Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-01-21

line neaN by entered the powder car
and spark from the passing engine
ignited the gas. Others express the
belief that the disaster was due to a
tramp or intoxicated man firing shot
into the car.
Cars We're smashed to pieces by the
force of the explosion. Huge masses
of iron We're found hundreds of feet
from the track. The tank of the pas
senger engine was hurled nearly one
hundred feet, landing in gravel
road. Two passenger coaches and one
baggage coach We're consumed by fire.
The freight train in which was
the car of powder was demolished.
dows were shattered. dishes and fur
niture broken and doors torn from
their hinges.
The night was dark and heavy rains
had rendered the streets of Sandford
almost impassable. As the passenger
engine went BY the powder cars land
ing on adjoining track. the explosion
came without warning. The entire
train was blown from the tracks and
crashed into the mud a mere mass of
debris, pinning under it forty human
beings. Fire broke out. and before
the eyes of citizens who rushed to the
rescue many persons We're burned to
death before aid could be rendered
them.
In the darkness. by the light of the
burning coaches, the people of Sand
ford did their best for the stricken,
Cries of the injured and the cracking
of the flames, together with the odor
of burning human flesh. greeted the
rescuers, who worked frantically but
soon were forced back by the terrible
heat.
Among the first rescued was L. f.
Rose. of Mattoon, MS, engineer of
maintenance Of way on the Big Four
railroad. His leg was broken and he
was severely bruised. He was carrief'
to the house of c. NJ, Mars. one hun
dred feet away. Soon Mrs. Rose was
brought in painfully bruised. but as
sisted in the c.9e of her husband un-
til she collapsed.
Others We're rescued as the flames
advanced As men threw their
strength to the worl; Of disentangling
the human forms from the wreckage,
the women of Sandford cared fcr the
injured
When the fire drove the. rescuers
away they waited til the fire died
down and then started TO drag cut
the charred bodies.
Men searched nearb. fields and
found pieces of human flesh and wcar-
ing apparel
There was no efficient water supply
to fight the flames, and the bitter cold
added to the suffering.
Four badly mutilated bodies We're
found in the woods severa; hundred
feet from the tracks
One thousand feet Of the tract. was
torn up and a great hole shows where
1 he
being hauled from Concord junction.
Mass. to East Alton. us, ana con-
tanned 500 kegs of powder,
Engineer WelCh and Fireman Jared
of Mattoon, who We're in charge OF
the passenger engine. were hurled
nearly a hundred feet through the ait
and fell in a muddy field.
The explosion and fire destroyed
telegraphic communication, and sand
ford with its victims was alone foe
hours. The first news 10 rtstpfs here
from the wreck came h. those who
walked the distance to secure help.
Relief trains with physicians and sup
plies were started out at once.
Four of the injured We're able to
leave the hospital today None died
there.
The wreckage was cleared this even
ing sufficiently to permit erafltc to re-
sumo.
Big Four officials today stated
that the dead might number between
thirty and forty. OF these eighteen
have been identified. -Four unidenti-
fed bodies have been taken from the
wreck and according to E. w. Theirs
local freight agent other arms. legs
and remnants of bodies Indicate ten
or twelve moro victims,
The first intimatOn people had of
the disaster was "A shock which was
felt in Terre Haute and as far east
as Brazil. Indiana. and as far south as
sullivan.
The wires were blown down and it
was some time before the Big -Four
officials here learned of the explosion.
Relief trains were ordered out from
Terre Haute and Paris and the dead
and injured were taken to both cities.
The work of the rescuing party was
hampered by the almost complete de-
struction Of the train and the blazing
timbers which were iguited by the ex-
olosion,
The train left Indianapolis at 4:40
p. m Saturday evening with Engineer
Wech and Fireman Rowland. both
said to be from Mattoon, Illinois
G. NJ. Armstrong agent at Sandford,
1ldNtu lildl ne lllpuEll llt GstI tNH-
tanned about 500 kegs of powder. He
said he was standing in the door Of
the station when the explosion oc-
Cured. and that he at once called
some section hands. They secured an
engine. broke an lnter-locking switch
and went to Paris, Illinois, for relief
trains
The entire passenger train was
mass of flames and the relief party
was able to reach only the passengers
who had been either blown from the
train or were able to crawl from the
coaches after the explosion.
Two of the men who were cremated
were stlll alive when the relief party
from this city reached the wreck, but
the rescuers were unable to reach
them and were compelled to stand and
watch them burn.
The flames lighted up the scene so
that the rescuers did not have to work
in total darkness.
The station at SandfOrd was turned
into a mOrgue.
After the physicians from Paris and
the members of the relief party from
Terre Haute arrived, the flames died
down so that the men had TO work by
the dim li~ht of lanterns II Is not
known how many passengers were on
the train, but II is said that both cars
were almost full. Only about sixty
have been accounted for and II Is
thought number were either killed
outright or were burned to death un-
der the wreckage
Many gruesome finds were made by
the relief party and it probable that
some of those who were blown to
pieces or were cremated will never be
identified.
From the most definite information
obtainable the freight train had the
main track and come TO standstlll
when the passenger started to pass Il.
II Is thought that the conclusion