Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-07-11
FEDERAL EXPRESS, RUNNING go
MILES AN HOUR, PLUNeEs
DOWN EMBANKMENT
CARS FOLLOWED The engine
WHEN LOCOMOTIVE TOOK HEAD
DER 1T DRAGGED COACHES
WITH 1T
BALL PLAYERS WERE Heroes
I'M DISASTER NEAR BRIDGEPORT,
CONN.,, ST. LoIUS CARDINALS
SAVED MANY

OONNsg LOtO0 SAnOlNAE0
SAVED MANY
Bridgeport, Conn.,, July 1.-THE
Federal Express, one of the New
York, New Haven and Hartford rail-
roads fastest trains, carrying pass
engers without change from Wash
ington to Boston, plunged down a
twenty-foot embankment here early
today while running sixty miles an
hour.
OF the one hundred ana fifty pass
engers that went down with the first
six cars, scarcely one escaped death
or injury. Twelve bodies had been
taken out of the twisted wreckage
by noon, including those of the en-
gineer and firemen, which were so
mutilated that it is evident they
must have met instant death. This
probably completes the death list
Forty-four injured are in the hos
pitals, and nearly a score more re-
ceived injuries not severe enough to
prevent them from continuing their
journey.
The Dead
Engineer A. M. Curtis.
Fireman w. A. Ryan.
Mrs. Gwendolen r. Rogers. wife Of
an electrician sergeant of the coast
artillery, U S. A.
Elsie Rogers, aged weeks,
daughter of Mrs Frank Rogers.
c. w. Christie, Philadelphia.
George E. Saunders, Norwich,
Conn.
Helena B, Wolcott, residence un-
known
Two unidentified women.
One unidentified child.
A new "cross-over" installed on the
Burr road viaduct and embankment
on the western outskirts of the city
was indirectly responsible for the
accident.
The train was late and the engin-
eer was running fast to make up
time. When the heavy train OF nine
cars struck the switch at full speed
the locomotive leaped, rocked and
swayed over the ties for nearly 150
yards and finally plunged to the
street below. dragging six cars down
the bank. The coupling between the
sixth and seventh cars broke, leav-
ing three sleepers upright on the en-
bankment and two of them still on
the rails,
The wreck occurred just before
daylight when passengers occupied
the berths and the one day coach.
Just behind the locomotive, three
cars were piled. one above the other.
At the bottom of the heap was the
day coach and most of the dead
were taken from this CT, Many of
the dead were Sc mutilated that
Identification vas slow. Two bodies
were ffouad, One with the head sew
eresd ana the otEef impaled or
large splinter.
Many Of those pinned beneath the
debris owe their lives to The prompt
ness of the St. Louis National base
ball team. The ball players were
riding in the two last cars, which re
mained on the track. When the
crash came they piled out in theil
pajamas and several of them were
bleeding from cuts in their feet
caused by climbing over the wreck
age.
aI was in the next to the last car
said Roger Bresnahan, the team
manager. 81 was sleeping at tn
time the wreck occurred and l graf
bed hold of something. I got out al
right. Not one of our men was hur1
but our baggage is gone.'
The wreck was due to the enginee
taking a "cross-over"" at speed est
mated at 60 miles an hour, when th
time card limited the speed to II
teen miles an hour, was the stat
ment issued by officials OF the raj
road.