Train Wreck: Cameron, CO 1904

It was a warm summer night, the sun was beginning to get swallowed by the mountains to the west when the daily Shortline train coming up to Cripple Creek from Colorado Springs came to a stop at Cameron at about 8 o'clock on July 5, 1904. The Shortline Railroad crew began their daily routine of  moving the Cripple Creek passengers to the back observatory cars and the Victor passengers to the middle of the train. The crew then attaches a separate engine to each group of cars turning the one train coming from Colorado Springs into two trains heading to each of the gold boom towns. During this splitting routine a tragedy took place that put the relatively new and small town of Cameron, Colorado on the map nationally. This horrible event being the first catastrophe the Shortline Railroad had experienced made top headline news all over the country.

         Right when they split the train one of the passenger cars started jetting down the steep grade back to Colorado Springs. The brakeman on the car, A.B. Ross immediately ran to the air brake and realized that it had no effect. Instantly Mr. Ross hollers to all of the passengers on the car ”JUMP!!!!!” About 50 passengers leaped off the rail car that was gaining momentum down the steep 3,000 foot decline very quickly. Among the passengers left in the car, T.P. Airheart was a popular member of the Masonic Lodge and a well known Cripple Creek real estate tycoon. He jumped up and yelled “Let's stop this car boys!” He was able to recruit J. Kearns an injured Spanish War vet heading to Cripple Creek to look for work in the mines and fellow mason Fred Miller. The three heroes ran to the brakes of the car and with a joint effort attempted to engage the car's braking system. The runaway car kept gaining speed seemed determined to get back to Colorado Springs and in a hurry! Realizing that their efforts were failing, the three heroic gentlemen then called to all of the remaining passengers to take off their coats and throw them onto the train tracks ahead of the passenger car. The plan to derail the car was successful however the car jumped off the tracks and slammed directly into a solid rock embankment. T.P. Airheart and J. Kearns were stuck at the brake controls being the first ones to take the impact. These two were crushed and died instantly. Fred Miller was directly behind those two and was badly injured but survived.

         On the other end of the train a top Cripple Creek doctor Dr. Torrance was returning from Colorado Springs with his wife from enjoying the city's Fourth of July celebrations. When the car crashed into the embankment, he was thrown into glass and his right arm was amputated. When the instant the crash occurred citizens of Cameron rushed quickly to help the passengers who were all stuck within the wreckage. Their efforts were not quite quick enough for Dr. Torrance as his injuries caused him to bleed to death. When word got back to the main two cities two rescue trains filled with supplies and medical staff quickly charged toward the scene of the accident.

         The tragedy ended and only the three mentioned resulted as casualties but 40 some more mostly Cripple Creek citizens were seriously injured. One heart warming story of a hero hit the press immediately. One passenger Mrs. Hanes, was able to jump off the train uninjured but was unable to bring her baby with her. A less known Cripple Creek citizen W. O. Dresser risked his own safety and stayed on the train until the very last moment to ensure that Mrs. Hanes' baby was tucked safely in his arms when he jumped off. W. O. Dresser received serious injuries to his neck, head and back but was able to keep the baby unscratched!

         Following the incident a gloomy haze encompassed the entire district. It was then discovered that the District's stranger who sacrificed his life J. Kearns was a respected veteran of the Spanish War. The militia decided to make an appearance and J. Kearns received a glorious funeral with an extensive militia escort and a parade through the main strip of town. He was then buried at Mt. Pisgah cemetary as an honorable veteran of war. The Shortline Railroad received some scrutiny but it was their first and only fatal tragedy.