The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-03-21
SLEEPY DISPATCHER IS BLAMED
Besides Fearful Loss of Life, Denver
& Rio Grande Suffers Loss
of Over 100000.

PUEBLO, March ia fearful
wreck on the D. & r. G. near Adobe
at 8 a. m. yesterday morning result
ed in the instant death of thirty-five
passengers, and nearly as many more
were injured East and west-bound
trains, under puzzling orders from
the train dispatcher, crashed into
each other. telescoping the forward
coaches. Fire followed, and the hor-
rible work of destruction continued
until relief trains from Pueblo and
Florence arrived.
| A conservative estimate of the loss
of life places the number of dead at
thirty-five. The Rio Grande officials
insist that the exact number of per-
sons on the two trains cannot be as
certained. From the best efforts OBJ
tainable the number injured, none
of whom are expected to die, is about
thirty.
p. F. Lively, the night operator at
Swallows, whose alleged failure to
deliver orders to train No. 16 is sup
posed to have been the cause of the
wreck, has been employed by the Rio
Grande for many years. He was re-
lieved from duty tonight. and will re-
main suspended until the matter is
thoroughly investigated.
The monetary damage to the rail-
road is estimated at 100000. In adj
dltion to this much baggage was de-
stroyed as well as the mail.
DENVER, March 16.-The first or
ders given to the two trains were
that they should meet at Adobe. La
ter, it is understood, the dispatcher
wired the operator at Swallows, P. F.
Lively, ten miles east of the scene
of une wreck, to hold the west-bound
train there until the east-bound train
should pass. When the east-bound
train reached Florence, its crew were
notified to run on to Swallows. Mean
while, the west-bound. failing to re-
ceive the orders continued on it's run.
1t is said Liely was asleep when the
west-bound passed his station. When
asked by the dispatcher at Pueblo
over the wire If it had passed, he an
swered 'No"
PUEBLO, March 17.-Twenty-two
dead and twenty-five injured is the
very best estimate of casualties in the
Denver and Rio Grande wreck yes
terday. Only seven can be identified,
and only one corpse retains a suffi-
cient outline of features to be read
lily recognized The remainder are
known by reason of their charred
bones being found where naturally
they had been when the collision took
place.
The telegraph operators are held
responsible for the awful disaster,
although no formal indictment has
gone out against them: Both have
been ordered discharged from the
service of the railroad. The coro-
ner's jury will begin investigating
the cause of the accident Monday.
In addition, the railroad will conduct
an examination of it's trainmen and
operators, who will be asked to tell
what they know of the deplorable
affair
1t develops that r. G. Whitney,
who was being escorted to the peni-
Tertiary by Deputy Sheriff Baird had
been chained to a seat, and when the
fire broke out he had no chance
whatever to escape. By the hand of
fate his guard persisted with him. The
laws of Colorado make it crime to
fasten prisoners to car seats.
A heartrending story of mother
love is told by Pullman Conductor
Kreger. A mother with her little
babe in her arms, realizing that 1t
was almost impossible to be saved