El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-03-16
GIVES HIS LIFE
To SAVE OTHERS
Engineer G.. P. Walker, of
G.. H., Perishes in Wreck
at Burning Bridge.


( save the crew and passengers entrustet
I to his care, engineer George 2. Walker
OF IL Paso. 1878 East Boulevard. at th'
throttle Of locomotive 92I. pulling No
.. westbound G. H & S. A. passenger
train. was almost instantly killed
Thursday evening 1t $50 o'clock. wheI
his engine plunged through a burning
bridge near Iser. 40 miles east Of this
city.
Fireman L. J. wager. of FL Paso. To.
Myrtle avenue, who was in the cat
with the engineer, was seriously but
not fatally injured. His injuries con
Sist of a broken leg. burned hands and
face. lie is being treated al Hotel bleu
10y DR.. K l. Ramey. who said he VIII
likely recover
Mrs. Bertha Terry. of Belen, Texas
and Mrs f T Allen. of Marathon, Tex
we're reported to the superintendent
Office OF the e. H as having received
slight bruises. y few other passen-
gers We're reported shaken by the sud-
den stop OF the train
Enginemen stick TO Post.
Leaning out OF his cab window en-
sIneer Walker, who was driving at
ABOUT 80 miles an hour. suddenly dis
covered the bridge was on fire and ne
applied the emergency brakes The
train wheels starred sliding and the
realized. passen myers say. that they
could have saved their own lives by
jumping But they remained at their
posts as the engine rolled on the bridge
and then plunged downward
Other Employees Slightly Hurt
Engineer Walker was killed when an
air valve handle was driven through
MS chest. pinning MIN down while biaz-
ing oil from the fuel tank burned his
legs Fireman wager was thrown from
the cab by the impact Of the fall. Roy
\. Bean. mai clerk, and Harry Daniels
express messenger. sustained slight m
homes in Fl Paso.
Mr. Bean resides al 7O4 North Santa
c street and is recovering. He was
thrown by the overturnIng OF the mail
car and sustained bruises about the
face and has his right shoulder dis
located Conductor q. NJ Seamands.
zig East Overland, was slightly hurt
by beng thrown against the side Of d.
car. Bean narrowly escaped from the
inside Of the mail car, when It caught
fire.
The mail car was consumed by fire
with all mail. the baggage car PARTIAL
" burned with part of the baggage
and express, and the engine wrecked.
Relief Train sent.
When news OF the accident was re-
ceiYed IN Fl PssO relief train was
at once organized and rushed 10 the
scene br X. L Ramey, q. H. & 5. \
army medical men We're on board the
TRAIN Il WAS firSe reported that scores
mad been seriously injured
Pays Tribute TO Engineer.
wilson H. Durant, Of San Francisco,
a passenger on train No. 9. paid i
tribute 10 engineer Walker. He said:
Had II not been for this hero who
stuck 10 his post knowing he was sac
iliiclhS MS life and could have saved
II py Jumping. many OF US would have
Deen killed The entire train would
then no doubt have piled up in the
gully which the bridge spans ana fire
would have cTemated the imprisoned
passengers Tears dimmed our eyes
as we sa ~ the lifeless form of the en-
Slneer after the accident and I think
there was not a passenger on the train
that did not utter a little prayer for the
nero who saved us"
Col. HOIDroOK Tells of Wreck.
Col W Hard A. HOibrook. of the 18th
United states cavalry. stationed at Fort
Bliss, was also a passenger on the
train In speaking Of the wreck ne
said Engineer Walker was the sort
Of hero one reads Of After the ac-
cidenJ We found him sitting at his posi-
with his hand on the throttle. His fea-
lures were noble as the steam rolled
up around him. Though tragic there
was something heroic in the picture Of
the gray haired man sitting at his
post with his hand on the throttle.
sacrificing his life for his friends"
on board the train with Col Holbrook
Funeral Saturday Afternoon.
Inc body Of engineer Walker was
taken 10 the undertaking house OF Nc
Bean Simmons and Hartford. The
funeral viii take place at the UNDER
takers chapel Thursday morning at
$50 o'clock Interment will be in Con-
cordia cemetery.
Engineer q. 2 Walker is survived
by his widow and two sons. Orban and
Scott Walker, who reside at the family
home. 1913 East Boulevard, and one
son, Orrin Walker. who is en- route here
from Mogollon, y. NJ The engineer
years
Board of Inquiry Sent.
Friday morning a board of inquiry
OF the southern Pacific lines left FL
PasO on train No. 10 for the scene
OF the wreck to conduct an investiga-
sometime Friday afternoon. 1t is
headed by president ". E. Scott and
superintendent L. :. Bourne.
Officials of the road suspect the fire
was Of incendiary origin.
Traffic Is Delayed
The superintendent office Of the g.
IL said at noon that traffic would be
delayed at the burned bridge until
about o'clock this afternoon Since
the wreck all passenger trains have
neen transferring at the wreck.
President Scott Returning.
". Il. Scott president o. the e. Il.
and ). ~ railroad company. who has
0een here for two days. telegraphed the
local offices Of the company Friday
afternoon that the track would be
passahle at Iser. Texas. at o'clock
Friday afternoon. Mr.. Scott will re-
turn to FL Paso tonight