The daily sentinel., 1905-08-08
Train Struck Big
Land and Rock Slide

Denver & Rio Grande passenger
train No. /, due to arrive in this
city from the east at 2:5O O'Clock
this morning, ran into a landslide
about three-quarters of a mile east
of DeBeque shortly after 2 am.
The track walker had just passed
over the track a few minutes in ad-
vance of the coming train. andS look
ing behind him, saw an immense
slide of dirt and rock coming down
the mountain side onto the track
There was no time for warning
and No. 1, coming along. struck the
slide The train missed being struck
by the slide by only a minute or two.
The engineers noticed the heavy dust
and, according to the reports of some
of the passengers. the noise of the
slide had just been heard when the
engine struck the dirt and rock
There was no time to stop the engine,
! but, as the train was running at
slow rate of speed, the shock was
not as great as ii might have been.
The engine was pushed from the
track and started down the embank-
ment toward the river. The baggage
car was pulled from the track by
the engine, and the smoker started
on, but after The front trucks left
the tracks the engine and cars
stopped None of the passengers left
the track. Neither the engine nor
the baggage car were overturned
Then engineer and firemen were un-
hurt. II is reported that the fireman
jumped off as the engine started over
the embankment, but the engineer
was unable to get out of the cab.
The head brakeman. Sam Dowdy,
had just passed through the front
Hnarsg f,r,,-,
to making the stop at DeBeque, and
he was standing in a doorway when
the accident happened. He was
thrown violently to the floor, receiv-
ing painful injuries. A number of
the passengers were bruised and
shocked but none were hurt.
The train carried a large number
Of homeseekers bound for Grand
Junction. The offices at Grand June
tion We're notified at once and
wrecking train was soon on the
scene. DR.. H. r. Bull of this city
went down to the wreck.
No. 2. which left this city this
morning at lis was on the side
track at DeBeque waiting for No. 1
TO pass. No. l was running behind
time. After the accident and after
it was seen that the track could not
be cleared for several hours, a trans
fer of passengers was made. No. .
then returned to Grand junction and
left this morning about 10 o'clock
for the west as No. l. As soon as
the engine and baggage car of reg
ular No. l were righted and a few
necessary repairs made. it started for
the east as No. ..
The landslide was a pretty big one
and the track was buried beneath
dirt and rock for quite long dis
tance. The wrecking train was soon
at work and it is believed that the
track will be open again by night
Conductor Burberry and Engineer
VIII McGinnie both of this city, had
charge of the train.
1t is not known what started the
landslide. No. > and No los passed
along the track safely two hours be-
fore the accident Had the slide
been a few minutes later, it would
have struck the train and horrible
disaster might have been the result
DR.. II. r. Bull returned on the
stub train that was run from here
to the wreck this morning The
brakeman. Sam Dowdy. was injured
in the back and on the head, but his
condition is not dangerous. He was
taken to the railroad hospital at Sa-
Ida. Several of the passengers sus-
tained slight injuries.
Denver q Rio Grande train No. 3
and Colorado Midland No. l03. due
in here shortly after noon, were de
layed at the scene of the accident.
and were expected to arrive in the
city between 4 and > pm. These
trains are carrying several hundred
| homeseekers.