Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-02-08
Many Trainmen and Mexican
Passengers Are Suffocated
in Tunnel After 1t Had Been
Wrecked by Outlaw
EXTENT OF DISASTER
NOT YET DISCLOSED
After twenty-five of Robber
Band Had Been Captured
and Executed, Leader Takes
Cruel Vengeance

fsy soHn,na JOURNAL SPECIAL lsAsgp eleri
JuareG. Mexico, Feb. The nine
Americans ana forty or fifty MeXicans,
v hose fate has been a mystery since
the destruction Of the Cumbre tunnel
last Wednesday. were suffoCatcd This
information was received here this
evening at the headquarters of the
Mexico Northwestern railroad The
tragedy ls laid nj the door of the
Mexican Castillo, tho bandit leader
A special train carrying twenty
Americans led by w. } Farragut, OF
the Mexico Northwestern railroad, iifty
coffns and rescue outfit left here
tonight for the scene.
The oSact number Of persons aboard
the passenger train, which consisted
of one first class, TWO second class
coaches baggage and express car
ana freight car. is not known. First
reports pul the number ne thirty-tive,
While Che request for cotfins asked
for seventy five OF them. This evi-
denty uas an estimate, however as
the searching party he'd by Dr- r. g.
Herr, of MADEIRA, WIS unable 10 pene-
trate iar enough into the tunnel TO
count thc dead
These It IS expected. win BE found
strewn along che poisonous reaches
oi the tunnel where they fell in at-
tcmpts 90 escape Dr HcT reached
one body within 800 feet of tne north
entrance % tho tunnel. 10 WAS CHAT
of Juan Fernando rear brakeman vi
the uulu AS the passenger train did
not stop anHl within few hundred
feet of tHc frcighi train with which
Castillo had set fire 10 the tunnel
seven hours before Fernando must
have staggered and crawled nearly
three-auartcrs of mile before he
succumhed % the fumes Of iho moke
in his Ial 1t is believed The others
win be found unless there was d
stampede i'm the train To escape amt
some were crushed in the attempt 10
crowd through thc narrow aisles and
doors
Railroad men hore and in El Paso
are furious 10 Casullo's act On Tues
day Twenty-Five Of his men were cap
tured and executed by the rebels, and
the next day apparently in revenge.
he captured the freight train, ram it
into the south end OF the tunnel about
SEQ feet and there set fire 10 IL.
Tho passenger train entered the
death trap from the north unsuspect-
ingly. probably travelling at it's usual
rate Of about fifteen miles an hour
When the enginccr discovered the trap
it was too late. just what his actions
were will he known only after am eX-
animation Of the locomotive has been
made. The smoke Of his own engine,
it Is said. might easily bave deceived
him MS 90 conditions ahead
CasHllo's failure 20 send back warn
ing Of his act is regarded MS the most
cruel aud murderous act of his ca-
reer of outlawry, and there is a dis
position here 90 criticize General
Francisco villa for not having crushed
him long aeo
The missing Americans, an em-
ploycs Of the railroad. are NJ }. Gil-
martin, superintendent Of the Chihua
hua division. Bernard Schofleld. sup
erlntcndent Of terminals at Juarez.
Lee williams. assistant general mana
ger n the commlssary II II Mar.
lers. express agent. n. j. McCutch-
con, engineer. j. f. Webster. con-
ductor. Edward Norris, roadmaster.
Thomas Kelly conductor. and
james Burgess They were travelling
as passenpers
Gnmartin came here recently from
Buffalo.
Bernard Schofieid came here from
Brazil. Ind. and was taking his first
lrlp over the road Burgess was 20
have left the train at Cumbre station
but for some reason did not do So.
Two Mexican cowboys were respon-
sihie for a.repori thai all had escaped
and that the Americans were belns
held for ransom There was reloieins
81 this. but fhe jubilation was short
lived for soon after the bulletins from
Or Herr began 20 arrive
Departure nf the fescue train was
deiaved hs telemam from Secretary
of state Bryan 90 American Consul
Edwards. demanding that q train li
soldiers be- dispatched ahead 60 pre-
vent attacg by Castillo on lhe .Amcfi-
cams. THE consufs order waa afccle
To- ,tt once hg General rcnavides, nn
the task ef getting together another
tfain was begun II will carry $3.50