Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-03-16

Dllndlng snow storm winch preValled
last night in the Arkansas Valley,
trains Number 1G east bound, and
Number 3 west bound, on the Denver
& Rio Grande, collided head-an near
Portland, Colorado, thirty miles west
of Pueblo, about o'clock this morn
ing The latest reports say thai about
forty were killed and it is known that
at least seventeen were injured. Con
fusion of orders is said to be the
cause. Many wild rumors are in cir.
culation to the effect that $50 are
killed 1t is not believed however,
that it will exceed forty, although
both trains are we'll loaded. The heavy
snow storm continues and suffering is
great
Wild Rumors at First.
Pueblo, Colo, March lG.-The worst
railroad wreck since the memorable
Eden disaster occurred at 2 o'clock
this morning on the Denver & Rio
Grande Railroad near Adobe East
bound Number 16 crashed into Mum
Der 3 west bound, telescoping the for
ward cars on each train. The coach
es at once took fire and the flames
completed the horror begun by the col.
lision. The number of dead is esti-
mated at from fifty upwards. The
number of injured is placed at 25. The
cause of the wreck is attributed to d
failure to deliver orders to Number
l6 so that Number 8 could pass here.
Among the physicians who rendered
assistance, was Dr. F. N. Cochens, oil
Salida, WHO was on Number 16, but
escaped injury. He at once entered
in the service of caring for the
wounded. He was assisted by physi-
clans from Florence who were soon on
the scene.
Most Of the victims We're pinioled
under the wreckage and were burned
alive before help could reach them.
Most of the injured were on Number
3, which was heavily loaded No. 16
carried comparatively few passengers
and these escaped with a slight shak-
ing up. One man, whose name could
not be learned, was one of family
of ten, who escaped. He lost father,
mother, wife, three children, brother
and two other relatives. Three of
the crew of Number were killed and
TWO on Number 16. One of the en-
gineers of Number 3 which was
double headed, was found dead with
his hand on the throttle. McPharland,
a relative of the detective, and an
express messenger is among the dead.
Many of the bodies will never be
identified because Of the fact of their
being burned to a crisp and unrecos-
nizable. Part of the mail was de-
stroyed and SO was all express mat
ter. Relief trains were at once dis
patched from Pueblo and Florence, but
the work is necessarily slow, because
of the smoke and cold The first train
bearing injured, reached Pueblo short
ly after 6. The recovered bodies of
the identified dead are: William Hol
lis, engineer of Number 1G; e. M Nc
Pharland, express messenger of Num-
Der 1C; Walter Causlett engineer of
the first engine of Number 8. A. H.
Smith, fireman to Engineer CaUs!ctt,
stated he saw the headlight. Of Train
Number 16 as it rounded curve
about 200 yards distant. He went to
the engineers side and saw him 1T
the emergency brakes. Grant Kelke :,
engineer of the second engine of Mum
ber 3, and Harry Hartman, his fireman,
both noticed the headlight Of Number
1G as it rounded the cr"va. Kelker
yelled Look out!' and appiiel The
emergency brake. Both escaped by
jumping. Engineer Kelker stated that
he had barely recovered himself when
the whole train seemed aflre. Train
No. was composed of mail car,
express car, two day Goa rs. lw'
tourist and two standard sle,rcrs.
All of the tourist and standard
sleepers escaped, none OF the Occu-
pants being injured. All of the 'hree
engines were practically demolished
and were piled on top of each other.
The first three cars of Number 1G
were piled on top of each other, but
before the wreckage took fire most
of the passengers were removed.
One of the peculiar features was
that of the Hewitt family out of a
family Of eleven, only two escaped.
The others were burned to a crisp
during the progress Of the flames One
man was seen hanging from car win
dow for God sake, save-" he
cried, but the heat was too intense
for the rescuers to reach him. He
was slowly roasted to death before the
crowd around the burning wreck.
Front Coach Crowded.
According to the statement of pas,
senger In the front coach of No. 8,