Wreck Esmond Train Wreck



the southern pacific esmond wreck on january 28, 1903.


the oil-fueled fire burned intensely of metal glowed red hot.there no record of number or names of passengers, making difficult identify victims. rescuers relied upon teeth, jewelry, , knife initials engraved on it. arizona daily star reported on january 30:



out on desert, sixteen miles city, charred , smoking mass of debris marks spot of fearful wreck of wednesday morning. wreck of esmond never forgotten. on tablets of memory, anguish, suffering , death written ineffacably horrors of worst railroad disaster has ever occurred in territory of arizona.



according 1 account, westbound pacific coast express running 2 hours late , stopped @ vail station orders. there 2 orders waiting him: first instructed train meet freight @ wilmont (west of esmond), , second said meet eastbound crescent city express @ esmond. however, conductor of pacific coast express did not receive second order. resulted in 2 trains crashing head on.


dead , injured

newspaper reports attributed crash night operator e.f. clough, admitted had not delivered second order conductor parker instructed him allow train no. 8 pass him @ esmond siding. clough never explained why didn t deliver second order. fourteen killed , 18 injured. fierce fire visible several miles bodies of engineer of no. 7 john bruce , fireman george mcgrath of no. 7 burned beyond recognition. bruce identified watch found under body , jack diamond ring @ side. engineer of no. 8, wilkey, reduced small pile of bones , flesh. george mcgrath, fireman on no. 7, killed, of passengers on westbound train survived. arizona daily star reported, bodies of 2 women found under wreckage of middle car. 1 had hands clasped if in great pain or in act of supplication. other body lying aside of near 2 women charred remains of man. pocket knife found on him. outside bore name of p. willard.


cause

both trains running late. westbound pacific coast express going san francisco. eastbound crescent city express headed new orleans. pacific coast express stopped @ vail station pick orders, conductor failed learn of change directed them pull esmond siding. impact of collision great last car of westbound train decoupled , rolled downhill 15 miles (24 km) tucson. wreck blamed on train operator named clough @ vail, claimed train conductor failed pick second order. clough disappeared day after accident, casting suspicion on him. train superintendent c. c. scroufe reported clough responsible wreck.








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