The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1907-04-26

NO. A LEFT RAILS NEAR Wat
KINS, COLO.
Engine Tender Started the Trouble
and Deraued the Passenger
COache-EO One Killed

Rock Island passenger train No. AZ,
the Chicago flyer, eastbOund from
Denver, due In GoOdland at 1855 p. m
Tuesday jumped the track at Wat
kins, twenty-five miles east OF Den
yer at 1880 o'clock In the morning,
bumped along on the ties for several
hundred feet and then went into the
ditch, where the coaches we're buried
in mud up to the windows. No one
was seriously injured
A reporter for the Denver News
made e flying trip to the scene in an
automobile. beating the RELIEF trains
that we're ordered out to the wreck
In giving particulars about the acct
dent the News says:
7. Westerdorf, bagEagemans had
his back Wrenched and was bruised
but ne was able to assist in clearing
up the wreckage.
was the only passenger hurt Bis right
hand was cut and the nails torn from
the fingers.
The wreck was due to a peculiar
cause The theory OF the railroad Of
hcials is that, in rounding the last
curve just before reaching Watkins
the water in the tank OF the loComO-
tive, which was but half full, washed
from side to side because OF the
speed Of the train On reaching the
straight track at the west switch in
Watkins, the theory is that the wa
ter, in setting, was forced to one side
H.
tender from the rails.
Coaches Follow Tender.
The coaches quickly followed the
tender, and moment later the en-
tire train was riding the ties. In an
other instant the wheels went or into
the dirt. The mogul locomotive, No.
1926 in charge Of Engineer Joe Der
~, a former Denver alderman and
democratic nominee for sheriff last
fall, remained on the track. The
al Enz
almost come to a stop, when it snap
ped and the tender tipped on its side,
the cars following Only the two rear
drive wheels Of the locomotive left
the track.
About seventy-five passengers were
aboard the train, which consisted Of a
combination library and baggage car,
Pullman sleeper, diner and chair car.
A sharp whistle was the first warn
ing from the locomotive when the ten
der jumped and an instant later the
passengers were tumbling out OF their
seats pell nell. PandemOnium reign
ed and women and children screamed
with fright as the train swayed and
finally sank into the mud on its side
Tries to Break Window.
One excited woman began to pound
at the window in the effort to make
hole out OF which to crawl. others
remained on the tilted floor, amid
heaps OF luggage, until the men who
crowded out returned to them.
Fred z. Brooks Of Detroit, who suf-
fered slight injuries, had a narrow
escape from death. He said:
Il was going from the diner into
the chair car when she went on. For
a moment I swung from side to side
with the train and then I fell against
the side Of the vestibule, expecting
every moment to be crushed by the
teIescoping Of the cars. I was caught
where I couldn't get out for some
l time and I consider myself mighty
lucky in getting of with such slight
hurts. All the finger nails Of my
right hand were torn OF and was
otherwise cut and bruised
Fred W. Dempsey, a Rock Island
electrician, was in the dining chair
car. He said:
Fred DempSev's Story.
1.-The woman Just ahead OF me got
excited and began to pound at the car
window, trying to break IL so she
could crawl out Hang If, lady, I
said, stay where you are; we're all
right When the cars finally settled
into the mud we had no difficulty in
getting out"
J. c. johnson OF Waterville. Kan, a
passenger in the chair car, Ofhciated
as physician" being supplied with
bottle Of good whisky and a menthol
inhaler. With these restOratives he
had no difficulty in sOthing the shat
tered nerves OF women passengers
A wrecBing train was sent from
Denver, IN charge Of superintendent
Wick Roy Of the Union Pacific, over
VIII 0za fracL< the ROck Island runs TO