Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1905-07-27
Accident in Deep Cut -Four
Miles from Town...Brakes
Fail to Work...Train was
a Double Header
From Tuesdays daily.


An extra freight train coming into
Durango from the east this morning
was wrecked about four miles AMI a
half out. or a nalf mile west OF 30
cea, which is FIVE miles from Duran
go. Engineer H. A. Smith and his
fireman, Mr.. Allison. were killed
while the other engineer and fireman
escaped by jumping. Up to a late
hour this afternoon Allison had not
been found, he being supposed to be
under the wreckage.
The train was composed of Is cars
Of ties and piling for the Pennington
road and tho train ~as run py crew
from tue salida division. being In
charge OF Conductor O'Connell, who
is Durango man. The engineer es-
Gaping was Dave Cuthbert of Gun
nison, who ran the head engine, and
his fireman, VINO also escaped, was
John Cosaack. Ed. Morgan and Mr..
McAllister who was until recently q
Durango plumber, were the brake
men, and they escaped by jumping.
The wreck occurred about o'clock
this morning and was caused by the
air brakes falling to work. Cn;hbert
was in charge of the nead engine Nc.
Al. while Smith held the throttle OF
the second one, No. 266. The train
ran away on steep grade, starting
short distance on the other side of
brakes, his brakes refusing to work.
Cutnbert then put on his and they
also refused TO work. The danger
signal was given and the brakemen
set the brakes as tight as they
could. but the train kept gaining and
1t became evident there was no
cnance of stopping it. and 1t was then
that the trainmen began to drop on.
Ed. Morgan, fireman on No. Al jump
ed OF when the drive wheels left the
rails and Cuthbert was right at his
heels.
The wreck occurred in a cut about
IS feet deep. The train dad run
about half a mile and when the cut
was reached the engines turned over
on their left side and the cars piled
UP in an awful tumble, three or four
of them being left up on top of the
bank. The caboose and six open cars
loaded with piling and three box
cars loaded with ties stayed on the
track. while nine cars OF ties were
piled up.
Some of the crew, after the wreck.
came into town and brought the news
and q wrecklng train was made up
and left for the scene of the accident
about 7:l5. The dead engineer and
the rest of the crew were placed In
the train and brought TO town, while
the wrecking crew went to work
clearing the track. This was an e1
ceedingly difficult task, and up tc
noon today little headway had beer
made.
II was uncertain whether Fireman
McAllister was under the wreckag'
or not, and it was thought possible
he might nave jumped OF and beef
injured and crawled into the bushes
or crawled down towards the littl
stream that runs in that neighboI
hood, and so a search was made 70
him along both sides Of the track
but no sign OF him was found, 80
was concluded he must be under tn
wreck.
Superintendent w. D. Lee accom-
panied the wrecking train and pei
sonally looked after the clearing c
the track.
H. A. Smith. or Herb" as he wa
familiarly known among his friend
was Pueblo man and this was al
first trip over here. He was iii
gle man and q member Of the knight
of Pytnias. Cuthbert was Gunniso
man. With the exception Of Co
ductor OConnen and Brakeman NJ
Alllster the crew was strange ere
and unfamiliar with the road. II