The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-03-22
Thirty.five People Lose Their
Lives in a Wreck.
TWO TRAINS COLLIDE
Several of the Unfortunate Passengers
Were Plnioned In the Debris and
We're Slowly Roasted TO Death
as the Rescuers Looked
on HelpIesslY.

Thirty-fve lives were crushed out
early Friday in heai-end collision of
two passenger trains near Adobe, Col.s
on the Dever and Rio Grande railroad,
and nearly a score of the victims were
incinerated, several beyond Tecogni-
tion, by fire that destroyed the
wrecked coaches. More than score
were injured, but all will probably re-
cover.
The wreck was due to undelivered
orders, heavy mountain grades, q
binding snoWstorm, sharp curve and
the slippery condition of the rails.
Only the loc omotives, baggage and
day coaches were wrecked, the sleep
ing cars escaping almost unscathed,
as In the e len disaster on the same
road in 1904, when part Of train ran
into flooded canyon through wash
ed outi bridge.
Many Of the dead were homessek-
ers bound for the Northwest. The
three crushed locomotives set FIRE to
the s3lintered coaches and it was
hours before all the bodies were recov
cred. Ghe flames being 80 hot that res
cuers could not approach the debris
until the fuel burned out.
It was q wild, STORMY night In the
mountain canyons when the two heavy
trains met. Binding snow darkened
the rocky gorges and speed was not
high.
Suddenly headlights flashed out and
it was realized by the engineers that
something was wrong. According to
Fireman J. b. Smith of the west
bound train, Engineer Walter Coslet6
applied the emergency brake, but the
slippery rails allowed the momentum
of the heavy train to carry 1t on to
the fatal crash.
The impact was severely noticeable,
but J!le trains crushed and ground
into elch other. The helpsr engine OF
the westbound train acted as q cush-
ion, minimizing the force and weight
of the heavy mountain engines. This
helper was crushed together like so
much paper and the other loco m )tives
ran through the mesh Of iron and
plowed each other to piecss.
Fireman Smith was the only one OF
the engine crews to escape. The bag
gage Car Of the Westbound train broke
in two and three coaches we're sQueez.
cd together. The baggage 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 sheet OF flame ran
through the shattered cars OF both
trains. In the forward coach of the
Westbound train every seat was occu-
pied by passengers, most OF whom were
hornessekers. 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 for the windows and
doors and with the aid of the passsn-
zers In the rear Of train crew who
we're unhurt, managed to reach the
open air. Many were injured by the
rough handling they received or by
flying glass.
When the occupants Of the two
sleeping cars taw that nothing could
be done to check the fla mes, they aid
I'D the trainmen In pushiog back the
uudanaaged cars. Communication was
opened with the Pueblo otfi;e OF the
railroad from Portland, a mile from
the waeck, and a relief train with
physicians was dispatched to the &C.
cldent. The injured were placed In
The sleeping cars and brought to
Pueblo with the passengers OF the
eastbound train, who were unhurt.
Another rsliet train came from Flor.
ence to take away the uni1jnred por-
tion Of the ees5bouud train.
Officer Shot from Anbueh.
Tom r johnson, marshal OF Winokur,
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