The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-08
COLORADO WATERS
ENGULF SCORES
Cars Go Down to Disaster in
Arroyo Swept by Sudden
Flood. s
HUNDREDS SEARCH
FOR EXCURSIoNISTS
Raging Torrent Bears Away Pas
sengers, and Debris Alone
Now Marks Scene.

Pueblo, Col. Aug. 8.--One of the
most terrible catastrophes in the rail-
road history of the west occurred at
an early hour last evening, when the
Missouri Pacific train which runs Over
the Denver & Rio Grande tracks be-
tween Pueblo and Denver, crashed
thru a trestle near the little station
of Eden, eight miles north of Pueblo,
carrying the smoking and chair cars,
filled with. passengers, into the swirl
Ing, surging torrent that rushes UNI
derneath. SO far as learned at this
hour, between eighty and one hun
dred persons persisted.
At 1880 the number Of bodies re-
covered was twenty-five, few of which
have been identified.
Special trains ere leaving Pueblo
every few minutes and thousands are
patrolling the banks of Fountain riv-
er, into which the cars were carried
by the flood, searching for bodies, but
the stream is so swollen that but little
progress can be made.
AS the engine struck the trestIe,
which had been weakened by the rush
of waters, it gave way and the train
plunged down, one of the cars being
entirely lost in the muddy stream and
the other carried nearly four miles
down the river.
Dry Creek, where the accident hap
pened, is one Of the most dangerous
pOlHIS OH Tie IOtQ. II is lOL ldI
Butte, where, two years ago, wash
outs occurred which crippled the line
but entailed no loss Of life. It is close
to the foothills, which, by reason of
repeated cloudbursts and washouts,
have been slowly closing in, the bed
of the creek continually becoming
deeper until 1t has reached depth
Of twenty-five feet.
Other Trains Passed Safely.
Trains Nos. and Is, preceding No.
/ II, passed over the bridge and reached
| Pueblo safely.
The rains had been severe, but off,
cials did notsapprehend any danger at
/ Dry Creek, as g. recent inspection
showed that the bridge was in first
4 class condition. There were reports
i that a heavy rainfall was in progress
In the vicinity Of Eden, but there was
no intimation of a c1oudburst.
1 Whether the engine and the tor
rent Of water from the cIoudburst
| struck the bridge simultaneously or
the torrent had already undermined
the structure is not known, but the
reports at the Denver office say that
i the air was turned on and that this
saved the diner and sleepers from
being precipitated into the creek.
When the baggage car, smoker and
chair car left the tracks and plunged
by the current and the trucks torn
off. This lightened them and they
were carried four miles before they
1 ran ashore. The three cars were found
near each other.
Hundreds Rush to Scene.
Shortly after daybreak hundreds
swarmed to the scene. The banks OF
the river were lined as far down as
the Fourth street viaduct with people
anxiously waiting for bodies tina,
might float past and some were taker
out several miles from the scene. The
fire and police departments Of this
city placed men at work early, patrol.
!; ing and dragging the river all the
way from Pueblo to Eden, but Their
efforts have availed little.
Much better progress will be made
shortly as the river is falling rapidly
and when it's normal condition /:
reached it is thought it will not be
difficult to secure the bodies of the
Inflated passengers. The rescuer.
are suffering great hardships, man,
2 having been constantly at work since
last night without food or relief.
: At II o'clock the river is recedins
slowly and the bodies are being dis
covered on sandbars partially GOV
cred by the mud and sand. They ar
being brought to the city and placet
, in the morgues, where twenty-five
l so. far have been taken, only six o
which have been identified, altho tn
bodies have been viewed by thou
| sands.