1891 — July 12, Train engine and train collide, scalding, near Aspen Junction, CO — 10
— 10 Lebanon Daily News, PA. “Still Another Victim at Aspen.” 7-16-1891, p. 1.
— 9 Appletons’ Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events of…1891. 1892, 254.[1]
— 9 Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “Latest News from Aspen. One More Victim Dies…” 7-14-1891, 1
— 7 Boston Daily Globe, MA. “Victims Scalded by Steam…Near Aspen, Col.” 7-13-1891, p.1.
— 7 Engineering News and American Railway Journal. Vol 26, No. 29, July 18-1891, p. 45.
–6-7 Goshen Democrat, IN. “A Deadly Error…An Engineer’s Fatal Mistake.” 7-15-1891, p. 1.
Narrative Information
Engineering News: “The most serious railway accident of the week was a collision on the Colorado Midland R.R. at Aspen, Col., July 12. A special train of baggage car and one passenger car containing about 30 passengers was returning to Aspen from Glenwood Springs. The train was backing from the water tank on the switch to the Aspen track, where a road engine was run out of the roundhouse, and the rear end of the passenger train struck the engine, knocking off the check valve on the side of the boil4r. This exhausted the hot steam into the broken end of the passenger car, scalding 13 passengers. Seven persons were killed.”[2] (Engineering News and American Railway Journal. Vol 26, No. 29, July 18-1891, p. 45.)
July 13: “Aspen, Colo., July 13. – A horrible catastrophe occurred at Aspen junction,[3] on the Colorado Midland railway at 1 o’clock yesterday morning, that has filled many once happy homes in this beautiful valley with desolation and death. A collision occurred between a Midland locomotive and the hind coach of the Saturday night excursion train running between Aspen and Glenwood Springs.[4] The coach load of people returning from the Springs, where a few pleasant hours had been spent, were suddenly plunged into all the horrors of a frightful railroad accident, which resulted in killing two people outright, inflicting fatal injuries upon five more, and severely scalding and burning many others.
“Engineer Switzer, of the excursion train, had run his train up to the water tank at the junction for water. When backing down to get on the main track line, a light engine shot out from the coal chutes, which are located in such a way as to conceal the engine tracks from view of tracks leading to the water tank. The engineer on the light engine, thinking he could get out before the excursion train, took the main track and made the attempt, but struck the rear coach of the excursion train at the switch. The force of the collision tore the check valve from the engine and poured scalding steam and water into the wrecked coach load of people.
“Then ensued a scene of terror impossible to describe. The passengers were at the mercy of the roaring, screeching monster at their side. Through the broken valve torrents of scalding steam and water poured out upon the helpless victims. Of the twenty-five passengers in the car three colored men who were in the forward compartment were the only not ones injured.
“Conductor Miller with the train crew and the uninjured passengers immediately began the work of rescue. A 2 year old child of Mr. Frank Ellis, of Aspen, was taken out dead; Miss Annie Phelan, of Cardiff, died ten minutes after rescue. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Leonard, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ellis, Thomas O’Donnell, Miss Mary O’Donnel, James Leach, all of Aspen; Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Rogers, of Pratt, Kan , and Mrs. J. G. Baldwin, and Mrs. L. Willoughby, of Glenwood, were fearfully scalded and burned.
“The injured and dead were placed in the baggage car and brought to this city, where all the physicians in the city were in attendance, and every possible aid was given to the injured. The victims’ cries of agony were heartrending, and their scalded faces and arms and bodies a sight to bring tears of pity. In spite of all efforts to save their lives, Mrs. Frank Ellis, Mrs. Baldwin and Mrs. Willoughby died within two hours from the time of the wreck, Mrs. Rogers died at 5 o’clock yesterday morning and her husband at 10 o’clock. Mrs. Baldwin and Mrs. Willoughby were the most frightfully burned. The latter begged piteously to be kept alive until her husband could reach her. Of those still living, Miss Mary O’Donnell will die.
“Ten others whose names can not be learned were injured. It is thought that Mary O’Donnell’s injuries will prove fatal, while a majority of the others are in a serious condition. Mr. J. G. Baldwin, husband of the dead woman, is now in Chicago lying at the point of death. Mrs. Baldwin and Mrs. Ellis were sisters. Mr. Rogers was engaged on the Varney tunnel at Woody, Colo.
Arrested for Robbing the Wounded.
