Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1906-03-16
FriehtfuI Particulars.

The worst railroad wreck since the
memorable Eden disaster occurred at
> o'clock, this morning, on the Den
yer & Rio Grande, near Adobe. The
east bound No. 16 crashed into the
west bound No. 3. telescopng the
forward cars in each train. The
coaches at once took fire, and the
flames completed the horror begun
by the collision. The number of the
dead is estimated at from fifty up
wards. The number of injured is
placed at twenty five.
The cause of the wreck is attrib-
uted to the failure to deliver orders
to No. 16, so that No. could pass
her.
Among the physicians who render
ed assistance was DR.. F. n. CochRns
of Salida, who was on No. 16. but
escaped injury. He at once entered
the service of caring for the wounded.
He was assisted by doctors from
Florence, who were soon on the
scene
Most OF the victims were pinioned
under the wreckdge and burned alive
before help could reach them. Most
of the injured were on No. 3. which
was heavily loaded. No 16 carried
comparatively few passengers, and
these escaped with slight shaking
up.
One man, whose name could not be
learned, was the only one OF family
of ten who escaped. He lost father,
mother wife, three children, brother,
and two other relatives.
Three of the crew of No were
killed and two Of the crew of No. 16
One of the engineers, on No. 3, which
was double-headed, was found dead,
with his hand on the throttle. Nc
Parland, a relative of the detective,
who was an express messenger, was
also among the dead.
Bodies Burned to 4 Crisp.
Many of the bodies will never be
identified, because of the fact of their
having been burned to a crisp. and
therefore, unrecognizable. Parts of
the mail and of the express matter
were Destroyed, Relief trains were at
once dispatched from Pueblo, and
Florence, but the work is necessarily
. slow, because of the smoke and cold.
The first train bearing the injured,
reached Pueblo shortly after 6 o'clock.
Recovered and identified bodies of
the dead are:
WILLIAM HOLLIS, engineer of No.
l6.
E. NJ. MCFARLAND, express mes
seuger, No. 16
HUGH SUDDUTH, fireman, No. l6.
WALTER COSSLET, engineer first
engine of No. 8.
Occurred on Bluff Curve.
A. II. Smith, fireman for Engineer
Cosslet, stated that he saw the head
light Of train No. l6 as 1t rounded
the curve, about 200 yards distant
He went TO the engineers side, and
saw him at the emergency brake
Grant Kelker, engineer of the second
engine of No. S, and Harry Hartman,
his fireman. both noticed the head
light Of No i6 as it rounded the
curve, Kelker yelled: Look OUT"
and applied the emergency brake.
Both escaped by jumping Engineer
Kelker stated that he had barely re-
covered himself when the whole train
seemed afire, Train No was COM
posed of mail car, express car, two
day coaches. two tourists and TWO
standard sleepers. All the sleepers
were saved. none of the occupants
being injured. All three Of the en-
sines were practically demolished,
and piled on top of each other. The
first three cars of No. lG We're piled
On top Of each other. but before the
"reckage took fire most Of the pas
aeHSers were removed
Lack of Proper Orders.
ACCOrdingtO the statement OF
passenger in the front coach OF No
., there were only eight or ten vacant
seats Two men, J. L. LawtOn of Bell
flower, Mo, and 5. H. Sweeney of
Trenton, Mo- escaped with slight in
juries Sweeney was pulled from the
mass Of wreCkage Just before the fire
reached him.
The place where the trains came
together was near mile post l47.
Both trains were rounding a sharp
curve. around a high blum II was
impossible for the enginemeu Of either
Irain to see the other train until with
m about 200 yards Of each other Al
this point. the Santa Fe and Rio
Grande tracks run close together. and
ID was easy for the enginemen 10 sup
pose the coming train % be on the
santa Fe track. The snow began fall
ing az midnight. Severe cold added
10 the sufferings OF the victims.
According 20 the first order the
trains we're supposed to be at Adobe,
One-half mile from the wreck. Al
Florence No 1G received orders 10
meet No. 9 ar Beaver, five miles east
of Portland T. Is supposed that No
= was 10 have oeen given similar or
ders at Swallows. but falling 10 re-
CeiVC ttgnl ran an 20 Adobe