The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-03-21
FORTY KILLED IN WRECK.
Frightful Accident On Rio Grande Has
Long List Of Victims.

WOCSt T8llrO0O wreck In COLORADO
since the memorable Eden disaster oc.
Cured at 2:30 o'clock this morning on
the Denver & Rio Grande railroad
near Adobe, about thirty miles west of
Pueblo. Eastbound No. l6 crashed
into westbound No. 3, telescoping the
forwar coaches on each train. The
coaches took 6re and the flames com.
pleted the horrors of the collision.
The cause Of the wreck is attributed to
failure to deliver orders to No. 16,
90 that No. 3 could pass.
About forty charred bodies lie in
the ruins OF two passenger trains.
Thirty passengers who were severely
injured in the disaster are lying on cots
At St. Mary's hospital in this city,
with the prospect that some of them
will be added to the death list.
For two hours and half, half nude
men thrown from their berths by the
impact of the two trains rushing to.
gether, frantically tore at burning
timbers, endeavoring to extricate
scorching people from an awful fate.
When relief train arrived from Pu.
eblo there was little left in the cars
that were burned to indicate that there
had been precious freightage Of hu.
man lives, except piles of scorched
flesh and smouldering bones.
Many were killed in the awful i'm.
pact, and the others caught beneath
the wreckage filled the air with their
cries for assistance. A moment later
the gas with which the train was
lighted exploded, and in an instant
the wreckage was blazing fercely.
The first four coaches of train No
were piled up, the greatest damage be.
ing done in the forward car. 1t was
here that the worst havoc was wrought.
Hardly person in the car escaped
with his life. A majority of the bodies
caught by the fire were reduced to a
crisp. j. L. Lawerence, Bell Flower,
Mo-, and s. H. Shawney, Trenton,
Mo-, were the only passengers In this
coach that are known to have escaped
both sustaining but slight injuries.
| Many thrilling rescues were reported
during the earlier hours of the catas.
trophe. One man, name not learned,
forced his way into coach, seized q
young woman pinned under the wreck
age OF q seat and endeavored to re.
move her TO place OF safety. Al
he raised her the girl gave gasp and
died in his arms. The rescuer drop
ped his burden and seized q man who
was lying under a roof timber, whom
he dragged to 4 clearing in the wreck
age, where other hands recovered him
aud carried him to u place of safety
This man was seen to take four per-
sons from the wreckage.
Deputy Sheriff E. E. Baird, OF Den
YER, was on his way to the peniten
tisry with prisoner, Robert Dale
who was convicted of strangling wo
man Of the half.world day before yes
terday. Dale's crime was committed
the day previous to his conviction
Baird had chained Dale to the sea
and Dale was cremated. The Officer
did all in his power to save the pris
oner, but the latter died q frightfu
death.
When the flames burst out anon.
the wreckage, the surviving passen
gers assisted by the few railroaders
who were uninjured cut the connection,
between the wrecked cars and thos,
who had escaped compar atively unin
jured, and forced the latter cars dow
the track to distance that prevente'
the flames from communicating I,
them. 1t was an intensely cold morn
ing and the snow was falling heavily
The weather combined with the fame
in adding to the suffering of the in
jured and to the discomfort of the res
cuers.
Lawyers Secure Delay.