The Washington times., 1904-08-09
SCENES OF HORROR
At TRAIN WRECK
Mountain Stream Swollen
by a ClOudburst.
RUNS DRY TWO HOURS AFTER
Porter Pulls Brakes and Stops Pull
mans on Brink Of the
Chasm
RUNS DRY TWO HOURS AFTER

treStlc. tEc lllE .fy torrent twenty-five
feet GScp hGi emptied its rOaring,
swirling self Into it's afluent and the
narrow little creek which had brought
death to more than hundred persons
was as dry as board
With the breaking u day the fun hcr-
Eor of the scene, concealed TO great
Agree by the mantle of night became
apparent. ,
Wreckage WAS everywhere dead
seodies being visible in ali directions in
fhe piles OF debris from the cars, DRIFT
wood anG the mud. The prevalence Of
quic,,sand prcvcGsed rescuer5 from SC
curing several bCd,es seen imbedded
in the treachcroLs sand.
The rescuars arc suffering Sraa; nard-
ships many Of them having been at
work since last night without food or
relief OF any kind
Secs Hshser Toe Late
On the lookout for-,i@EEa-, warned Ey
the squaLy c''u.- All lazy l@'"- %
the north. T,aS..cs." Chdrl,s L.ndm13
was running cau.ior"i,-. al, at E!tesE
miles an hour. as l. ar.rOtc.'sd u.c
arroyo, which was sra"'.d by bridge
ninety-six feet in length. Thc condi-
ton of the bridge WAS not known until
the locomotive, one Of the monster pas
Fireman Frank Mayheld, with torch
that the engineer and fireman had burn
ing TO ascertain the condition OF the
track. was in the gangway. When
Engineer Hindman felt the tremOr in the
great machine and caught a glimmer on
the water, he shouted his last words:
Put out that torchi' evidently think
ing that in the accident he Ielt certain
was coming the flames would serve
But before MayfcId could obey, while
the words were stiN on the lips of the
doomed man and his hand seeking the
mechanism controlling che air, the
bridge gave way as though II had been
a stack of kindling wood and The loco
motive dropped with the Kissing OF
steam thirty feet TO the bottom of the
arroyo, crosswise to the track
Cars Follow Engine.
The baggage car, smoking car and
chair car followed the locomotive into
the stream and We're swept away. All
the occupants of these cars except three
men persisted. and had not the roof of
the chair car burst asunder none would
have escaped.
The fireman, as the locomotive went
over, was thrown out. and. managing 20
grasp a piece Of wreclzage from this
bridge, fiOated with that 10 a curve
made by the caving bank and crepi
out Of the water He ran toward Eden
meeting on the way Operator Z. NJ
Jones and his wife. who already haC
started up the track.
Notify Pueblo" came the voice OF
the running man; the trains gone
down and everybody is killed. %
Even as he spoke, relates the operator
there were cries coming from the dis
lance. The two men -an 10 where III
bridge had been, to search, but in vain
FOR victims OF the disaster. When the
reached the spot all cries for help ha
ceased.
TWO sleeping cars and the dining ca
stopped at the brink Of the hungr
chasm filled with boiling. seething cur
rent. So quietly had the catastroph
been enacted that the occupants Of In
three cars remaining on the track III
not realize that an accident had OC
CURED until they alightcd from tn
train Then they were utterly power,es
20 render assistance TO the victims, VIII
had disappeared In the rushing waters.
Quicksand Buries Bodies.
How many persisted probably neve
will be definitely ascertalned. for IN
treacherous sands are drifting over III
bodies. Searching for the dead was bc
gun about midnight on an extensiv
scale, and still IS in progress.
All cOrpses found were brought to Puc
bio and placed In four morgues her,
bodies had been recovered, and Of thes
fifty had been identified.
During the day bodies were recovere
all the way along Fountain River.
half mile below the scene of the wrccI
TO this city. Two bodies were take
from the stream at First Street Pueblo
more than eight miles from where III
A visit 10 the norgues presented a hoi
rible picture. Relatives and friend
were anXiOusly seeking friends and iOy
ed ones supposed 70 be among the bOdlC
piled IN rows in different rooms OF IN
Undertaking establishments.
Women and men are TO be seen rusf
ing frantically through the streets froI
one place 70 another, wringiug the
hands IN anguish and imploTing thos
supposed TO be in possession Of Informs
ZION 10 tell them the fate Of their rela
tives and friends. and every few me-
ments an agonized wall shows tha
some searcher has discovered what b
sought yet feared 10 md.
The most remarkable escape was ths
Of J. III. KILN, one Of the occupants
the chair car. He was severely CT
about the head, hands and arms, but n
bones were broken.
His escape was due entirely, he b,
leves 20 his ability as a swimmer. BAL
great strength and his presence OF min,
which led him to hold his breath whl
he was submerged with the other pa,
sengers IN the water.
Survivors Thrilling Story.
when the first crash came we WEI
riding along as smoothly as one coul
go" said Mr.. KILN. 1t was Just Z
though the train had struck against
stone wall. The lights went out, n
fixtures and everything fell down, a
the passengers We're thrown forWal
and there were the most awful cri,
for help and the grinding Of tlmbers.
81 saw the man next 10 me was dow
and l helped him UP. but just then al
other crash came and the train SCENE
4 sink about five feet. / lost sight
everybody and could not think of an
thing but 20 save myself / rememb
well the sensations that 1 had at IN.
time. / knew / was IN terrible dang
and nay first thought was that i mu
get out Of the car.
AT the second crash / was about
20 my waist IN water.
Crashing Of Timbers.
"All the time the grinding and crua
Ing OF timbers was going on. In anoth
crash l. was thrown about a third
the length of the ear. right up again
the front door. ] grabbed the top
the door and the car went over in Il
water three times.
My first instinct when the Wat
went up over my head was " hold u