Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-08
FASTEST TRAIN OUT OF DENVER.
Was Whisting Along Through Storm
When Crash Came.

W ~ W >AASsAAo &AA0AA6
When Crash Came.
DENVER. Colo, August S.-Passenger
train No. II, the Denver and Rio Granoe
and Missouri Pacific worlds fair flyer Is
the fastest train sent out of OF Denver oy
the Denver and Rio Grande, and usually
carries a heavy passenger list Yesterday
the train was made up of six cars-express'
smoker, diner, chair car and two sleepers.
Nearly every coach was we'll filled when
the train pulled out of Denver at o'clock
The train makes the run to Colorado
Springs in two hours and five minutes. and
one hour and ten minutes on the schedule
time from Colorado Springs to Pueblo, ana
the heavy train was whrling along through
the storm to make this fast time when IT
dropped into the stream.
The train was in charge of Conductor ].
II. Smith OF this city, one OF the most
trusted men in the employ Of the Company.
and he is believed to have been lost, as
were Engineer Human and Express Mes
senger Rees.
The higher officials Of the road are absent
from the state, General Manager and Vice
President Schlacks being in New YORK,
General Superintendent Coughiin on his
vacation and Manager Edison on trip of
inspection in Utah, but the officials in
charge gave prompt directions to furnish
immediate relief to the injured and spare
no pains to recover the bodies of the dead.
Worst Disaster on the Road.
The disaster was the worst that has ever
occurred on the Denver and Rio Grande
railroad. Dry creek, where the accident
happened, is one of the most dangerous
points on the road. 1t Is not far from
Butte, where two years ago washouts &C.
Cured which crippled the service of the
line, but entailed no loss of life. 1t Is close
to the foothills which by reason of repeat
ed cloudbursts and washouts, have been
slowly closing In, the bed of the creek con-
tinually becoming deeper until it has reach
ed depth of about twenty-five feet.
Trains Nos. 3 and 10, preceding NO. IL,
passed over the bridge and reached Pueblo
safely.
The rains have been severe, but officials
did not apprehend any danger at Dry
creek, as a recent inspection showed that
the bridge was in frst-class condition. No
reports of trouble on the line were received
until the message was received at Pueblo
that train No. IL had been wrecked.
No Intimation Of Cloudburst.
Just prior to that time there were reports
that a heavy rainfall was in progress in
the vicinity Of Eden, but there was no in
timation of a cloudburst. So far as the
officials of the road can determine, the en-
gineer evidently did not see the trouble I'M
til it was too late to stop the train, which
was going al a high rate of speed.
water from tile cloudDurst struck the bridge
simultaneously whether the torrent had
already undermined the structure IS NOT
known. Reports made to the Denver once
of the road say that the air was turned on
and that this saved the diner and sleepers
from being precpitated into the creek. II
the water was at high mark the depth
ranged from twenty to twenty-five feet
and the current was irresistible
Cars Drift Down by Current.
When the baggage car, smoker and chair
car left the tracks and plunged into the
stream they were swept down by the cur
rent and the trucks torn off. This tighten
ed them and the volume of water can be
understood when it was reported by SUPER
intendent Bowren that they were carried
four miles before they ran ashore The
three cars were found near each ether.
Wires being down. only bulletins giving
meager details of the disaster could be OBJ
tanned here
A relief train was sent OFT from this city
today carrying DIR. ]. w. O'Connor. chief
surgeon of the Denver and Rio Grande, and
other physicians.
The Rio Grande officials have not yet
made an official statement: and explain that
they cannot furnish a list of the dead.
No Record Of Passengers.
General Passenger Agent Hooper said to-
| day that the Denver and Rio GranGe raE-
! road had no statement to make =, present,
as the officials had no news which had not
| been published
The officials here do not believe there
were more than seventy people IN the
| train but they have no record. The last
| four Sundays show that the Sunday patron
| age of the Flyer averaged less than a
| hundred people.
The length of the bridge WIKI approa ches
| is ninety-six feet. Fifteen hundred feet of
track was washed out at the scene of the
disaster.
Only Three Out of Seventy.
| NEW YORK, August S.-A dispatch to
the general office of the Denver and Rio
| Grande Railroad Company in this city says
| thai the number of passengers in the
| smoker and chair car are estimated at sew
| enty. only three of whom are accounted for
| as living Eight bodies have been recover
ed and twelve more are reported in sight.
All of the cars are total wreck, and a
| good many Of the passengers have probably
| been washed entirely away. Every effort
| is being made to recover the bodies, which
are sent to Pueblo promptly when found.
| 1t is expected that the track will be in
| shane to pass trains tonight.
Railway Estimate Of the Dead
| The New York Office of the Denver and
Rio Grande has received a telegram from
w H. Bowron, division superintendent,
| Saying he thinks the estimate of seventy
persons dead as a result of the Pueblo
wreck is correct. In his telegram Mr.. Bow
| ron said:
Passengers saved so far as known by US:
"John NJ Killen, hardware merchant,
Pueblo, scalp wound on head and face, con-
| fused wound above ankle.
'Tony Fisher, Pueblo, no evidence of in
jury.
| hatcher from Oklahoma, slight laceration
Of scalp. confusion of side; said to have
had his wife with him, and II so she is pos
| sibly lost
| Pueblo Mrs. Mary Welsh of Chicago Miss
Marv Price of La s0alle, ILL.,. were with him
and are probably iost.
| "I'he express car safe was open when
| found hut do not think robbed, as bag
| 900 car was in middle of river and In
1 ssccessfhle. Special agent was on train
ana looking out. Dining car and one
| sieeper all right. Vestibule damaged one
other sleeper and one truck slightly DAM
Cars Broken to Pieces.
"The baggage and express car were
broken to pieces and contents washed
down stream except the safe, which was
recovered. The smoker and chair car also
destroyed.
II think estimate of seventy probably