The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-08
SCORES PERISH IN A WRECK


The three cars were found close to the
shore in the Fountain creek of which
Dry creek is a tributary and which in
turn flows into the Arkansas river.
Most of the dead were in the cars
buried under the debris. 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.
j. M. Killen, a Pueblo hardware mer-
chant, was swept down stream but
crawled out from the wreckaSe a mile
below the scene of the accident. He
was so badly injured and so exhausted
from his struggle in the water that he
was unable to talk coherently.
When Superintendent Bowren of the
Pueblo division was notified from Pin
ion station by passengers who had
escaped and who had walked through
the binding rain to the nearest tele-
graph station, ne Immediately sent a
hurry call for all surgeons and nurses
in the city to follow him on relief trains
and taking an engine and car quickly
to the scene of the wreck.
One train followed another from the
city in quick succession and every
available physician responded to the
call. accompanied by large supply of
medicines and a number of nurses. In
the meantime measures were taken for
the equipment of a hospital train, and
that left Pueblo later in the night. In
addition to the surgeons and nurses a
car load of coffins was sent out.
Passengers on the Pullmans were in
the meantime attempting to assist the
NlcllIIS, out no trace cOulQ De rOunQ
of the cars which had been precipitated
into the stream The water was so deep
that the engine and tender were entire
ly immersed, and the rain falling in
such a torrent that there was danger
of part of the track being washed out |
Fireman Mayfeld said that the en-
gine struck the trestle it seemed to |
rear up and fall upon its side, falling to
the right or engineers side. The fire
man jumped and escaped.
Cries Heard a Mile Away.
The operator at Eden, mile away. |
heard the cries for help and rushed to |
person could be found VINO had gone |
down in the wreck. The cries had been |
followed by complete silence, and ap- |
parently the passengers in all three |
was reported that there were 100 pas
sengers in the three cars that went !
down
Chief Dispatcher Butler states that
this is about a correct estimate of the |
number.
1t is probable that a complete list |
of the dead will never be made known !
The conductors reports were on his |
person and have not been recovered.
Few Can Be Identified.
At 1890 the number of bodies recov-
cred approximated %, few of which !
have been identified.
Special trains are leaving Pueblo ev-
cry few minutes and thousands of per-
sons are patrolling the banks of the
Fountain river into which the cars were
carried by the flood, searching for bod
les, but the stream is so swollen that
but little progress can be made.
AS the engine struck the trestle,
which had been weakened by the rush
of waters, it gave way and the train
plunged down. one of the cars being en-
tirely 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
~ hot orc licf Of |
names was lost in the confusion follow
ing the accident, only an estimate of
the dead and missing can be had The
railroad officials on the scene. who are
familiar with the details admit that the
list will range between so 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-
citement prevailed in this city, where
all kinds of rumors were circulated and
it was with difficulty any authentic
news could be obtained.
The banks of the river were lined
as far down as the Fourth street via
duct with people anxiously watching
for bodies that might float past and
some were taken out several miles
from the scene of the accident The
fire and police departments of this city
placed men at work early patrOlling
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
but much better progress will come
shortly as the river is falling rapidly l.
and when its normal condition is
reached it is not thought great diff
Guilty will be had in recovering the
bodies of the ill-fated passengers, but
several hours of suspense must be l.
borne in the interim.
Quicksand Prevents Rescue.
On account of having no boats and
the prevalence of quicksand at the
scene, the east side of the river could
not be reached and here it is expected
many bodies will be found.
The rescuers are suffering a great
hardship, many of them having been
constantly at work since last night
without food or relief of any kind, the
cold of last night nearly exhausting
them. The river is receding slowly
and bodies are being discovered on
and sand washing over them. They
are being brought to the city and
placed in the morgues, where thirty
so far have been taken, only few
of which have been identified, al
though the bodies have been viewed
by thousands of people.
A force of nearly 500 well organized
men are now at work under the di-
rection of able officers and rapid de-
are promised.
Many persons reported as lost earlier
have since been located and many of
them had narrow escapes, some of
them being severely hurt The escape
of the fireman, Dave Mayfield, was
almost miraculous Crawling out of the
cab in which his companion, the en-
gineer, had perished, he searched vain
ly for the latter, finally abandoning
the search, he walked the distance to
the station and gave the alarm. He
then collapsed and was brought to the
hospital in a serious condition.
John NJ. KILN of Pueblo also had
a narrow escape, being found uncon-
scious and taken from the top of a car
which had washed down the river. Up
to noon ten more bodies mad been add
ed to the identified list, but thet