The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-08-08
APPALLING
DISASTER
Railroad Train Wrecked bya
CIoudburst.
PASSENGER TRAIN SWEPT INTO RIVER
The Loss Of Life Estimated at From
Seventy five to One Hundred
and Twenty five.
PASSENGER TRAIN SWEPT INTO RIVER

PUEBLO, Aug. S.-The Missouri Pa
citic flyer, consisting of an engine and
five coaches went through the bridge at
Pinon, IS miles from here, shortly be-
fore o'clock last night. plunging into
Dry creek.
The accident is the worst in the his
tory of the Rio Grande railway. Dry
creek, where the train went through
the bridge. is not far from Butte, where
the washouts occurred two years ago.
crippling the line. Two trains. pre-
ceded the Worlds Fair flyer, and safe
ly passed over the bridge. The train
was proceeding at a high rate of speed
and dashed right into the disaster.
The water in the creek was % feet
deep. and running like mill race.
When the baggage, smoker and chair
car left the tracks they plunged into
the stream and they were swept down
and carried four miles before they ran
ashore. On the first coach passengers
were standing in the aisles for lack Of
seats. It is estimated there were 100
in this car alone, being mostly from
Denver, Colorado Springs, or Pueblo.
rear remained on the track through
/ the quick action of the cOlOred porter.
engine striking the chasm, reached up
| and pulled the air cord. The car
| car wheels were locked and the spoke
| brake coupler connecting the chair car
| and the forward sleeper were stopped
with their trucks in the air suspend
ed above the roaring waters. Scores
| of people We're thus saved.
Fireman Mayfield jumped in time to
save his life but Engineer Hinman
went down with the engine.
When the news reached Pueblo. a
| special was made up and return par
ties began the search for bodies. which
are fast being recovered, boxed and
taken to Pueblo. Relief trains have
also been started from Denver.
Only II bodies had been recovered
and taken to the various undertaking
establishments in this city. Up to 9
o'clock this morning and of these only
two had been identified. Many bodies
il is now known, were swept down the
Arkansas river by the cloudburst and
many will never be recovered. This
makes it impossible to have an accur-
ate number of the dead. but it is es-
timated that it will range from IS to
125 Three of the bodies recovered
this morning We're taken from the river
scene of rescue work. Two Identified
bodies are those of Frank II. Whit
man and Alexander :. Maxwell.
Among the missing who are believed
to be dead are the following:
Mrs Jofr s. Oliver and two children,
Pueblo: Mrs. James Smith, wife of the
conducted of the Inflated train; Ida
Leonard. Pueblo: Mrs. Mary Walsh,
Chicago: Miss Mary Rice, Lasalle.
Ills: Robert Lytle, cashier of the First
National bank. Pueblo; Miss Willy
Wood. Pueblo; Dr.. w. H. Moch. Mr..
and Mrs &. s. Lamson. Pueblo; MISS
Zinnie Selby. Pueblo; laval Durham.
Pueblo.
To add to the horror of the situa-
ton ghouls robbed the bodies of the
recovered dead. Wells Fargo COM
panv's safe was found in the wreck
age empty and open. Twelve bodies
from the Arkansas river were recOF-
erred at noon nine miles below Pueblo.
Mrs. George West, wife of former
mavor of Pueblo, was among them.
About 40 bodies had been recovered
IN to noon. For II miles along the