The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-03-21
Thirty'fiye People Lose Their
Lives in a Wreck.
TWO TRAINS COLLIDE
Several of the Unfortunate Passengers
Were Pluioned in the Debris and
Were Slowly Roasted to Death
as The Rescuers Looked
on Helplessly.

early Friday in hea1- nc collision OF
two passenger trains near Adobe, Col,
on the Dever a. Ric Grsnde thread,
aud nearly score OF the victims were
lncinerated, several beYoDd 1ecogni-
Jion, by fire that destroyed the
wrecked coaches. More than score
were Injured, but all will probably re-
cover.
The wreck was due to unaeliVered
orders, heavy mountain grades, q
blindir 6 sno crm, sharp curve and
the slippery condition ct the rails.
Only the locomotives, baggage and
day coaches were wrecked, The sleer-
ing cars escapi1 G almost unscathed,
as in the E zen disaster on the same
road In 1904, Hhel part OF q train ran
into a flooded canyon through wasE-
cd out bridge.
Many OF the dead were homeseek-
ers bound for the Northwest. The
three crushed loco motives set fire to
the splintered coaches ard 1t was
hours before all the bodies were rec5V
cred. the fines being so hot tnGt res.
ouers c)uld not approach the debris
until the fuel burned cut,
1t was q wild, stcrlny night In the
mountain canyons when the two heavy
trains met. Binding snow darkened
5he rocky gorges and speed was not
nigh.
Suddenly headlights flashed out aud
it was realizsd by the engineers that
something was wrong. According to
Fireman J. q. Smith Of the west
bound train, Engineer Walter Coslett
applied the emergency brake, but tine
slippery rails allowed the momentum
OF the heavy train to carry 1t on to
the fatal crash.
The impact was sevs7ely noticeable,
cut the trains crushed and ground
into each other. Tee heIper engine OF
the westbound train acted as q eusE-
ion, minimizing the free and weight
Of the heavy mountain engines. This
helper was cruShsd together like so
much paper and the other loct 70 >tives
ran through the mesh Of iron and
pIowed each oGher to piec5s.
Fireman Smith was the only one Of
the engine crews to escape. The bas-
gage car OF the westbcund train broke
N two and three c2acaes were squeez-
ed together. The bagg sge car, the mail
car and coach Of the eastbound train
buckled but none Of the CARS telescop-
ed.
Hardly had the noise Of the wreck
ceased when a sheet OF fame ran
through the shattered cars OF both
trains. IL the forward coach OF the
Westbound train every seat was occC-
pied by passengers, most OF whom were
nomeseekers. A number OF foreigners
were among them and in their terror
they gave up life without making any
attempt to reach safety outside the
burning cars. They sank to the floor
Of the Ger and were roasted alive. The
cooler ones in the car, seeing their
danger, rushed fcI the windows and
doors ard with the aid Of the passen-
gers In the rear OF train crew who
were unhurt, managed to reach the
open air. Many were Injured ~ the
rough handling they received or by
f, ing glass.
Wnen the occupants OF the two
sleeping cars taW that nothing could
be done to check the fla mes, they aid
cd the tcainmen in pushing bscz the
urdanaged cars. Communication was
3oered WITH the Pueblo lie OF the
railroad from P PJrtland, a mile from
The wae OK, and relief train with
physicians was dispatched to the ac-
cident. TIE injured were placed in
lie sleeping cars ard brought to
Pueblo with the passengers ct tie
astbouud train, who were unhurt.
Another relier train cana from Flor.
ence to take away tie onir jored ror-
zion Ct the eestbound train.