Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-09-10

was running on time. Apparently"
| said Mr. Davis, when interviewed. "this
/ Is case Of where an entire freight
/ crew consisting of conductor. three
| brakemcn. and a fireman and engineer.
| totally forgot a regular passenger train
which runs to time and had a clear
| right on the main line. This freight
seems TO have pulled out Of the yards
| without orders, and TO have collided
with the passenger after trying to
stop"
ANOTHER VERSION.
Another version is given by trainmen
/ who were first on the scene. IL is that
! the freight was trying TO make a sid-
/ ing one mile north from the scene OF
the collision, and was running at full
| speed IN order 10 do this When the
| passenger was sighted an effort was
made to stop the train but the air
stuck and the brakes refused 10
work until Il was too late.
RELIEF CREWS CHEERED.
Not many spectators gathered 10
watch the engines and cars burn. This
is because Of the remOteness Of the
wreck from population centers A
crowd OF women gathered on the hills
horth or Becks Hot Springs and
watched the flames from a distance.
'.NAftN AAANe NAAAtAf4 Nllt Itlltl Crews as
tiey Went past on fiat cars. and some OF
them finally started 10 walk 10 the
wreck with bandages and lunch SUD
plies for the workers.
ENGINEERS VERSION.
The scene OF the smash "a one where
II Is dlfucult 10 Imagine a wreck could
occur. The Lagoon road track the O.
;. L. track ana the Rio Grande track
run parallel 70 each other at this point.
ana only few rods separate them.
The Short Line grade Is high, and a
perfectly clear view of the track ahead
Is shown for miles in each direction.
Just south of the wreck a mile post
states that a siding Is one mile dis
tant to the north.
Engineer Charles Devine OF the
freight train. escaped injury by jump
ing before the collision. He stated
when located by a News" reporter that
he left the Salt Lake yards at o'clock
this morning, intending to make the
switch north Of the packing plant. He
had plenty OF time 70 do it, he thought.
and claims that he saw the passenger
coming long way of. He then sent a
iagman forward he says, and reversed
his engine, having stopped his train
and started IL back before the collision
occurred. The air. he says, was fOggy
and misty, and this he blamed for the
wreck, in a measure. giving Il as his
Judgment that the passenger engineer
did not see his train on this account.
MI DeVinc refused 10 talk as soon as
he learned his interrogater was a news
paper man, so that details could not be
obtained from him.
RELIEF TRAIN.
The first activity towards sending re-
lief 10 the wreck began in the Salt
Lake yards shortly after o'clock A
train OF three fiat cars was speedily
made up and one one OF these ties were
stacked, with view of running a new
track, If necessary, around the wreck.
When this train. carrying Asst Gen
supt Davis and Supt. Dunn OF motive
power department In addition to a
large number OF Greek employees start
ed north at $3.50 o'clock. IL was recalled
Ia order TO take on the ERE department
steamer and chemical. and made an
other start at 10 o'clock. II arrived at
the wreck at 1920 and found the two
engines sitting face 10 face on the
track, almost consumed by flames,
while the mail car north OF the pas
scnger engine was a smouldering
wreck. and a freight car south OF tho
freight engine was also smOuldering.
with nothing left but the twisted iron
Of the trucks and wheels
While the fire department was get
ting into action with water secured
from the relief train engine. "A South
orn Pacific WreclNng crew arrived
from Ogden, ana began TO FISH out"
the wreck from the north end.
INTERESTING WORK.
This work was interesting. The
huge crane on the derrick car was
lowered TO the red hot irons OF tho
baggage car, and then chains were
guided around bars by means OF long
IRON rods, gle men working as close
IA hon o.. Na..
hold was. fixed, the crane lifted itsslf
with perhaps pair OF wheels or a
bunch OF experimenting iron, and
dumped II 10 one side on the right NJ
way. In this manner rapid progress
was made 20 the engine, and al II
O'Clock graphing hooks were being
nNcd with "a View or pulling II away
from It's close embrace with the switch
engine facing 10.
Al this point the steamer from Salt
Lake got ia some excellent service.
IL was lowered from the freight car
run north along the ground 90 po-
Eition near the burning passenger en-
sine. and by means of "a hose running
into the tender of engine No. 5s4,
water supply WAS secured and used
effectively ln stopping the IRE in the
coal tender. AS soon as thlF was ac-
comphshe1, the engine was run back
90 the first siding, and tLe wrccking
crew iNANtNtl 1" M'ih OF Nl. AANAaHh
engine which 10 Was NOT dinlCult 90
place upon the track 30 that 10 would
run un lts oWu drivers, minus its ten
der. which had 90 boz liftcd from the
track
AZ noon Asst supt Davis announced
that be- expected 90 have tho wreck en-
tlrely cleaned AWAY and the track open
before evening
FIRE ENTlNGUlSHED.
Al til5 this afternoon report RuH
received at hre headquarters that the
nro which followed thc wreck would hc
out in 20 minutes ana the steamer and
combination chemioAl-hoae would start
back for me city Win thc FIRE out the
Noud thc Utah Packing company
ahaitolr ana thus taken out of the way.
As lhs repair train from This city took
Ouf nine rails only 10 tie srenn IA can