The Washington times., 1909-01-17
MUST PAY PENALTY
FOR RAIL DISASTER
Engineer and Company to
Be Called on for Killing
Twenty-one Persons.
Continued from First PageD

Olson has been held officially respons-
ible by the railroad for the disastrous
head-on collision between the Denver
California westbound passenger No. 3
and an eastbound double-header freight
on steep curve at the mouth of the
Grand river canyon at the confluence
Of the Grand and Eagle rivers. Olson
admits his error and says he is willing
20 be punished ia whatever form may
be decided.
Coroner Gupin. who has already
started an official investigation, also
holds olson solely responsible for the
wreck, but formal findings Will not be-
made until Tuesday or Wednesday,
when the jury viii meet at some place
ia Eagle county TO return a verdict,
The last BODY was removed from the
wTeCksge at I o'clock this morning. and
was that OF a tramp, who was Stealing
a ride on the blind baggage His body
was crushed fat between the car and
the rear end OF the engine tender and
was so tightly wedEed in that II could
not be removed for tWenty-eight hours
after the wreck. Two more victims ~
the wrvck. who are in the GleHwyod
Sanitarlum. are expected 10 die during
the day. This viii bring the total dead
20 tweuty-thTee.
Coroner GiIpin and corps Of assist
ants are at Dotsero today digging i'm
the debris looking for any additional
bodies shat might be buried \ womaus
head was found this morning, which be
longs 10 one of the bodies discovered
early Yesterday, and removed TO the
mOrgue at Gleuw5o1.
Engineers Mistake
Gustav Olson, the engineer Of the III
fated passenger train, is still at Glen
wood Saritarlum, and was permitted to
be seen by callers for the hrst time to-
day after Coroner Gnpin had had
talk with him.
IT read the time wrong, he gasped.
II thought I had eight minutes to the
good. I didn't know where I was, and
I was working 10y my watch. I thought
rushing past the place. Il was pitch
dark. and 1 could not see the landmarks
Think of those women and little children
in that train and my own brother en-
the other engine
Two Little HerOines.
Little four-ycar-oId Alice Williams. of
Iowa-ber home town has not yet been
learued-aud pretty Margaret Eel, the
seven-ycar-0ld daughter OF L. J. Eel.
OF WiIiston, s. D., are heroines Of the
wreck because Of their bravery. The
Williams child was the only one who
escaped alive from the chair car. She
was found covered with blood under
the headless body Of her mother and
when removed from the WTeckage by
trainmeu, said.
I'm not hurt. please tell mamma TO
wake zap. she Is sleeping"
Not a tear did she shed in her childish
innocence and faith. and she has not yet
been able 20 understand why Papa and
mamma don't come for me-" for there
Us no one at the sauitaTium who has
the heart 10 break the news OF her
great double loss
Thinks First of Mother
Margaret Ezel viii probably lose her
right leg. which was mashed. Her
mother. TOO. is thought 20 be among
the dead and beheaded, as were d half
d,zen others ia the teIescoped chair car
So brave and courageous did this child
act when dug from the debris. that her
terribly injury was not discovered until
The doctor asked her TO stand. Then
she told him that her foot hurt" but
TO please tend 10 mamma hrst The
mother was beyond all earthly aid.
The horrors Of dementia were added
90 the CHASTITY scene. Shriekiug at the
top OF her voice, a woman stlll un-
known, dressed iu nothing but her night
robe. Ieapgd from the platform and
spTaUg upon the sugW-drifted embark
meut. Wildly waving her arms she
turned and sped up the hillside.
A half dozen men followed but she
ran with wonderful swiftuess. She dis
appeared into the darkness of the trees
and the search was given up, men were
needed at the wreck and the lives Of
many could not De lost ia the hunt for
made ON the woman disappearance to-
day
Told by Survivors.
Dial De Weese. of Canon City, was one
Of the passengers who escaped uuin-
jured.
II Jumped from the car Immediately
after the crash and rushed forward"
he said. "A woman dashed up 30 me
and asked me 10 nLd her baby. looked /
about iu the weird light and saw IL
lying IN the snow. When ] turned TO
md the mother she he'd gone
"l dug out seven injured and found
five Cead near them.
ITS tho fourth wreck have been
81 was sitting in the car with Couduc-
tor M0Curdy when Lc pulled the bell
rope a. DOisefo o. stop the train" said
A. II. Dean OF sidney Mob. 81 saw
him glance at his watch and then hc
pulled the cord. He pulled 10 sharply I
and hard Then he waited q moment
and as the train did not stop. he turned
sitting and said, Did you Sec me pun
The hell-rope' / said Yes. ] did Then
came the crash.
Just before the wreck ] was talking
TO "a man and his wife who were going
TO Grand Junction whittier 7 was bound
I believe that they were all killed as I
have seen none OF them since"
Whole Families Killed.
4 DitjEul feature Of this wreck is that
several entire families were .u the chair
car. and of these families all but the
one little girl were killed.
Iu the first section of the tourist
sleeper four little girls were found. two
iu each berth. They mad gone to sleeu
with their arms about each others /
uecks. and this IS the way the workers
found them. Death had come so sud
denly that they passed from the first |
sound sleep Of childhood 20 the long