“While the injured people were at Aspen Junction the person of Mrs. A. B. Rogers was robbed of a gold watch and chain and also $120 in money. There were also other robberies reported but not authenticated. With a warrant sworn out by R. A. Ropham before Judge Prentiss, Marshal Andy Sutton went to Aspen Junction and arrested J . G. Kuhn, a cook at the railroad eating house, charging him with the robbery. Marshal Sutton now has his prisoner in the county jail. He disclaims all knowledge of the money, but says that he was requested by Mrs. Rogers to take her pocket book from her dress and hand it to some one standing near whom she recognized, but could not reach. Kuhn claims that he did this. He turned the watch and some other trinkets over to the proprietor of the hotel, and disclaims all intention of robbery.
The Dead May Number Twenty-Two.
“Later. – Thomas and Mary O’Donnell are now considered at point of death. Miss O’Donnell has not a particle of skin on her above her hips. Mr. O’Donnell’s principal injuries are from inhaling scalding steam. It is also now reported that none of the injured can survive, the loss of cuticle and the shock to their nervous systems being too great. As but three of those in the car escaped injury these would bring the death roll up to twenty-two.” (Goshen Democrat, IN. “A Deadly Error. Dreadful Disaster to Another Excursion Train. An Engineer’s Fatal Mistake.” 7-15-1891, p. 1.)
July 13: “Aspen, Colo., July 13. – Mary Ann, O’Donell was the ninth victim from the Aspen Junction railroad collision. She died at 9 o’clock this evening, and it is thought her brother will not survive till morning. Mrs. Leonard will probably die, which will leave only Mr. Leich and Mr. Leonard.
“The Coroner’s inquest was held with closed doors, but Pat Rush was the only witness, other than seven railroad men, who testified that he was standing on the rear platform when the collision occurred. A reporter has just closed an interview with him, in which he repeated his evidence which is to the effect that the light engine was going ahead and had not started to back and that the train backed down at a lively rate against the engine and he jumped off just as the car hit the engine. He saw a man with a lantern running about ten feet in advance of the engine but saw him give no signal. The jury was taken to the scene of the disaster, tonight and a verdict will be rendered to-morrow.” (Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “Latest News from Aspen. One More Victim Dies…” 7-14-1891, 1.)
July 15: “Aspen, Colo., July 15. – The grand jury investigating the cause of Saturday’s railroad accident, late last night rendered a verdict that the collision Saturday night was due to the criminal carelessness of Conductor O. F. Richard and Brakemen Maloney, of the light engine. The jury further declared its belief that the local tracks at Aspen Junction are such as to render the handling of trains at that point dangerous to public travel.” (Galveston Daily News, TX. “Guilty of Criminal Negligence.” 7-17-1891, p. 5.)
July 16: “Aspen, Colo., July 16. – Thomas O’Donnell, the tenth victim of Aspen junction wreck died yesterday. It is now reported that Conductor Rickards and Brakeman Mahony, upon whose shoulders the blame for the accident rests, have escaped from the country.” (Lebanon Daily News, PA. “Still Another Victim at Aspen.” 7-16-1891, p. 1.)
Sources:
Appletons’ Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1891 (Vol. 16, new series). “Disasters in 1891.” NY: D. Appleton and Co., 1892. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=FUcoAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Boston Daily Globe, MA. “Victims Scalded by Steam. Horrible Accident to an Excursion Train Near Aspen, Col…” 7-13-1891, p.1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=163234372&sterm
Chariton Herald, IA. “Literally Boiled.” 7-16-1891, 4. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=176732333&sterm=train+aspen+junction
Engineering News and American Railway Journal. Vol 26, No. 29, July 18-1891, p. 45. Accessed 12-30-2019 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=mCtKAQAAMAAJ&ppis=_e&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Galveston Daily News, TX. “Guilty of Criminal Negligence.” 7-17-1891, p. 5. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=47510443&sterm=train+aspen+junction
Goshen Democrat, IN. “A Deadly Error. Dreadful Disaster to Another Excursion Train. An Engineer’s Fatal Mistake.” 7-15-1891, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=196627364&sterm=train+aspen+junction
Lebanon Daily News, PA. “Still Another Victim at Aspen.” 7-16-1891, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=126719894&sterm=train+aspen+junction
Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “Latest News from Aspen. One More Victim Dies and Others Not Expected to Recover.” 7-14-1891, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=91228834&sterm=train+aspen+junction
[1] Incorrectly has the date as July 6, 1891.
[2] Three additional scalding victims died from their injuries.
[3] Aspen Junction was noted as 18 miles west of Aspen. (Chariton Herald, IA. “Literally Boiled.” 7-16-1891, 4.)
[4] Glenwood Springs is about 41 miles to the northwest of Aspen.