The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1904-08-12
Two Crowded Passenger Coaches
and a Baggage Car Were
Engulfed in aRiver.
But THREE OCCUPANTS ESCAPE.
Heavy Rains Tore Cut Trestle Span
ming a Stream Seven Miles
North Of Pueblo, Col.
Number Of Drowned VIII Probably
Never Be Known = seyenty.six
Bodies Have Been Recovered.
ss Helnu Identified.


Pueblo. Col, Aug. a.--The wreck OF
The wotid'ssfnIr dyer on the Denver
A fllQ' crinue,rhilroad near Eden, sew.
eu mllea north of Pueblo Sunday even
lbs proves TO have been one OF the
-ertatcAt railroad disasters in the his.
tory a The country. Two crowded
iqhschgef cars and baggage car
wcfo engnlfed IN the torrent that tore
out . trcstie spanning steele's Hol-
low otbefwlee known nc Dry creek.
tAna 20 far as known, only three Of
the ocounants Of these cars escaped
death Fortunately, two sleeping cars
and a diner completing the train. re-
malned 90 the track at the edge Of
The abyss and none Of their occupants
M killed. OF injured.
How many perished probably will
never bo definitely nsccriaincd. for
tho troachorous sands are drifting
over the bodies Searching for the
dead WAS begun about midnight on an
eytensIgo scale
AllcoFpsea found were brought TO Pu.
ebln snd placed In four morgues here.
Al o'clock Monday afternoon rs
bodies had been recovered and OF
these IS had been identified During
the day bodies were recovered all the
way along Fountain river from tho
scene OF the wreck to this city. AZ
io'clock Monday afternoon two bod.
lies wefo taken from the stream al
Finet street. Pueblo more than eight
milca from the point where tho disas.
Tor occurred. and Il IL probable that
some may be- recovered oven further
down stream None OF the bodies are
badly niutilated and all are IN such
condition As TO be recognizable.
en tho lookout for danger. warned
BY tho sqnally clouds and heavy rains
70 the noi;h, Engineer Charles Hind.
man was running cautiously about rs
miles an hour rs he approached the
arroyo. which was spanned by
bridge s6 feet in length. The oondL
,kion of the bridge was no, known un.
vi the locomotive. one Of tho monster
passenger type. had nearly crossed.
Fireman Frank Mayhcld. with torch
that the engineer and tho fireman
had bnrning TO ascertain the condition
q the track. was In the gnnEway.
When Engincor Iliudman felt tho ire-
NOR IN the great machine and caught
q gllmnler on the water be shouted
bis last words; Put out that torch.
evidently thinking that In the acct,
dent ho felt certain was coming. the
flames would serve TO spread nre,
but before Mayaeid could obey.
while the words were SIN on the lips
Of tho doomed man. the bridge gave
way as II Il had bccn stack Of Kind.
ling wood aud the locomotive dropped
with the kissing steam 30 feet to the
bottom Of the erroyo. crosswlse to
the track.
The baggage car. smoking (car and
chair car followed the locomotive into
the stream and were swept awD5,
The frcman. as the locomotive went
over. was thrown out and managing
20 grasp piece OF wrcckage from the
bridge. floatcd with that TO curve
made b. the caying bank and crept
ont Of the wateE He ran toward Ed.
en-, meeting on the way Operator +.
n Jones and his wife, who had al.
ready started mp the trnck. Thoy
had accn the headlight OF the ap.
preaching train a minute before and
then had Witnessed Il disappear with
luminous suddenness.
W. Vance. porter on the forward
sleeping car Wyute. 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. aud with rare
presence Of mind. rushed TO the hand.
brake on the front OF the car and be.
gnn tightening the brakes on tho
wheels His car was slipping forward
from the momentum and from the ter.
rible drag In front. caused by the for.
pard. cars failing into the stream.
Nancc'held on TO the brake like grim
death. His hands clenched the wheel
until bis fingers almost bled. but no
held on until his tight grip stopped
the car. The forward cara broke from
the sleeper and fell into tho water.
whilo tho car which Vance had held
with the brake stopped onothird OF
the way on the brink Of the chasm.
ovorhanging the gulck below. The
fnrwnrd fr,,eiro had iof, A. -,