shocking railway collision.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 14

shocking railway collision.

A -Icspaich from Pueblo, Colorado, on March i 6 says: — Two tra-ins on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway had a head-on collision four miles cast of Florence this motning, with horrible results. The trains n.efc on a sharp curve, and were less than 200 yards apart when the engineers discovered that a. collision was imminent. Tho engineer of the- west-bound train pafc forth every effort to bring the train to a standstill, and he wont to death with Ins band on tho throttle. JThis is shown by the fireman, who jumped and lived. The engine crew on the east-bound train all died .it their posts. The disaster was trade more horrible by the manner off death of many passengers, variously -pstimated nt 20 to 35. Fire swept over th& wreck, engulfing the victims in a cauldron of flames, and leaving only charred and! blackened bones to teil the story of the dieaster. The aocident occurred in a blinding ftorm, at 2.20 a.m. The schedule of trains was changed owing to thft nuow and wind, which made it necessary to exercise unusual care. Tho telegraph operator who should have given the changed order to tho train cr&w admits that he was asleep at his post. The incidents of the disaster were infinitely pathetic. One passenger had his leg 6 broken, arid could rotgo to the assistance of his wife and baby, though he could hear them calling him from ■a, ear just buvsting into flames. The remains of Ih-e lictims were beyond identification, being practically destroyod.