The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-17
Hundreds of People Have
Rushed to Rescue of Sur
vivors of Catastrophe at
DotserO, Colorado.
ENGINEER is CHARGED
WITH CARELESSNESS
When Big Passenger Train
And Double Header Freight
Crashed Together Roar
Was Heard for Miles.

Denver, COL, Jan. 16.-Between
twenty-five and thirty people lost
their lives and between forty and six
ty were injured. some fatally, in =
head on collision between a west
bound Denver and Rio Grande passen-
ger and an eastbound doubleheader
freight train late last night a mile
west Of Dotsero, eighteen miles east
Of Glenwood Springs, because Gustav
Olson, a veteran engineer failed to
obey orders. Among the identified
dead are John c. Davis, president Of
the Davis Bridham Drug Co., Denver;
Edward Gooding, Omaha; Arthur Will
iams, Des Moines, Ia; Mrs. L. J. Ezel
Willston, N. D.; Charles Mahon,
Princeton, Ind; Mrs. Arthur Williams,
Des Moines, la. Among the injured
is Thomas Caldwell, Joliet, ILL.,, vice
president of the Illinois Express Co.
List Of Injured.
Those who will probably die are
Lillian Mahon, Princeton, Ind. intern
al injuries; Mrs. c. Blanke. Wapolin,
Mo-; w. NJ. Barley, Anthony, Kan.
The responsibility for the accident
is officially laid at the door of Engi-
neer Olson and the coroner's jury is
expected to return a verdict charging
him with either murder or manslaugh-
ter. When the wreckage caught fire
a holocaust was averted by the unin-
jured passengers and the train crews
who used shovels and boards to throw
snow upon the flames. A second
wreck occurred this morning east of
Glenwood Springs after the first relief
train reached that city with injured.
This marooned the second relief from
carrying other wreck victims and the
bodies Of nineteen dead. for nearly ten
hours The first collision occurred
on q steep grade. The passenger train
was making fifty miles an hour. while
motives. was climbing the grade at
IS miles an hour.
No warning was given until the pas
senger suddenly rounded a sharp
curve. The engine Grew Of the pas
senger realized the danger and Engi.
neer Olson applied air, then put on
the emergency brakes, closed the
throttle Of the engine ana jumped.
Roar Heard Miles.
The engines came together with a
roar which could be heard for miles.
The three big engines were jammed to-
gether until they resembled one piece
Of mechanism. Eight men and women
were decapitated as though a cleaver
had been used. Even the heavy Pull
mans at rear Of the train were crushed
piled upon what remained of the cars
ahead. Only one person who rode in a
day coach, Alice Williams, aged four
escaped alive. She was found pinned
beneath the wreckage by the train.
men. She was slightly bruised and
covered with blood from the body OF
her mother who was instantly killed
The child's father, who is supposed to
be Charles b. Williams OF Des Moines
Iowa. was instantly killed There II
neither q telegraph or a telephone
| station at Dotsero and the passengers
with news Of the disaster had to be
sent on foot to Shoshone and Gyp
sam. towns six and eight miles away
Relief trains were huziediy made ~
aoA . score OF physicians and nurses
were hastily picked mp along tie line
Il Vas several hours before any ol
the09 trains reached the scene Of III