Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-03-21

MISTAKEN ORDERS: CAUSE AW-
!" Full RAIL HORROR NEAR {
+; ADOBE, COL. :. +

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MANY OF THE .WcTtMS
ARE ROASTED ALIVE
Disaster Occurs on. Curve Around
High Blan-snowstorm Adds ta
Suffering Of Injured Thrill.
ing Rescuee. :; 70 - ~ .
Pueblo. COL, March 1.-THE worst
railroad wreck in Colorado since the
memorable Eden disaster occurred
about two o'clock Friday morning on
the Denver & Rio Grande railroad
near Adobe. East-bound train No. 16
crashed into west-bound No. g. tele-
scoping the forward cars. on each
train. The coaches at once took fire
and the flames completed the horror
begun by the collision: The number
Of dead is estimated at from SO up
ward. The number Of injured :. is
placed at rs. The wreck is attributed
to failure: to deliver orders to No.
16, SO that No. 3 could pass. ! -.
Following IL a partial list of the
dead: Walter Causlett, engineer first
engine, No. 8. Pueblo, leaves widow
and three children; William Hollis,
engineer No. Is, Pueblo; Fireman
Hugh Suddworth, No. 16, Pueblo; E.
NJ MCFARLAND, Globe express messen-
ger; <Hemitt Family, ten persons, re-
ported burned to death.
Express Messenger E. NJ. McPar-
land is relative of the detective of
that name who has been active in the
Gov. Steunenberg assassination case.
Many Of the bodies will never, be
identified, having been burned to a
crisp. Part of the mail was destroyed
and all the express matter. Some of
the victims were pinioned under: the
wreckage and burned alive before help
could reach them.
Relief trains were at once dispatched
to the scene from Pueblo and Flor
ence, but the work was necessarily
slow, because of the smoke from the
burning wreck and because of the
cold weather. Snow began falling be-
fore midnight. The severe cold added
to the sufferings of the victims.
Collision Occurs on q Curve. =:
The place where the trains came
together was near mile post 147. me
trains were rounding a sharp curve,
around a high bluff, just a short dis
lance west of where passenger No. 16
and freight No. Sc came together Octo-
Der Is, 1904, when seven persons were
killed and many were injured. It was
Impossible for the engineer of either
train to see the other train until the
two trains were within about 200
yards of each other. At this point the
Santa Fe and Denver & Rio Grande
tracks run close together, and it was
easy for the engineers to suppose that
the oncoming train was on the Santa
Fe' track. According to- the first or
ders. the trains were supposed to meet
at Adobe, half a mile from the scene
OF the wreck. At Florence No. 16 re-
ceived orders to meet No. 8 at Beaver.
five miles east of Portland. It is sup
posed No. was to have been given
Similar orders at Swallows, but failing
to receive them, ran on to Adobe
Engineer Killed at Throttle.
Three of the crew on No. 3xwere
killed and two on No. 16. One of the
engineers on No. 3, which was a dou-
ble-header, was found dead in his cab.
with his hand on the throttle. All
three engines were practically demol-
1shed and piled in a heap. Within a
few minutes after the collision the
Wreckage was a mass of flames. The
first three cars of No. 3 were piled
up, but before the wreckage took fire
the majority of the passengers we're
removed. Most Of the injured were on
No. 3, which was heavily loaded. No.
16 carried comparatively few passen-
gers, and these escaped generally with
slight shaking up. No. 2 was COM
posed of a mail car, express car. two
day coaches, two tourist and two
standard sleepers. All the sleepers
were saved, none Of the occupants be-
ing injured.
Girl Dies in Rescuer's Arms.
Many thrilling rescues were reported
One man whose name could not he
learned forced his way into coach that
had received the brunt of the shock and
seeing young girl who was pinned un-
der seat, endeavored to lift her to T.
place OF safety. AS he raised her the
girl gave gasp and died in his arms.
The rescuer dropped his burden and
seized man who was lying under q roof
timber. He dragged the man to a clear
ing in the wreckage. where other hands
carried him to a place of safety. This
one man was seen to rescue four diff
ferent persons from the wreckage.
During the progress of the fire one
man was seen hanging from a car win
dow. 'Save me-" he cried, but the heat
was too intense for the rescuers to
reach him. He slowly roasted to death
before the eyes Of the crowd around the
burning wreck.
One man, badly hurt, was pinioned
under an iron rod. He begged the othe,.
passengers to help him. They worked
until the flames reached the spot. when
the man said: Il am too badly hurt tn
want to live Save vO,rco1voe 49,, 81