The daily sentinel., 1906-03-17

A small and incidentally unprofes-
sional wrangling is on between the
two rival eoroners of Fremont county
as TO which shall have charge of the
inquiry to be made in the disastrous
wreck at Adobe yesterday morn
ing. Some months ago the board
of county commissioners held shat
DR.. R. II. Paxton, the coroner at that
time, was no longer resident of
Fremont county and declared the of
flee vacant. Dr. w, c. Stephenson,
was appointed to fill the vacancy, and
has been acting as coroner since but
each time there is an accident DIR.
| Paxton has butted in and claimed
thar he was coroner
The story of the terrible wreck
that occurred near Florence during
the early morning hours of yester-
| day morning will live as one OF the
most terrible. heart-aickening. ana
/ pathetic narratives that must make
up the history of railroad tragedies
in the west
This morning the Sentinel reporter
had an extended interview with Mr.
| William Simpson. the contractor
who has in charge the construction
! work on the new depot in this city
| MIR. Simpson was on the unfortunate
| train. Denver & Rio Grande Pas
senger No 8.
He was en- route to Grand June
I tion from Denver and the scenes that
he Witnessed during the hours of the
early morning will live forever in
, his memory
Mr.. Simpson states that he was
in the second Pullman sleeper from
| the end of the train. He occupied
lower berth. He was sleeping
soundly when just about two O'Clock
! lie was awakened by being violent
| ly thrown from one side of the berth
to the other. He realized at once
| that an accident had happened
/ For a few seconds he was stunned by
! coming in contact with the side Of
| the car, his head was bruised but
otherwise he was unhurt. Quickly
rising he got out of his berth and
found the other passenger stirring.
Cries of suffering and terrorized
people were 10 be heard above the
roar of escaping steam from the
engines and The whole outside world
seemed to he lighted up with the
flare from The flames that had en-
yeloped the locomotives and several
burning ears.
Mr. Simpson and other occupants
of the sleeper were soon dressed and
on the outside and they were Joined
By people from other Pulmans and
those from the day coaches who We're
mnFniured and the work of rescuing
began.
The two trains had telescoped.
No 3 had two big engines while No.
! 16 had one engine. The engines
were practically driven through each
other. The baggage coach on No.
8 was torn almost to pieces but the
smoker on No. 8 was where the eli
max of destruction and suffering oc-
Cured.
When No. 3 left Denver the train
was well filled and before it had
gone very far the day coaches were
crowded 1t then became necessary
to put many women and children
in the smoker and this ear was fit
ted up with chairs.
Mr.. Simpson states that when he
first reached the smoker the sight
that met his eyes was one that Will
remain with him forever. The
smoker had evidently been lifted in
to the air when the collision occur
red and then dropped back onto the
track. however the awful force OF
the conclusion practically broke the
car in two and 1t seems that all OF the
chairs and fixtures inside Of the car
Of death were broken loose and as the
car struck the ground a great many
of the occupants were caught beneath
the chairs and fixtures, most of them
being hopelessly pinned and held
there until the flames enveloped
them and burned them to death.
The cries and shrieks of the dying
women and children were blood-curd-
ling and more than heart sickening.
Mr.. Simpson states that II was the
prevailing opinion that the gasoline
| tanks under the cars exploded when
| The collision occurred and this start
the fire. In a moment after the col
| lision occurred the smoker was com
plefely enveloped in flames making
| ii almost impossible for any one 70
escape from the burning car. Mr.
simpson was one of the frs to reach
The smoker. Several men and women
rad succeeded in getting out of the
windows leaving theTr unfortunate
companions to perish as II was I'M
! pogsibla for them in many cases 10
snccessfnlly assist them
Mr.. Simpson saw one woman hang
ing from one Of the windows. her
head and shoulders We're out OF the
window but her feet and knees were
l pinned under some OF the DIokcu
| chairs She was crying for help. SeV-
eral men did all in their power TO
mill her through the window but
! il was impossible to free her feet
and knees as no one could enter
The car where everything was In
flames and the chairs or whatever II
was holding The woman could not De
loosened from the outside. While
the men worked the flames swept
Lover them and they fell back real!z-
ing that nothing could save the
woman. Her long hair was falling
l1oosly over her shoulders. the greedy
tongues OF flame touched the mar
first and in 4 moment the unfortuuate