The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1904-08-11
SCORES OF PERSONS PERISH IN
TERRIBLE DISASTER NEAR
EDEN, COL.
CARS CARRIED FOUR
MILES BY TORRENT
structure Is Thought to Have Been
Weakened by Washouts - Death
List Estimated at Between 80 and
1OO-Work Of Rescue.

train No. II, of the Missouri Pacific.
which run over the Denver & Rio
Grande tracks between Pueblo and Dem
yer, crashed through a trestle near the
little station of Eden, eight miles north
of Pueblo, carrying the smoking and
chair cars, which we're filled with passen-
gers, into the swirling, surging torrent
which rushed underneath and so far as
learned between so and 100 persons per-
ished. At 11:15 Monday morning the
number Of bodies recovered approximate
ed 80, few of which had been identified.
Several special trains have left Pueblo
and thousands of persons patrolled the
banks of the Fountain river into which
the cars were carried by the flood,
searching for bodies, but the stream was
so swollen that but little progress was
made.
Goes Through a Trestle.
AS the engine struck the ~trestle, which
had been weakened by the rush Of wa
tiers, it gave way and the train plunged
down, one of the cars being entirely lost
in the muddy stream and the other was
carried nearly four miles down the river
and very few of those in them could have
escaped. Owing to the fact that the con-
ductor's list of M was lost in the
confusion following the accident only
an estimate of the dead and missing can
be had, but railroad officials on the scene
who are familiar with the details admit
that the list will range between 80 and
100 and some place it even higher.
Shortly after daybreak many hun
dreds of persons began swarming to the
scene of the wreck and the greatest ex-
element prevailed in this city. where
all kinds of rumors were circulated and
it was with difficulty any authentic news
could be obtained.
High Water Delays Work.
The banks of the river were lined as
far down as the Fourth street viaduct
with people a~nxiously waiting for bodies
that might float past and some were
taken out several miles from the scene
of the accident. The fire and police de-
partments of this city placed men al
work early p%atrolling and dragging the
river all the way from Pueblo to Eden
but their heroic efforts have availed but
little owing to the swollen condition Of
the stream. On account of having nc
boats and prevalence of quicksand at the
scene the east side of the river could not
he reached and here it is expected many
bodies will be found.
The rescuers suffered great hardships
many of them having been constantly al
work since Sunday night without food
or relief of any kind, the cold nearly ex-
hausting them. At II o'clock the river
began receding slowly and the bodie:
were discovered on sand bars partially
covered by the mud and sand washing
over them.
Worst Disaster of Road.
The disaster was the worst that has
ever occurred on the Denver & Rio
Grande railroad. Dry creek, where the
accident happened, is one of the mos
dangerous points on the road. 1t Il
not far from Butte, where two years
ago washouts occurred which Grip
Med the service of the line, but en-
tailed no loss of life. 1t is close t.
the foothills, which, by reason OF re
peated %cloudbursts and washouts. have
been slowly closing in, the bed of the
creek continually becoming deeper un'
til it has reached a depth of about 2s
feet. Trains Nos. 3 and Is, preceding
No. II, passed over the bridge ane
reached Pueblo safely. i,
The rains had been severe, but OH.
Gals did not apprehend any danger a
Dry creek, as a recent inspection
showed that the bridge was in first
class condition. No reports of trou'
BILE on the line were received until the
message was received at Pueblo al
nine o'clock that train No. II had beer
wrecked. Just prior to that time
there were reports that a heavy rain
fall was in progress in the vicinity o.
Eden, but there was no intimation o.
a cloudburst. So far as the officials Of
the road can determine, the engineer
evidently did not see the trouble until
It was too late to stop the train, which
was going at a high rate Of speed.
Whether the engine and the torrent
of water from the %cloudburst struck
the OrluSe S~lulullduSOu5l VI luc LUZ
rent had already undermined thu
structure is not known. but the re-
ports at the Denver Office say that thu
air was turned on and that this saved
the diner and sleepers from being
precipitated into the creek. If the wa
ter was at a high marx the dept1
ranged from 20 to rs feet and the cur
rent was irresistible. When the bag
gage car. smoker and chair car lief
the tracks and plunged into the stream
they were swept down by the curren'
and the trucks torn off. This light
ened them, and the volume of watel
can be understood when it vas report
ed by Superintendent Bowen tina
they were carried four miles befor'
they ran ashore. The three cars wer,
found neal each other. The length o
the bridge with approaches is So feet
Fifteen hundred feet Of track wal
washed out at the scene Of tho disas
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