The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-20

Monetary Damage TO Railroad
Property Will Reach 5000. 600.
Pueblo, Col. March 16.-Thirtv-ive
person We're crushed or burned 10
death early today in a head-on COLI
sion of two passenger trains near
Adobe, Col. on the Denver and Rio
Gralde railroad, and nearly a score
of victims incinerated beyond identif-
cation by a fire hat destroyed the
wrecked coaches. More than q
score were injured, but all will proba-
bly, recover.
WRECK DUE TO UNDELIVERED
ORDERS.
The wreck was due to undelivered
orders, heavy mountain grades, =
binding snow storm, a sharp curve
and the slippery condition of the rails.
Only the locomotives, baggage and day
coaches We're wrecked, the sleeping
cars escaping almost unscathed as in
the Eden disaster on the same road in
1904. when part of a train ran into
a flooded canon through a washed u
bridge.
HOME SEEKERS ON THE TRAINS.
Many of the dead were home seekers
bound for the northwest. The three
crushed locomotives set fire to the
splintered coaches. and it was hours
before all the bodies were recovered
the flames being SO hot that rescuerS
could not approach the debris until
the fuel burned out.
1t was a wild stormy night in the
mountain canOnS when the two heavy
trains met. Binding snow darkened
the rocky gorges and speed was not
nigh.
Suddenly headlights flashed out, and
it was realized by the engineers that
something was wrong. According 20
Fireman J. Il. Smith, of the w%estbound
train, Engineer Walter Coslett applied
the emergency brake, but the slippery
rails allowed the momentum of the
heavy train to carry it on to the fatal
/ crash.
! TRAINS TORN TO PIECES.
Tn. impact was scarcely noticeable,
but the trains crushed and tore into
each other. The helper engine of the
westbound train acted as a cushion,
minimizing the force and weight Of
the heavy mountain engines. This
helper was crushed together like so
F, much paper, and the other locomotives
ran through it and ploughed each 9TH
er to pieces.
Fireman Smith was the only one of
the engine crews to escape The bag
gage car Of the weStbound train broke
in W and three coaches were sQueez-
ed together. The baggage car, the
mail Car and a coach of the e%astbound
train buckled. but none of the cars
telescoped.
Hardly had the noise If the wreck
ceased when Il sheet of fire ran
through the shattered cars Of both
trains. In the forward coach of the
westbound every seat was occupied
by passengers, most of whom were
hOmeseekers. A number of foreigners
were among them. and in their terrc-
they gave up life without making any
attempt to reach safety outside the
burning car.
MANY ROASTED ALIVE
They sank to the floor of the car,
and were roasted alive. The cooler
ones in the car, seeing their danger.
rushed for the windows and doors and
with the ala Of the passengers in the
rear Of the train, and those members
Of the train crew who were unhur..
managed to reach the open air. Many
v-arn in ;rrn1 hr tho rnFyrh h1n =.
they received or by flying glass.
When the occupants Of the two
sleeping cars saw that nothing could
be done to check the flames, they aid
ed the trainmen in pushing back me
unchanged cars.
Communication was opened with the
Pueblo Office of the railroad from Port
land, a mile from the wreck and a re-
lief train with physicians was dispatch
ed 20 the accident. The injured were
placed in the sleeping cars and brou2h;
to Pueblo with the passengers Of the
eastern who were unhurt. Another re-
lief train came from Florence 10 take
away the uninjured portion Of The. east
bound train.
LIST OF THE DEAD.
A list of the lead made up from
close investigation by responsible per-
sons, follows:
WILLIAM HOLLIS, engineer.
WALTER COSSLETT, engineer.
II. D. SUDDUTH, fireman.
EDWARD E. BAIRD, deputy sheriff,
Denver.
ARCHIBALD WHITNEY, prisoner
in charge Of Baird.
MRS. WILLIAM BURNSIDE, daugh-