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Show t I i I I . I : 1 : I 1 I 1 ' : ' j-i; V,' i ' 1 v 1 :j. L; ' i I 1 " II: clc Hurts cf Dead En-Ci:::er En-Ci:::er 'to Save 208 V ; ' Sleecln Persons From I l:zz Dashed to Death V in Renin j River Below. T'assengers who were on the westbound west-bound train No. 5 of the Denver & Rio . Grande that crashed into an immense boulder at a point about twenO miles east of Grand Junction at 1:05 yesterday yester-day morning teU thrilling stories of the .WTeck and detail many pathetic Incidents Inci-dents connected with the finding of the crushed and mangled body of George Etewart, the engineer, . whose heroic efforts to save the train from complete destruction prevented over two hundred 'fcluitibering passengers being hurled from their berths to the depths of the 'mad waters of the Grand river over twenty-five feet below. , The belated train reached Salt Lake at 2:29 o'clock this morning, over eight, een hours late, and while the passengers rwere all thankful that ' they escaped srtth their lives, their eyes filled-with tears as they thought of the terrible fate x the man who gave his life to save theirs. , - ; - Coma Ileart-Eending Scenes. B. D. Marks of Chicago, who' Is en route to San Francisco, was lying in his berth and was awake at the moment the engine struck the rock. To a Telegram reporter he detailed the heart-rending " scene of finding of the engineer and the confusion that prevailed in the coaches, where amid the screams of the women and, children the conductor of the train labored to pacify them. ' . VI seldom sleep after 12 o'clock and as it happened I had Just the moment 'efore looked at my watch. It .was ' 'within a minute-or two of 1:05 o'clock. The train was rushing along at a good rate of . speed. ; i ,: r , Train ralrlj-'EWiddertd. :' ' V. "Suddenly s. shudder passed through the train aa. though it might "have been a. living ieing andJbecome frightened. '. There "was a grinding of brakes all alor the train that told me something ws wrong." You know one thinks rap-fdly rap-fdly sometimes. On the Instant It seems now there wias a terrific crash somewhere some-where ahead and the train seemed 'to shoot, from beneath -me, slide a httle way and then come to a dead stop. Panic in Coaches. "Cries and shrieks ran through the " car as frightened and panic-stricken women vainly ran from window to door, trying to plunge from the train. Strong ' men stood guard at these openings and probably prevented dozens of frenzied women from precipitating themselves in the river below. . "I left my coach and made my way to the head ; of the . train. An awful sight was there. The great steel locomotive loco-motive had struck an Immense boulder that would probably weigh close on to fifty tons and had ploughed its way into in-to the wall ef the canyon. The earth and rock had caved over it and as the stream hissed from the rent boiler through the rocks and earth it sounded as a protest from the captive engine. Tender .and Cars Wrecked. " "The tender, was thrown - high ; up against the bank. Behind it was the b&ggagre coach with one end smashed and behind that again was tbe express car thrown over the bank with one end In the river, j Inquired After Fireman. , - -The search for the engineer and fireman fire-man was begun probably within two minutes after the engine struck. The all but lifeless body of the engineer was found stretched out beside his engine. Tender hands picked him up and carried car-ried him to a berth in one of the coaches. As they laid his bruised and bleeding body down he opened his eyes and made an "-effort to speak. He failed and tried again. What those nearest ' heard showed the character of the man. His first words were for the. man who had met the danger with htm. Is my fireman all rfght? I told hlra to Jump for his life.' . He was told that he was . all right, but In fact his body had been s (Continued on psge 1) ' Thrilling Story: ' (Continued from page 1.) found crushed almost beyond recognition recogni-tion beneath the tender. Engineer's Heroic Efforts. "There were three physicians on the train and they did all In their power to save the life of the engineer. As they worked over him he told how he had seen the rock, had applied the emergency brakes and thrown over the reverse lever. To these actions the passengers pas-sengers owe their lives. Last Thoughts of His Home. "The efforts of the physicians were unavailing and two hours later he died. His last words were of his home. 'If I Could only see my mother and my wife and child.' Strong men wept as they realized he never could see those be loved again. "Aside from the engineer and fireman, no one was even hurt. A tramp riding on the blind baggage was thrown into the river but managed to climb out uninjured. un-injured. Bock Fell Within Half-Hour. "Strange to say. Just 35 minutes before be-fore the wreck occurred a Midland train passed over the same track. It Is thought the jar occasioned by its passage pas-sage caused the rock to roll down on the track. A track was built around the wreck and traffic was resumed ten hours after the accident occurred." William I Wilson of Cumberland. Md.. and other passengers of the wrecked train are in the city and relate re-late similar experiences to those detailed de-tailed above. |