Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-08-15

sons were killed Sunday night in the
catastrophe that overlook the forward
part OF tie worlds fair flyer on the
Denver & Rio Grande railroad, seven
miles north OF Pueblo. The bridge
over Steele's Hollow. or DRY Greek,
was carried away by food due to a
cloudburst. Just as the locomotive.
baggage car and two day coaches were
on the tTestle.
Only three passengers AMI the fir
man. Of all those on the bridge e.
capped. Most OF the victims wer
drowned and carried down the river.
some more than eight miles below ia
bridge. Two sleeping cars and tn,
dining car remained on the track, IN
foremost sleeping car projecting over
the brink.
Engineer Saves Many.
The quick application OF the air By
the engineer saved the rear part OF
the train. The locomotive and f0t
ward cars we're dashed to pieces by
the torrent after the fall into the
water.
Up TO dark last night 76 bodies la0
been. recovered from the debris ana
the sand along the bank of Dry creea
and Fountain river for miles. Most
Of the bodies have been identified as
residents Of Pueblo.
DRY creek is usually void Of water,
but the heavy rain Sunday evenin9
sent a wall OF water 80 feet hig1
against the bridge, crushing everything
IN its path and carrying it on inc
Fountain river.
Some bodies may never be recover ed
and the death list may grow
Pueblo. Col. Aug. 9.-TwO carloads
OF human freight plunged into ragins
torrent that destroyed a trestle over
the usually dry arroyo known as
SteeIe's Hollow near Eden Sunday
evening. Two sleeping cars and din
ing car stopped az the brink OF the,
chasm filed with a boiling. seething
current that quickly snuffed out
scores OF lives. So quietly h9i the
catastrophe been enacted that the Oc-
cupauUs of the three cars remaining on
the track did not realize the extent oil
the accident until they alighted. There
they were powerless tr render assist.
auce to the victims. who had disap
peared in the rushing waters.
On the lookout for danger. warned
bv squally clouds and heavy rains to
the north. Engineer Charles Hindman
was running cautiously, Is miles an
hour. rs he approached the arroyo,
which was snanned by a bridge 90 feet
long. The locomotive, one OF the large
passenger type. had nearly crossed.
Fireman Frank Mayfield with a torch
was in the gangway. The engineer
felt a tremor in the great machine ana
caught a glimmer on the weter as he
shouted his last words:
put ont that torch"
Bridge Gives Way.
Bus before MayfeId could obey,
while the doomed mans hand applied
the air. the bridge gave way as II Il
had been a stack OF kindling and the
locomotive dropped with the Kissing
OF steam so feet TO the bottom OF the
arroyo. CrOsswise Of the track.
The baggage car, smoker and chair
car followed the locomotive into the
stream and were swept away. All the
occupants of these cars, save three
men. persisted. The fireman was
thrown ont on the bank. He ran to-
ward Eden. meeting Operator F. N.
Jones. and wife. who had started up
the rack
The two men ran to where the bridge
had been TO search for the victims.
When they reached the spot all cries
for help had ceased.
Only Three Men Escaped.
Relief trains were hurried from
Pueblo. j. n KiIliam. a hardware
merchant q Pueblo, who escaped BY
swimming. II. S. Gilbert. Tony Fisher.
and Fireman Mayfeld were the only
men I'm the midst OF the wreck who
escaped. The end OF the Pullman.
Wvuta. extended four feet over the.
brink. while broken timbers and TWIST
ed rails hung still further. The arroyo
had been widened TO 100 feet where
the bridge had been. The water tore
q zlgzaE course across the prairie 10
depth Of go feet in several places. or.
the baggage car only a few rods, n.
truck and iron safe. half buried, re-
NAMED.
The great locomotive. the boiler
free OF trucks. cab and tank gone, lies
where q fell
Many Bodies Buried.
A quarter q a mile east. where the
-. g-,,r+fae into Fountain river lay