The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-08
Missouri Pacific Express
Wrecked at Fountain
Creek, Col.
FLOODS CAUSE DISASTER
Relief Trains on the Ground
and Search for Dead
Begun.


PINON, Col, Aug. S.-Plunging through
the bridge that spanned Fountain Creek.
three crowded cars and the engine of
Missouri Pacific train No. II, the St.
Louis Worlds Fair Flyer. which left
Denver over the Rio Grande Railway
Sunday evening at 5 o'clock. and was
due a I Pueblo at o'clock Sunday night.
carried between IS and 125 persons to
death in the waters OF the stream.
During the late afternoon and early
evening a cloudburst struck the Foun-
tain Valley in the -ricinity of Pinon The
downpour swelled rhe stream to a roar
ing torrent. The waters swept away the
bridge that spanned the creek as II it
were paper.
Plunged Into Torrent.
In short time the st. Louis express
was due. There was no signal TO warn
the engineer of the disaster that awaited.
The locomotive dashed on down the
track and plunged into the mad current
Three coaches and the baggage car fol-
lowed the engine into the raging food.
In the first coach passengers were
standing in the aisle for the lack of
seats. 1t is estimated that at least 100
persons were IN this coach alone. Most
OF them had got on at Denver and
Colorado Springs. and were bound for
Pueblo.
The Pullnnans and the diner. which
were on the rear Of the train. did not
80 down. They remained on the track
but on the edge Of the roaring food.
The Fountain River is raging. The
banks are muddy and searchers are
meeting with many obstacles. Chief OF
Police Shoup and twenty-five police from
Pueblo are here. with 200 people assist
ing. Lanterns and torches were brought
into use and bodies as fast as recovered
were placed in boxes and carried 10 the
train to be taken 10 Pueblo
Washed Down Stream.
Engineer Hinman was found 200 feet
down the creek at a. m. II Is estimated
that OF the rs passengers on board the
ill-fated train, between eighty and one
hundred lost their lives either under the
water OF the raging torrent or beneath
the wreckage Of the train.
Upon the news reaching Pueblo
special train bearing all the available
surgeons Assistant Superintendent Nil
Ter. of the Denver and Rio Grande. Su-
perintendent r. H. Bowers, Of the Mis-
souri, Pacific. and Master Mechanic
Myers left for the scene.
Pinned Under Wreck.
1t is supposed that the engineer was
pinned under the wreck Of his engine
The train pulled out OF Colorado Springs
with one OF the largest crowds that has
ever Travelled on this train The cloud
burst had sent flood down the stream,
and the bridge over Fountain Creek,
one mile north OF Eden and eight miles
north OF Pueblo, had been washed away
late IN the afternoon.
heard the cries for help. and hurried 10
the scene as fast as possible. When he
got there not a person could be found
who had gone down In the wreck.
The cries had been followed by COM
plete silence, and apparently the pas
sengers IN all three coaches had gone
down 10 death. The cars were carried
several hundred yards down the stream.
The conductor is missing. and IL Is be-
leved he was drowned.
The bodies OF three young women were
washed upon the bank Of the river three
quarters Of a mile below the scene OF the
wreck. Their Identity has not been es-
tablished.
Crawled Out of Stream.
J. NJ. Knlen. a merchant Of Pueblo.
was badly injured and swept down the
stream. but crawled out a mile below
the scene Of the accident.
The bridge. which went down. was
over an area which was fully .OCC Seet
wide. The relief train brought IN all
known 10 have been saved.
The first warning i had Of the i'm
pending disaster. was a feeling that the
earth was sinking beneath me- said the
fireman Il knew that we were at the
bridge, and the conclusion at once flash
ed through my mind that the structure
was about 10 fall. II was this thought
that saved my life. / Jumped from the
cab. and by the narrowest OF margins
escaped a plunge into the creek.
shouted 10 Hinman. but he was appar-
entity 50 terrOr-stricken that ne could
not move ] could feel the train drop
as I left II. II was one steep shoot into
the water. and then death
Eleven Bodies Recovered.
Only eleven bodies had been recovered
and taken 10 the various undertaking
establishments in this city up 10 8
O'Clock. and Of these only two have been
identified. Many bodies. il is now
known. have been swept down the Ar
kansas River by the cloudburst, and
many never Will be recovered. This
makes II impossible 70 give an accurate
number Of the dead.
Three OF the bodies recovered this
morning were taken from the river In
this city. a point seven miles below the
scene OF the wreck. The two Identified
bodies are those OF Frank II. Whitman
and Alexander s. Maxwell. Among the
missing and those believed 10 be dead
are;
Mrs John Oliver. Of Pueblo, and her
two small children.
Mrs James Smith. wife Of the con-
ductor OF the Inflated train.
Ida Leonard. of Pueblo.
Mrs. Mary Walsh. Chicago.
Miss Mary P. Rice. OF La Sale. III.
Robert Lyle, cashier OF the First
National Bank. Pueblo.
Miss EMILY Wood, Pueblo.
DR. W H. Moch.
Mr.. and Mrs. c. S. LRmson. Pueblo.
Lowell Durham, sante Fe Railroad
clerk