The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-08-11
Passenger Train Goes Through
Bridge Across Swollen
Colorado Stream.
THREE COACHES SWEPT AWAY
Only Three Occupants Live to Tell
Tale of Their Experience-PulIman
Cars Stop on Brink Of Abyss-SeV-
enty-Six Bodies Recovered.

oCfCAA lllAiCo AlOA III VI uNDlOy plONCo
to have been one of the greatest
railroad disasters in the history Of
the country. Two crowded passen-
gers cars and baggage car were en-
quilted in the torrent that tore out a
trestle spanning Steeles hollow, other
wise known as Dry creek, and as far
as known only three of the occupants
of these cars escaped death. Two
sleeping cars and diner remained
on the tracks at the edge of the abyss
and none of their occupants were
killed or injured.
How many persisted probably neve"
will be definitely ascertained, for the
treacherous sands are drifting over
the bodies. Searching for the dead
is in progress. All corpses found were
brought to Pueblo and placed in four
morgues here. At s o'clock last night
rs bodies had been recovered. and of
these so had been Unidentified Dur
Ing the day bodies were recovered all
the way along Fountain river, from
the scene of the wreck to this city.
Two bodies were taken from the
stream at First street, Pueblo, more
than eight miles from the point where
the disaster occurred, and it is pro-
bable that some may even be recover
ed further down the stream.
Engineer Feared Accident.
On the outlook for danger, warned
nv tho cnIaII,r oil o;,,e
to the north, Engineer Charles Hind
man was running cautiously, about
IS miles an hour, as he approached
the arroyo. which was spanned by a
bridge SO feet in length. The condi-
ton of the bridge was not known un-
I'll the locomotive, one of the monster
passenger type, had nearly crossed
Fireman Mayfield, with a torch that
the engineer and the fireman had
burning to ascertain the condition Of
the track, was in the gangway. When
Engineer Hindman felt the tremor in
the great machine and caught a glim-
mer on the water he shouted his last
words:
Put out that torch" evidently
thinking that in the accident he felt
certain was coming, the flames would
serve to spread fire. But beyond May
field could obey, while the words were
still on the lips Of the doomed man.
and his hand seeking the mechanism
controlling the air, the bridge gave
way as though it had been a stack of
kindling wood and the locomotive
dropped 80 feet to the bottom of the
arroyo.
The baggage car, smoking car, and
chair car followed the locomotive
into the stream and were swept away.
All the occupants of these cars ex-
cept three men persisted, and had not
the roof of the chair car burst asun-
der, none would have escaped The
fireman, as the locomotive went over,
was thrown out and managing to
grasp a piece Of wreckage from the
bridge f1oated to the bank He ran
toward Eden, meeting on the way
operator F. NJ. Jones and his wife,
who already had started up the track.
Victims Died Quickly.
Notify Pueblo came the voice of
the running man, "the trains gone
down and everybody is killed"
Even as he spoke, relates the oper-
ator, there were cries coming from
the distance. The two men ran to
where the bridge had been to search
for victims Of the disaster. When
| they reached the spot all cries had
ceased.
Relief trains with physicians, wreck
and pile driving outfits and scores OF
workmen were hurried from the city.
The first train from the wrac'- came
in shortly after midnight. -'''' 7. M.
KILN, of Pueblo; H. S. CIV. Tony
Fisher and Fireman Maybe }. These
were four men in the mids; of the
wreck who escaped.
| When dawn came the wonder grew
that four had been permitted to
emerge from the raging torrent with
| breath still in their bodies. The end
of the Pullman car Wyuta extended
four feet over the brink, while broken
| timbers and twisted rails hung still
further over. The arroyo had been
widened for more than a hundred feet
at the point where the bridge had
been. The water tore a zigzag course
across the prairie to a depth of 80
feet in several places. There was
little left of the baggage car, a few
rods, truck or so, dimly seen in the
muddy water, and half buried iron
safe. The great locomotive, the boiler
free of the trucks, the cab and tank
gone, lies where it fell.
Debris Along the Stream.
A quarter of a mile to the east.
where this gorge of death debouched
INTO the Fountain, lay the chair car,
windows gone, three-fourths filled
with mud and sand. A hundred feet
farther on was the smoker, bottom up
against a sandbar. A hundred and
fifty feet farther on, in the bed of the
river, was the tender of the engine
and from that point on for four or
ave miles vestiges Of the coaches, the
| engine and tender stuck up from the