The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-29
Operator on Southern Pacific Fail to Deliver Orders and
 Disaster Results,
FUEL O|L IN LOCOMOTIVES
 SETS FIRE I0 THE DEBRIS
Disaster Occurred Between Tucson and vails Just After Sunset Linn ited Had Rounded Curve
 Engineer Exonerated.

Tucson, Ariz., January 2S.-In head end collision between the Sunset Limited. west bound, and another passenger train on the Southern Pacific today between Tucson and Vails. twenty persons are known to have been killed and many were injured. The wreck is said to have been due to the failure of George Clough, tele- graph operator at Vails station to deliver orders to the Sunset Limited to side track.
 While only twenty bodies have been taken from the wreckage, which was partly burned, it is thought that others are under the debris.
 . The Known Dead.
 The known dead are:
 J. M Hilton, Cambridge, Mass.
 J. w. Bruce, engineer.
 R. w Wilkey. engineer.
 George McGrath, fireman.
 Sixteen Unidentified.
 Seriously injured: Frederico Romero, Juarez, Mex; H. W. Hartman, Saginaw Mich; Frederick Donahue, Battle Creek Mich; Ben Sawyer, mail clerk; A. $. Silverton, New York; c. S. Gilbert, fire man; Ben Bradsford, May Hill' New York. h
 Injured: M. M Bohm baggageman; M. Micelson. mail clerk; s. F. Glidden' Cambridge, Mass. R. H. Esquire, Her mosillo Mex; G. S. Walker, Tucson, Ariz.; Dr. Meyers, Springfield, O.; B. Hattock Tombsone, Ariz.; Miss Irene Lil- 1ineton. Phoenix, Ariz.; l.. L. Bradford, Canyon City, Col
 A large number of others were cut by broken glass. Engineers Bruce and Will key and Fireman McGrath were burned to death. ,,
 The son of J. M. Hilton, who was killed, escaped injury.
 The Sunset Limited was several hours late and stopped at Vails station. IL WAS in charge of Conductor G. w. farker anu Engineer Jack Bruce. The conductor anu engineer had orders to pass an eastbound freipht train At Wilmot Station. Another f order to meet the train known as the Crescent City express at Esmond awaited at Vails. This order it is said, the op- orator failed to deliver, and the limited passed out without the right of way, ana with no orders concerning the crescent City express.
 When six miles west of Vaile. running fifty miles an hour, rounding rather se- were curve, the limited crashed into the eastbound train. The locomotive reared up and crushed the boilers and the cars rushed upon the piled up, tangled mass
 Fire Breaks Out.
 Fire broke out in the wreckage and the whole mass was soon in flames.
 Those who escaped from the cars In the rear of the train ran to the rescue, flames were fed with oil from the tenders of the locomotives. Smoke from the burn ing oil and cars blinded the rescuers. Even in the face of these obstacles the passengers and train men rendered consid- erable aid to the injured. Many of these were quickly removed and taken to places of safety at the sides of the track.
 A sleeping car on the rear of the east bound train was detached by the force of the collision. and ran down the grade to Tucson, crashing into a switch engine. Both the engine and the car were dam aged, but no one was hurt. The arrival of the runaway car was the first news of the wreck to reach Tucson, although 1t