RAILWAY COLLISION.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 821, 20 February 1903, Page 2

RAILWAY COLLISION.

AN OPERATOR'S FEARFUL MISTAKE. (By Telegraph.) (Per R.M.S. Ventura, at Auckland.) Tucson, Jan. 28. Negligence of tho night operator in handling dolayed trains cost thirty lives on the Southern Pacific last night, twelve miles east of Tucson. The Sunßet Limited, west bound, running at the rate of sixtyfive miles an hour, crashed into an east bound passenger train, known as No. 8, at 2.53 a.m. Both engineers, one fireman, an expross mossongor, and sixteen passengers as far as known wero killed outright. A conservative estimate of the dead, including several tramps, is placed at thirty. At six o’clock to-night twenty bodies had been brought into Tucson, and tho charred remains of more victims were still being found in tho wreckage. Both engines were totally destroyed, and ten coaches wero smashed into kindling wood, and the wreckage was burned in the fire which was caused from the oil burners on one engine. Thirty of the injured were brought to Tucson on a relief train, which reached here at seven o’clock this morning. Tho remaining injured, numbering 10, wero token back to Vails, four miles, where they were given medical attendance. The Sunset Ltd. was 12 hours late last night, having boon delayed by a freight wreck in Toxas. It had been annulled, and was being run as the first section of No. Seven. At Vails,.Conductor Parkor, of the Flyer, received orders from the night operator, James Clough, to pass the looal freight, but the night operator failed to give him his orders to meet the passenger train at Esmond, three miles west of Vails. There is a heavy grade out of Vails towards Tucson, and tho Limited left the former placo, running at the rate of 65 miles an hour, in the offort to make up some of the lost time. Shortly after the Flyer left Vails the night operator discovered his mistake, and rushed frantically out of the station house, only to find that No. Seven was already a mile away. Although the distance mußt have been six miles, he could plainly see the headlight of No. Eight engine coming over the hill. In his horror of what might result, ho oallod the station agent, but before they oould get to the wires they heard the trains crash into each other, and saw the light of the fire which at once began to consume the wreckage. They wired to tho division office at Tucson and to the second station of No. Seven, which had reached Pantano, the first station east of Vails.

At Tucson hospital, a wrecking train was made up in a remarkably short space of time, and loft for the scene of the wreck at four o’clock. A fast run was made, and when the relief train reached the scene of the wreck the sight which met their guze was horrifying. The entire wreck was ablaze, and tho cries of the unfortunate victims pinned in the burning cars could still be heard. The injured were scattered alongsido of the wreck, and the passengers who escaped in their night-robes wore assisting the less fortunate to a place where they would be safe from the hot fire of the wreck. Train-men were running here and there, helping the injured and dying. Three Pullman cars on No Eight had been backed away from the fire immediately after tho wreck, and wore saved, while a diner and two Pullmans on tho Limited were saved in like manner.