Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1910-03-07
SILVER aA lP!ASSEN=
GER TRAIN WRECKED
Miraculous Escape Of Passengers and Train
Crew Last Night When Coaches and Bag
gage Car Turn Completely Over

What might have been one of the
most disastrous wrecks in the history
OF the Denver G. Rio Grande railroad
occurred last night at o'clock when
the regular passenger train headed for
Silverton left The track about half a
mile above the power plant at Tacoma
turning over into the river bed ten
feet below.
Engineer Jack McCabe was at the
throttle, and as is his custom in dan
gerous places, the train was going
slowly over the ground where the big
slide came down last year The en-
CINE. No 100, and tender did not
leave the track, but all the rest OF
the train did so. The parlor car jump
ed the rails first, the other cars fol
lowing so fast that it seemed as IL
simultaneously
Brakeman Jolly Duncan, who was on
the rear platform at the time jumped
and was uninjured No one else had
time to do so. Since there were no
women on the train, the colored porter,
Hall, had not lighted the gas in the
parlor ear so the horror of fire from
that source was avoided. The express
messenger was trying to rectify his
unsuccessful attempts TO kindle a fire
i'll his stove at the time of the &c.
cident His failure was doubtless a
very fortunate thing. What few lights
were on the train went out instead of
igniting and causing conflagration,
to add to the difficulties of the oc-
cnrrence.
The river is very low al present
another fortunate thing. as was also
the fact that The cars did not rock
or change directions while failing, but
with one plunge left the rail and fell
down the bank. To this fact is due
the relatively small number of injured.
Four men riding in the parlor car
were unframed, escaping even with
out scratch One of the passengers,
p. d. King, had his hip crushed and
lost so much blood that he is still
very weak Mr.. King lives in Den
Yer aud represents Parker Bros of
that place.
The windows of the cars were brok-
en- and the injured man lifted out,
the other passengers crawling from
the cars without difficulty. Hall, the
colored porter had his left eye in.
iured and his head cut with broken
glass. Conductor Pollard was injured
in the back F. d Whitlock, the mail
clerk, was found unconscious, stand
ing on his head in car lamp. He
was not hurt, except that his eye was
cut with broken glass. and face bruis.
ed. r. j Travenor. the express mes
senger, was found between two trunks
with the small safe, used by the mes.
sengers. on his chest. Two of his
ribs were broken, his chest hurt and
other internal injuries.
About {: 10 telephone message was
sent from the power plant to Durango.
Meanwhile. Superintendent Burt John
son made the sufferers comfortable
at his house aiding in every posi-
BILE manner and using freely the re-
sources at his command This is only
one of the many times Superintendent
and Mrs. johnson have come to the
rescue. They certainly deserve great
credit for their efficient help on nu.
merous occasions-not only from the
railroad but from the general public.
In fifty minutes from the time word
was received at Durango a train was
on its way to the sufferers relief. Fore
man Patton and all concerned lost no
time in hustlng a crew, getting the
various persons required and gather.
ing together the necessary first aids
to the injured. Superintendent Deuel.,
DR.. II. C. Turrell, Attorney Reese Nc
Closkey and a crew went out ON the
train. The recent slides the past week