I was Conductor of No. 7, and while I have kept a record and still have a fairly good one, of all trains handled by me more a third of a century, I have spent considerable time in trying to locate records that would enable me to give a complete and accurate account of this, the most singular and spectacular wreck, and I failed to find this particular record covering aperiod of several months prior to and following the date in question. While I am reasonably sure that I have them, still, not being able to find them, I will attempt to give you from memory a brief account of the case and hope it will assist Mr. Meade in finsishing what he is engaged in.
No. 7 left Pueblo at 11:55 P.M., May 13th, 1888, with four cars, Baggage, Coach, Chair Car and Sleeper. Engine #562, Engineer Wm. Cowan, (who is now Engineer at Central High School, Pueblo); Brakeman Henry Heustis and Sam Andrews, (latter now Night Clerk, La Junta Reading Room).
Arrived in Fountain at 2:40 A.M., May 14th, and, less than one minute later was struck on head end by a detached portion of Train No. 31, which had been left standing on the main line about 400-ft. east of the C. & S. crossing at Colorado Springs. The detached portion consisted of Caboose No. 90, Tank Car containing 3000-gallons of Naptha, one box car containing Tiling, one box car of Merchants Iron (Shafting, Bars, Sheets, etc. for the Colorado Midland Shops at Colorado City0 and one box car containing 36,000 lbs. (18) (Tons) of Giant Powder, a total of five cars, which had been left with hand brakes set on caboose and oil car, and the Air Brakes set on the remaining three cars, while Conductor W. E. Chubbock and crew with Engine #565,, Engineer W.T. Leavitt, (now Annex Division) went to the Stock Chute to unload three cars of horsed, the property of a Mr. A.L. Dodge of Denver. The chute being a portable one on a stub track, it was necessary to run around and shove the cars in, unload two and then spot the third car before leaving and to do this work required about thirty minutes, during which the five cars left on main line started back, ran to Fountain and struck No. 7, standing at the depot. The force of the collision was terrific. The caboose reared on Engine, Knoking headlight and stack off, caused tank car and caboose, which had a platform, to telescope and caved in front end of tank. The momentum carried the oil along both sides of engine and under platform, which was wood. The oil ignited from engine and there was 3000-gallons of liquid fire to contend with. A few minutes latter, Mr. Cowan discovered the Giant Powder by "Placard" on side of the car and we had sufficient time to get all persons away from dange save those that refused. SOme 35-minutes after the collision the fire communicated to the cars and finally reached the powder which exploded with terrific force demolishing the Depot; some 16 cars (Boarding Outfit) on house track, the wrecked cars, several dwelling housed, blowing windows and doors out of nearly every house in the town and completely demolishing a small frame church standing some 4 or 5 hundred feet or so east of the depot. There was a hole blown in the ground 12 to 15-ft. deep and about 30 to 35-ft. in diameter.
There was but one of the passengers on No. 7 injured, a Dr. Wall of Colorado Springs, who was washing and was thrown into the mirror and his head cut but not seriously. There was one man who was riding in the caboose killed, and was identified by having a cork leg. I think there were three killed, however, A Mre. Smith (I think) was standing in her back door about a block away watching the fire and when the explosion occurred, she turned to go into the house and a bolt with a nut attached struck her in backof head, killing her instantly. A Mr. Davis was on depot roof throwing water over same to prevent it being fired by sparks, who was badly injured that he died soon afterward, and there was another man killed but do not now recall his name. Many homes and other buildings were badly scattered and fired. The passengers were not injured by the explosion as I had gotten them out of the cars and behind a pile of same aken from the well which had been recently dug.
Becoming satisfied taht all persons had been removed from several demolished buildings, the passengers were all taken over to the D.& R. G. Depot; the Narrow Gauge Train flagged; passengers put on and sent to Colorado Springs. There were several incidents both laughable and otherwise connected with this affair but I do not think they are of interest. The explosion was terrible; the cars of No. 7 had nearly all windows and doors blown out; the end doors of Coach and Chair Car frame and all were blown out; the front doors laid inside of cars and rear doors out across plaforms. There was some $4000. worth of plate glass store fronts and many other windows blown out at Colo. Springs, 13 miles distant; chimneys scattered and doors rattled at Pueblo, 31 miles distant, and it was heard in LaJunta very plainly some 90 miles away, and it was wonderful that more were not killed. The accepted theory as to starting of the cars, as it was divulged at Coroner's Inquest and other investigations, was that two men, who were riding in Caboose of No. 31 had Quarreled and one of them had killed the other and then let off the hand brake of the two cars and bled the air brake off the other three, thus allowing them to run away, in the hope of ditching or wrecking the cars and thereby covering up the crime. Conductor Chubbock was not held responsible by Coroner or Company for the wreck and ran a passenger train afterward until some time in 1893, when he went to Blackfoot, Idaho, where he is now a Passenger Conductor for the O.S.L..
A portion of page 102 and 103
This portion of the Meade's Manual transcribed in altered form by Russell L. Crump