The daily sentinel., 1906-10-19
ENGINE DITcHED
Big Locomotive Pulling Denver
Rio Grande No. 3 Jumped the
Track Last Night In the
Local Yards.-No
Fatalities.

There was quite serious railroad
accident in the local yards last night
but fortunately no one was hurt and
the damage to rolling stock viii not
be very heavy.
Denver and Rio Grande passenger
train. first section, No. from the
east entered the city limits about
twenty-five minutes late. The train
was in charge of Engineer George
Gordon and his fireman was Mr..
Fredmire. The train was heavily
loaded with passengers and was maxi
ing good time. Engine No. 702 was
pulling the train. Just a few hun
dred feet east of the Fifth Street
crossing the train struck a switch
that had been thrown wrong evident
ly by a train passing over it earlier
in the evening. The big engine OF
course missed the right track. the
wheels on one side took a rail of the
switch while the wheels on the other
side tried to keep on main track as
a natural result the big engine was
soon humping along the ties. Engl.
neer Gordon realized in a second
time what had happened and did his
best to bring the train to a stop. Az |
ter running along the ties for about
two hundred feet one side of the |
engine got down between the two
tracks and keeled partly over, and |
came to a stop the giant wheels on
one side plowing deep into the
ground.
The engine leaned toward the left.
or the fireman's side but the fireman
jumped clear and was unhurt. Engi-
neer Gordon also jumped when he
saw that the engine was going into
the ditch and was unhurt.
The front trucks of mail car were
pulled off the track but none of the
other cars were disturbed None of
the passengers We're injured and
many hardly realized what had hap.
pened,
The track was torn up for quite
a long distance and great number
of ties were splintered and torn to
pieces.
A crew of section hands were soon
at work repairing and laying new
track so that passageway for other
trains could be had. The accident
occurred about 1850 o'clock.
1t was necessary to tear away
top of the cab of the engine which
was hanging over one of the tracks
The workmen labored all the rest of
the night clearing the tracks so that
the trains from the west which were
held in the local yards could get by.
This morning at eight O'Clock there
were about six passenger trains in
which was crowded with passengers.
The first one of the delayed east
tound trains was able to pass the
wreck about $3.50 o'clock. 1t was
irst No. 2. The other delayed pas
iengers got out later. No. 1 west
pound was held on the other side of
he wreck for many hours. 1t seem
ID that negligence on the part of
iome switchman or trainman is res
,onsible for the accident. Evident
y train in passing over the switch
,srly in the evening caused one of
he rails to spread and open the
witch, and this fact was not re-
ported to the proper officials in order
o protect later trains.
Che work of raising the derailed
engine started this afternoon.
great many people visited the scene
If the wreck during the day.
Engineer Gordon and his fireman
rad quite narrow escape from in
Jury OF death. Only two months ago
Nr. Gordon had the misfortune to
nave his engine run into an open
switch. being in charge of the engine
If the Scenic Limited when that train
vas wrecked near Clifton. Also on
hat occasion Mr.. Gordon was for
innate in escaping without serious
injury. The causes of the two ae-
.idents were almost Identical