The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-03-20
EITHER KILLED
OR BURNED.

persons were killed or burned to death
while twice that number were more
or less seriously injured in the wreck
on the Denver & Rio Grande railroad
near Adobe today in a head-on COLI
sion between the westbound passenger
train No. 3, known as the Utah & Cali
fornia express and the eastbound train
No 16, known as the Colorado & New
Mexico express.
Forty charred and blackened bodies
have already been taken from the
wreckage but they have been so burn
cd that identification is impossible in
many instances. The injured are at
the st. Marys hospital in this city
and it is believed that many Of them
will not survive
SNOWSTORM THE CAUSE.
The wreck occurred in binding
snowstoTm on what is known as the
"Hoodoo" curve, called so because of
its gruesome history. it being the
scene of a terrible collision in Octo-
ber, 1904.
The curve at this point is in the form
of the letter IS" and because of the
high hills on either side, trains can
not seen one another until they are
almost together.
Both passenger trains were bowling
Along at almost 35 miles an hour in an
effort to make up lost time, to prevent
further delay on account Of the snow
which covered the tracks for miles to
depth of a foot or more. Number
: was drawn by two monster mountain
engines, while No. 10, coming down
the mountain was hauled by one en-
Eine. Both trains were heavy, con-
Eisting of baggage, express, mail cars,
day coaches, tourist and standard
sleepers. The first day coach in train
No. was of light construction and
it was in this car that the majority
of fatalities occurred
CREWS UNAWARE.
The engine crews of both trains
were totally unaware of their danger
and did not see each other approach
until they were less than two hundred
yards apart. Air brakes were applied
and the engineers remained at their
posts, two of them, Hollis, of No IL
and Causlotte of No. being instantly
killed. When their bodies were taken
from the wrecked engines, their hands |
were still cIasped on the emergency
brake lever Fireman Smith, of No |
jumped as the trains came together |
and escaped with a few bruises.
The fireman. on No 16 was also in
etantly killed. Engineer Kelker of tie
second engine on No. and his fire. !
man, Harry Hartman, remained in |
their cab but escaped uninjured.
TERRIFIC COLLISION.
The impact Of the collision was ter |
rife, the three engines literally climb |
ing on top Of one another and being |
reduced to a mass of broken IRON and |
.teeI. The baggage and mail cars OF
No. 8 did not receive the full force |
If the shock and were only partially
wrecked but the day coaches were tel
.scOped for twenty feet each, the pas
Iengers being crushed and ground 10
ieath. All of the cars on No. 16 were
lelescoped except the sleepers, but not /
mOugh to kill any one.
Within two minutes after the COL
ision, the wreckage caught fire, start
ng in the first day coach Of No. 8.
The breaking of the Illuminating gas
anks under this car added fuel to
he flames.
WRECKAGE BURNED.
One of the peculiar features of the
wreck is that not one car in train
No. 8 left the track or overturned.
Fhey burned as they stood upright and
lhe heat was so intense that rescue
work was all but impossible. Time
lfter time those of the train crews
md passengers who were uninJured
.ssayed to drag some person from the
burning wreckage only to fail and
hen the awful sight of a human
being slowly roasted to death follow
ID
AWFUL TALES OF DEATH.
One young woman, whose name
could not be learned, begged pitifully
Tor help. When a man seized her by
the hands the flesh peeled off. She
iell back into the car and a vicious
aame of burning gas snuffed out her
life. Another passenger asked for
assistance His feet were caught. He
could not be dragged from the wreck
age. The flames, creeping closer and
closer, he said II am badly hurt
anyway, boys and you can't help me.
Save yourselves" A second later ne
lost. consciousness and in two min
ntes he was literally being incinerated.
Still another pathetic and heart
rending incident was that of a man,
woman and child who gave up their
lives after vainly struggling to work
themselves free of the broken, burn
ing timhers and twisted iron rods