sawyer, mail
clerk. Tucson; Abe Silverton, New
York: c. S. Gilbert, fireman, Tucson;
Ben Merryhill. New Hampshire.
Slightly injured: Frederic Romeror,
Juarez Mexico; - Mfchaelson, Tue
son; W. H Markham, Saginaw. Mich;
H NJ. B Boehme baggage master,
Tucson; f. 5. NJ. Glidden, Cambridge,
Mass; R. Pesquir, Hermosillo, Mexico;
W B. Waiter. Tucson; Miss Irene
AIillington, Phoenix, Ariz-
The son of J. NJ. Hilton, who was re-
ported killed, escaped injury.
Train No which originally was No.
9, but which was several hours late
and running as No. stopped at Walls
station. It was in charge of Conductor
D. W Parker and Engineer Jack
Bruce, one of the oldest and best
known enginemen in Arizona. The
conductor and engineer were furnished
with orders to pass an eastbound
freight train at Wilmot station. There
was another order at Walls station to
meet train No. s, known as the Cres-
cent City express, eastbound, at Ed
mond. This order, which was the inn
pOTtant one the operator failed to de-
liver and the limited pulled out with
the right of way and with no orders
concerning No. g. When six miles west
of Vails running at a speed Of so miles
an hour and rounding sharp curve
No. crashed into No s, running 45
miles an hour. So great was the i'm
pact from the two flying trains that
the two engines reared up like two an
inals engaged in combat and crushed
the boilers like shells. The cars i'm
mediately in the rear rushed upon the
mass of heated iron and piled up in an
indescribable and frightfully tangled
mass Fine broke out at once The
flames followed by the oil from the
broken tanks of the engires, quickly
communicated to the cars and the
whole mass was soon in flames Those
who were able to escape from the cars
in the rear of the trains quickly came
to the rescue. But all their efforts went
, for little, as the pile of debris was
heated to such a degree that the work
ers could not approach near enough to
! do any good.
Smoke from the burning oil and cars.
as well as escaping steam. blinded all
Z those who got near the flames. In the
face of all these obstacles the passen-
/ gers and trafnmen. who were able 10
be Of any service whatever rendered
noble aid to the wounded. Many of
these were quickly removed and taken
to places of safety at the sides of the
tracks. 1t IS declared by passengers
who were brought to Tucson on the
relief train that oil from broken tanks
ran in streams down each side of the
track. When this infamma bic fluid
took fire it rendered efforts at rescue
very difficult and dangerous It is de-
clared that the mass of the wreckage
was heated to a white heat by the in
tensity of the fire.
A Pullman sleeper on the rear of train
No. was detached by the tremendous
force of the collision and ran down the
I grade into Tucson. crashing into q
T switch engine Both the engine and
sleeper were damaged to a consider era blf
extent The arrival of the runawa5
sleeper was the first news Of the wreck
to reach Tucson, although it had beer
, authoritatiVelv stated that ODeratOi
Clough at Walls learning of his fatal er-
ror when No. 9 denarted told the dis
= patcher office at Tucson that wreck
$ would occur. Soon after the Pullman cal
5 ran into Tucson 2 brakeman arrived
\ from Walls bringing news of the wreck
= His renorts were that the dead woule
e number from 25 to 40
3 A relief train was quickly made read7
. and DR.. Fenner. the railroad surgeo-
g at this point. with two assistants wa
- hurriedlv sent to the scene. They founC
a terrible state of confusion existinz
about the scene Men and women wer.
running to and fro in a ranic some cIas
only in their night clothes, others il
= different stages of undreSs. Many o
: these were suffering from slight injur
d les. The surgeons rendered every ais
o possible under the circumstances. Six
:. teen of the worst injured were place
q aboard the relief train and brought t
: Tucson where they were made as com
: Portable as possible at the railroad hos
s pitaf Six of these We're seriously in
y ipred ard are not expected TO recover
The work of searching for the dead he
gan as soon as the fire subsided Engi
neer Bruce's chaTTed- remains wer
i found at the side of his engine and par
n tiaIv under the oil tank. The body wa
{. terribly burned. only pieces of If re
2 naming The only means Of identified
[ ton was his watch found under tn
= body. His fireman. Joe NcGrath wa
= found lying by his side with his hea
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