Semi-weekly herald., 1912-03-14
WRECK AT
LOS P|NOS


train with two days load of pas
sengers, mail, express and baggage,
reached Durango, the first through
train since Sunday.
The passengers all say that the ex-
ptrience was not at all disagreeable
except for the delay, and that the
railroad company certainly treated
them royalty, furnishing the finest
kind of meals.
Mondays westbound train reached
Sublette without any great difficulty
but had to finally give up the attempt
to proceed any farther, and waited
several hours until help arrived. The
train finally reached Osier and there
the passengers were taken care of
and furnished fine meals.
Yesterdays westbound train left
Alamosa in the morning and when it
came up with Mondays train at Osier,
the passengers, mail, express, ETC.,
were transferred. Two engines were
attached to the passenger which was
preceded by the snow plow and flanger
with four engines and caboose.
On account Of the severity Of the
storm, the snow plow was obliged to
keep pretty close in front Of the pas
senger. Soon after leaving Osier the
engineers running the snow plow train
forged ahead, leaving the other train
some distance. AS result the high
wind filed the track almost immedi-
ately behind the plow and the crew
Of the latter were compelled to go
back and dig out the passenger train
from the snow drift where she was
stuck fast. AS the snow is seven
feet deep on the level on Cumbres it
does not require much effort on the
part Of the wind to block the rails.
Matters progressed favorably until
the snow plow closely followed by
the passenger reached Los Pinos.
There is a snow shed between the Los
Pinos siding and the section house.
The snow plow train passed through
all right until just at the very end of
the shed when two of the four engines
and the caboose were derailed, while
passing over the track which curves
out from the shed.
A man rushed back to warn the
passenger but the shed WAS filed with
smoke and the locomotives passed with
out his being seen. The head engine
struck the caboose splitting it into kin
ding wood, throwing Mexican from
the cupola some thirty feet in the
air, the other occupants of the caboose
having scattered into the deep snow
beside the track by this time. Be-
sides Assistant Superintendent E. w.
Deuel., Conductor William Dowell and
two brakemen, there were a number
Of Mexicans who were employed on
the snow shovel force, the rotary be-
ing in Alamosa.
When the passenger struck the ca
boose the head engine crawled part
way up on the tender Of one of the
locomotives attached tc the snow plow
The passengers were all somewhat
shaken up by the collision but no one
was hurt. The Mexican who was hurl-
ed out Of the broken cupola was bruis-
ed little but not at all seriously.
Had It not been for the wreck the
passenger would have reached Duran
go last night. AZ it was the trip over
the range yesterday took over twelve
hours. Mondays eastbound train wa,
held in Chama until o'clock last
might, the passengers leaving Durango
on both Monday and Tuesday morn
ings, departing for Alamosa at the
same time.
This morning the ticket agent at thu
depot would not sell chair car ticket'
beyond Chama, but 4 through tralI
from Denver Is reported 70 arrive to
night thirty minutes late. All othsl
trains except on the Silvsrton brancl
lays - HmA