The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-08-11

bed of the stream or lay along the
shore or in the islands
Bits of clothing, coats, skirts and
women's hats were found in the
brush along the shore. Masses of
earth had caved in from the high
sides of the river at many places and
searcherS passed these with fear thai
bodies were buried under them which
they were helpless to reach
The first of the corpses recovered
were those of Miss Irene Wright and
little Dorothy Johnson, sister-in-law
and daughter respectively of Harry
Johnson of Pueblo An unknown
woman lay beside them. Engineer
Hindman was found with his watch
still running few feet further down
the stream. All day long stretchers
with dripping burdens were carried
to the railroad tracks, where the
death train awaited them. While it
was still dark axes had been used on
the half-buried cars at the junction
OF the creek with the Fountain and e.
daylight this work was resumed on
the smoking car. which lay out in
the Fountain, where men were com
PEELED to wade almost to their waists
to reach it.
Drowned Like Rats in a Trap.
A second party further down the
river found several persons entangled
in mass of debris, thought to have
been part of the baggage car, which
was literally torn to pieces. In a
short time a large number of bodies
were dug out of the sand here. Some
bodies were found lodged in the
shrubbery along the banks. other in
the wreckage in midstream and many
half buried with only an arm or bit
OF clothing to reveal their where
abouts.
Without doubt the great majority
drowned like rats in trap when the
cars plunged into the water.
When brought ashore the bodies
were placed on the ground and Gov
cred. A baggage car was kept run
ming between the city and the wreck,
bringing in those who were found.
A number of wagons finally were
pressed into service to haul the bod
les to the tracks, leaving the search
ers free to continue the hunt for
others. Some searchers worked all
night and all day without food or
rest. Persons were constantly arriv-
ing and anxiously inquiring for lost
ones known to have been on the
train. BY 9 O'Clock in the morning
the plains were dotted with vehicles.
each with its load of anxious seekers
or the morbidly curious
Were Returning from the Fair.
Bodies recovered were identified
very slowly because many of them
were those of strangers here who had
been to the fair at st. Louis and other
eastern points.
Fountain river still rushes with the
impetus of the flood and the arroyo
has a clear, tiny stream trucking
along where the fatal mass Of water
rushed a few hours before. The
earth on either side Is swept clean
The walls of the so-called Dry creek
are rugged, irregular, caving and wild
ened, but still so narrow that it is al
most impossible to understand how
the great coaches, the baggage car
and tender could have been swept so
far without becoming lodged against
the sides. Most Of the bed of the
creek is now visible, with little
streams weaving about the strips of
sand, forming islands of mud and
sand, which are being searched for
bodies that may lie buried in them.
Pullman Porter Plays Hero.
W. Vance, porter on the forward
sleeping car Wyuta was one Of the
heroes of the disaster To him and
his nerve and bravery the persons on
that car owe their lives. Vance was
standing near the front end of the
car when the crash came and with
rare presence of mind rushed to the
hand brake on the front of the car
and began Tightening the brakes on
the wheels. His car was slipping for
ward from the momentum and from
the terrible drag in front, caused by
the forward cars falling into the
stream. Vance held on to the brake
like grim death. His hands clenched
the wheel until his fingers almost
bled, but he held on until his tight
grip stopped the car The forward
cars broke from the sleeper and fell
into the water, while the car which
Vance had held with the brake
stopped one-third of the way on the
brink of the chasm overhanging the
gulch below. The forward trucks
had left the track and gone down, but
the remainder of the coach stayed on
the tracks and the lives of the pas
sengers were saved.
1t required two engines and nearly
a half hours work to pull this sleeper
back from the brink Of the chasm.
Nothing but Vance's cool and brave
work at the brakes kept the car from
plunging into the stream.
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