The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-03

of Night Operator George Clough at
Wallis station to deliver orders to
westbound train No. 9, known as the
Sunset Limited, caused a head-end
collision between that train and train
No. s, IA miles east of Tucson and six
miles from Wallis station, with dis
astrously fatal results.
At last accounts 20 bodies had been
taken from the mass of burned and
charred wreck age, and it is believed
this number will be swelled by the
addition of several others before the
search of tangled and twisted mass
of iron and steel shall have been COM
pleted.
Failed to Deliver Orders.
Train No. Z, which originally was
No. 9, but which was several hours
late and running as No. Z, stopped at
Wallis station at 2:4O o'clock this
morning. 1t was in charge of Con-
ductor G.. w. Parker and Engineer
OoSh oAuSS3 ShS " A oAoSoS "AN
best known enginemen in Arizona.
The conductor and engineer were
furnished with orders to pass an east
bound freight train at Wilmct sta
ton. There was another order at
Wallis station one to meet train No.
s, known as the Crescent City Ex-
-, o,,% bn,-1 NJ ISc,o~nJ Thic
order, which was the important one,
the operator failed to deliver, and
the limited pulled out with the right of
way and with no orders concerning
No. 8. When six miles west of Wallis,
running at a speed of so miles an hour
and rounding a sharp curve, No. 8
crashed into No. 8, running as miles
an hour.
The crash and the scenes immedi-
ately followin g were beyond descrip-
ton. So great was the impact from
the two flying trains that the engines
reared up like two animals engaged
in combat and crushed the boilers like
g shells. The cars Immediately in the
real rushed upon the mass of heated
iron and piled up in an indiscriminate
and frightfully tangled mass.
Wreck Catches Fire.
Fire broke out at once. The flames
followed by the oil from the broken
tanks of the engines, quickly COM
municated to. the cars, and the whole
mass was soon in flames. Those who
were able to escape from the cars
in the zeal of the trains quickly came
to the rescue E. But all their efforts
went for little, as the pile of debris
was heated to such a degree that the
workers coul d not approach near
enough to do any good. Smoke from
the burning oil and cars ,as we'll as
escaping steam, blinded all those who
got near the flames. Even in the
face Of all these obstacles the pas.
sengers and trainmen, who were able
to be of any service whatever, rem
dered noble aid to the wounded. Many
of these were quickly removed and
taken to places of safety at the side
of the tracks,
1t is declared by passengers who
we're brought to Tucson on the relief
train that oil from the broken tanks
ran in streams down each side of the
track. When this inflammable fluid
took fire it rendered work and efforts
at rescue very difficult and danger
GUS. It is declared that the mass
of9the wreckage was heated to a white
heat by the intensity of the fire.
Runaway Sleeper Takes News.
A Pullman sleeper or the rear OF
train No. 8 was detached by the ire
mendous fore of the collision and
ran down the grade into Tucson,
crashing into a switch engine. Both
the engine and the sleeper were dam
aged to a considerable extent. The
arrival of. the runaway sleeper was
the first news OF h wreck to reach
Tucson, alth ough it had been unau-
th%oritatiyely stated that Operator
Clough at Wallis, learning of his fatal
error when No. Z departed, told the
dispatcher's Office at Tucson that a
wreck would occur. Soon after the
Pullman car ran into Tucson a brake
man arrived from Wallis bringing
news of the wreck. His reports were
that the dead would NUMBER from 20
to so.
A relief train was quickly maze