The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-07-22
ENGINEER BRICKLEY. FIREMAN
PRYOR, AND BRAK EMAN KIR.
BY WERE DROWNED

The most horrible accident of re
cent years on the Southwestern oc
Cured Monday evening about 7:3,
near Indiole, a station between Durar
and Vaughn, when an engine and /
freight cars plunged through trestl,
TO the bottom of canyon forty fee
below.
The canyon heads but two mile.
above the bridge and Is known as
dry arroyo, none of the trainmen evei
seeing more than two or three feet ot
water in il. II was built some twelv,
years ago and the chips which fell
while the workmen were at work, had
never been disturbed during the many
years, so ii could have been nothing
less than cloud-burst which had hap.
pened only few seconds before tn,
big freight speedily rounded the curve
on its way west and ran headlong in
TO the trestle which was only holding
together by the strong rails above as
the under-pinning was washed out by
the torrent of water which was pass
ing down the canyon to the flat val
ley few miles below.
The block system is being used on
that division and had the rail not been
intact the signal would have warned
the train crew that danger was within
that block and stopped in time to save
the crew from this untimely death
tran u,htch ,naL tho l,,.a. 90 a.. L.,
gineer Harve Brickley, Fireman Pryor
and Brakeman Kirby and that of two
other men one of which was an old
man while the other was only sixteen
or seventeen years Of age. probably
being father and son looking for
work and were Obliged To beat their
way. There were two hoboes put off
at Corona and the trainmen did not
know any more had boarded the train
until they were found eleven miles
down the stream while searching for
the body of the missing fireman.
The train was in charge Of Conduc-
tor Ramsey and the brakeman who
was with him in the caboose, Leon
Jones, and they were unharmed. As
soon as the accident happened it is
stated that Conductor Ramsey tried
to use his telephone and could not
make il work for some reason, so he
walked to the closest station on the
west side of the flood, and telegraphed
for help. Brakeman Jones stood at
his post of duty and continued to give
signals 10 warn all other trains that
might chance to be coming that way.
No. 4 was due shortly and Brakeman
Jones climbed on the closest car to
the bridge and signaled. About two
hours later the passenger came in
sight but the block system had per-
formed its mission and had told them
there was danger ahead and "a porter
was sent ahead on foot TO locate the
trouble. He saw the signal from Mr..
Jones and signaled his train to stop.
No. 4 then backed up to Duran by the
aid Of men ON IA handcar and flashed
the news of the accident all along the
line.
The wrecker and crew were sent
10 the scene and arrived there about
five next morning and search for the
bodies was begun at once, several
crews being engaged in the work.
The wreckage was examined first
and 1t was found that the engineer
and fireman had been liberated in the
water when the tender broke loose
from the cab.
Ramsey and Jones both saw man
climbing on top of the wreckage of
"a coke car as 1t floated down the tor
rent and as he reached the top it was
turned over when il struck "A whirl-
pool and that is the last time he was
seen.
After it was found that none of
the men were in the pile of wreckage
the searchers began to go down along
either bank and after the water had
receded about ten o'clock Tuesday
morning, the body Of Mr.. Brickley
was found. He had one shoe off and
his pants and underclothing were torn
from his limbs, which some thought
proved that he had lived for some
time and had tried to take off his
clothing that he might swim, but he
was badly bruised about the head and
body and could not have withstood
these serious wounds long, although
his body carried an immense amount
Of water another evidence that he
must have met death by drowning.
His body was picked up about ten
miles down the stream.
The body of Brakeman Kirby, who
was making his first trip, and whose
right name Is said TO have been Thorp,
was only short distance from that
Of Mr.. Brickley and while il was bad
ly bruised over the right eye and his
mouth and upper lip injured, no other
marks were noticeable and this man
is the one the trainmen think was
climbing up the coke car, but physi-
clans say that death must have been
almost instant because of the fact
that but little water was found in his
body and he is In pretty fair copd;