Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-08-10
NARROW ESCAPE
DUE To WASHOUT
TRAVELLERS RELATE EXPERT
ENCES ON ARIZONA DESERT
WHEN ENGINE AND CAR
GO INTO STREAM

Mr.. and Mrs. H. e. Cole have re-
turned from the west, and relate some
unusual features in connection with
the wreck near the Grand Canyon in
Arizona. The branch line from Will
liams on the main line to the Grand
Canyon is about sixty-f1ve miles long
and the wreck occurred about midway
between the two stations. The en-
tire country is a desert, with but few
inhabitants except the Mexicans who
do the section work on the road.
The wreck was caused by a cloud
burst in the mountains some distance
from the scene of the accident. The
rain filled a dry creek so deep with
water that four bridges and about two
miles of track were badly damaged.
The engine and combination car went
into the stream, the train running slow
at the time The fireman was pinned
beneath the engine and died in about
an hour, before they could get him
out. A doctor eased his suffering be-
fore he died, and the body was re-
moved the next day. The remainder
Of those on the train escaped with
none or minor injuries.
AS soon as the wreck occurred the
passengers built two big fires with
pine railroad ties to furnish q light
for those trying to rescue the fireman.
Sheets were held up to aid in reflect
ing the light.
1t was found the wires were down,
and a member of the train crew was
sent back to notify the station at
Grand Canyon. With two broken ribs
he walked four miles to a ranch
where he obtained team, and after
driving several miles more obtained a
rail motor car, which carried him to
the Canyon. A relief train arrived
about z O'clock and carried the pas
sengers back to the hotels, where
they were allowed entertainment at
the rate Of $3.50 per day by the Santa
Fe road.
After going some miles in the other
direction it was found that Williams
could be reached by the telephone car
ried on the train and the officials were
notified. A long train of Mexicans
with their families came to repair the
track and bridges. 1t will require a
week or more to do the work.
A strange thing in connection with
the storm was the amount of hail that
fell. The stream brought down large
amount of this and the ice was piled
five and six feet deep along the side
of the creek. A great mass also lay
across the railroad track at one point.
After the. fireman was removed in the
morning he was buried in bank of
hail until his body could be taken to
Williams, the home Of the nearest un-
dertaker. The distance was over thir
ty miles, and it was necessary to carry
his body about two miles to the train.
After waiting about two days the
company notified the hundred or more
passengers that they would be taken
to Williams if they would walk around
the wreck. This everyone was glad
to do. The baggage was carried
across the two miles of desert in an
auto truck sent thirty miles from the
hotel, and by two ranch wagons. The
passengers visited the prairie dog viii
lagos, owls, horned toads and rattle
snake haunts On the way. A few aged
and injured, who were not able to
walk, rode on the vehicles. The wealth
er was not hot and none seemed the
worse for the long walk over the des.
ert.
The officials of the Santa Fe did all
they could for the passengers, the sta
ton agent at Grand Canyon being es-
pecially thoughtful. 1t was a narrow
escape from more serious wreck,
and all were glad to sojourn to a
more desirable country.
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