The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-16
Passenger Trains Crash Togeth-
er on the d. & r. G.
Near Adobe, Col, Thirty Miles
From Pueblo.
MANY BURNED IN FIRE.
Which Followed in Cars That
We're Overturned.
Trains Net on a Curve in a
Binding Snow Storm.
INJURED NUMBER 81.
Failure to Deliver Orders Cause
Of the Disaster.
Out Of a Family of Ten Only
One Escaped.
Failure to Deliver Orders Cause
of the Disaster.
Out Of a Family of Ten Only
One Escaped.

Pueblo, March 16.-It is positively
known that 1e persons were killed and
"a injured in the Rio Grande wreck
near Adobe early today
Pueblo. March 1s.-In a noon edi-
tion the Pueblo Chieftain announces
that 80 persons, two engineers. one
fireman and one express messenger,
and IS passengers, were killed in the
Adobe wreck
Pueblo, March 1s.-About forty
charred bodies lie in the ruins Of two
passenger trains On the Denver & Rio
Grande railroad which were wrecked
by head end collision at 2;1O o'clock
this morning at a point between Beaver
and Adobe, about % miles west Of Pu-
eblo and were In part burned. Fifteen
persons severely injured in the dis
aster are lying on cots at St Marys
hospital in this city, with the prospect
that some of them VIII be added to the
death list
For two hours and half. half nude
men thrown from their berths by the
impact Of the two aims rushing to-
gether franticalIy tore at burning tim
bers, endeavoring vainly to extricate
scorching. dying people from an awful
fate, until when a relief train arrived
from Pueblo there was little left IN
the cars that were burned to indicate
that there had been a precious freight
age Of human lives, excepting piles Of
ecorehed flesh and smoIderirs bones.
Passenger train No. 8. the Utah ana
California express. which started from
Denver at o'clock last evening, left
this city soon afte- midnight heavily
loaded with passengers ard pulled by
engines 529 and 720. The forward coach
OF the hapless train was Wen filed, IN
fact. 1T was difficult to find a seat any
where and a number of passengers were
standing in the aisles. Just as this
train was rounding a sharp curve be
tween Beaver and Adobe, train No. 16.
eastbound, running at a high rate of
speed, whirled around the curve and
crashed into the heavy train which was
climbing the sharp grade
In an instant all was confusion Pas
sengers were hurled from their seats
and covered with splinters Of wood and
flying glass. Many were killed in the
awful impact. and the others caught
beneath the Wreckage filed the ar
with their cries for assistance. A mo-
Iuent later the gas with which the tra1i
was lighted exploded and in an instant
tne wreckage was blazing hercely.
Begged to Be Shot.
One man Ia the first coach of No. 3
had managed to raise a window and had
forced his body half way to freedom,
when he became lodged in the window.
lie fought dercely for life, but each
movement only Wedged him the more
tightly. The flames swept over him
and left him writhing IN agony He
cried cut, For Gods sake and for the
sake Of my baby, shoot me" The on
lockers prevented from approaching the
scene because Of the intense heat, could
do nothing to relieve the mans suffer
1ngE- Finally a timber from the roof
OF the car fell upon his head, killing
him.
The first four coaches Of train No. 3
were piled up. the greatest damage be-
ing done in the forward coach It was
here that the worst havoc was wrought
hardly person in this coach escaping
with his life. A majority Of the bodies
caught by the fire were reduced to a
crisp. J. L. Lawrence, Belfower, No.
and 8. H. Sweeney, Trenton. Mo- were
the only passengers in this coach that
are known to have escaped, both sus-
tanning but slight injuries
When the collision came. engine f20
AAAeA Was Bl44AltE 4aln NJ 10 WIS
crushed and being forced back by the
impact. il telescoped the express car and
shattered the first coach. The passen-
gers in this coach We're all taken out
before the Wreckage caught fire and the
casualties upon this car were but slight
in comparison to the awful havoc
wrought upon the westbOund train.
NJ McPharlands messenger OF the
GsSobe Express company, who was in the
express car on No. is. was caught in
the WreclEaEe and burned to death So
far rs can be learned. he was the only
one Of the eastb0und train to suffer this
fatn
Three Engines Demolished.
The three engines were practically de-
moiisked.
Engine 52s, with Engineer Walter
Coaslett in charge, was helping train
No up the grade, and this engine re-
eeived the full force Of the blow. being
caught between the other two engines
and was reduced to scrap iron. Engi-
neer Cosslett had no opportunity to es-
cape although his fireman W. A. e.
Smith, saw the headlight Of the engine
on No 16 as it rounded the curve and
escaped with his life. William Hollis
and his fireman Hugh Sudduth of the
engine pulling the easthound train were
unable to save themselves
For more than q year Engineer wal
ter Cosslett has had presenfinent
that he would be killed on the road.
Owing 90 the fact that the lighter cars