The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-08-11
IS BODIES RECOVERED
Number Dead In Colorado Train
Wreck May Never Be Known.
PLUNGED INTO SWOLLEN RIVER

Two Crowded Passenger Cars Were
EneuIfed and only Three Occupants
Escaped-Bodes strewn For Miles
Along River.
Pueblo. Col, Aug. 9.-The wreck OF
the Worlds Fair flyer on the Denver
and Rio Grande Railroad year Eden,
seven miles north OF Pueblo, proves to
have been one of the greatest railroad
accidents In the history OF the coun-
try. Two crowded passenger cars and
a baggage ear were engulfed In the
torrent that tore out a trestle spanning
Steele's Hollow, otherwise known as
Dry Greek. and 50 far as known, only
three of the occupants Of these cars
escaped death Fortunately two sleep
Ing cars and a dining car completing
the train remained on the track at the
edge of the abyss and none of their
occupants was killed or injured.
How many perished probably will
never be definitely ascertained. for the
treacherous sands are drifting over
the bodies. Searching for the dead
was begun on an extensive scale and
still IS in progress. All c0rpses found
were brought 10 Pueblo and placed in
four mOrgues here. Up to this morn
ing TG bodies had been recovered, and
of these 90 had been Identified Bodies
were recovered all the way along
Fountain river from the scene of the
wreck to this city. Two bodies were
taken from the stream at First street,
Pueblo. more than eight miles from
tho point where the disaster occurred,
and It Is probable that some may be
recovered even further down stream,
None OF the bodies is badly multi
ated. and all are in such a condition
az to be recognizable. Many identifl-
cations have been made by articles
found on the bodies. no persons who
viewed them recognizing the features.
On the lookout for danger. warned
by the squally clouds and heavy rains
10 the north. Engineer Charles Hind
man was running cautiously, about ID
miles an hour, as he approached the
Arroyo. which was spanned by a bridge
90 feet In length. The condition of the
bridge was not known until the loco
motive. one of the monster passenger
tyne. had nearly crossed. The bridge
gave way as though il had been a
stack OF kindlng wood, and the loco
motive dropped with the Kissing OF
steam 30 feet to the bottom OF the
Arroyo. crOsswise TO the track, The
baggage car, smoking car and chair
car followed the locomotive into the
stream and were swept away.
The first OF the cOrpses recovered
were those Of Miss Irene Wright and
little Dorothy Johnson. sister'in'law
and daughter, respectively. Of Harry
Johnson. of Pueblo. Engineer Hind
man was found with his watch still
running. a few feet further down
the stream. All day long stretchers
with sand-cOyeFed. dripping burdens
we're carried every few minutes to the
railroad tracks, where the death train
awaited. Then. while Il was still dark,
axes had been used on the half-buried
cars az the junction of the creek with
the Fountain, and at daylight this work
was resumed on the smoking car. which
lay ont in Fountain river, where men
were compelled to wade almost TO their
waists to reach IT, A few moments
search and clearing away Of the floor
OF the car revealed the wounded head
OF a young man in his shirt sleeves
A second party further down the
river found several persons entangled
in A mass OF debris. thought to have
been part of the baggage car, that was
literally torn to pieces. In a short time
n large number OF bodies were duE out
OF the sand here. One woman was COM
pietely buried, some of her foot stuck
above the water. Some bodies were
found lodged in the shrubbery along
the banks. others In the wreckage In
midstream, and many half buried with
only an arm or a bit OF clothing to re-
veal their whereabouts. Many OF the
bodies were almost naked, Many OF
them we're slightly bruised. probably
from the first shock of the wreck. but
there was little blood visible when they
we're removed from the stream With
out doubt the great majority were
drowned like rats in trap when the
cars we're plunged without mo-
ment's warning into the whirling water
IS feet Deep 100 feet wide and with a
current strong enough to carry thou
sands of pounds Of weight nearly a
mile before subsiding.