Glenrock train wreck
Encyclopedia
The Glenrock train wreck is the worst train wreck in Wyoming
history, killing 30. It happened on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
between Glenrock
and Casper
on September 23, 1923. (The nearest current community is Meadow Acres
, lying west of the site, across the North Platte River
). It occurred when the crack Casper to Denver
train, only 15 miles into its journey, plunged into Cole Creek after the bridge spanning it had washed away after three days of storms.
The train concerned was operated jointly by the Burlington and the Colorado and Southern Railroad and comprised seven cars hauled by Colorado and Southern engine No.350. It had left Casper at 8.35 p.m., due in Denver at 10 a.m. the following day. According to the official ICC
report it was travelling at a speed to between 30 and 40 mph when it reached bridge 98 crossing Cole Creek; the bridge being on a curve was not visible to the headlights of the train until it was too late. The only surviving member of the train or engine crew stated that the emergency brakes were only applied just before the train plunged off the rails.
After the accident very little of the bridge structure remained. The engine ended up 'practically submerged in sand' the structure of the first car was completely destroyed; the next three cars ended up in the creek; the 2nd and 4th on top of the 3rd which was 'demolished'; the 5th car remained on the west bank with one end submerged; although it finally fell into the torrent.
A rescue train from Casper arrived at the scene at 11 p.m. and found over 20 people stranded on top of a sleeping car 'begging to be rescued'. The Dallas Morning News reported "A cable rope obtained from the Big Muddy
oil field was thrown over to the marooned sleepers. With the headlight of the relief train playing on the scene, the slow process of rescue in this manner proceeded. Men, women and children went hand-over-hand from the sleeper to the east bank, a distance of more than 150 feet. Several times women lost one hand-hold of the rope, only to regain their balance and save themselves from dropping into the sweeping waters. After their perilous trip across the water, several women fell into a dead faint and had to be carried to waiting cars. A man carried a baby in his arms from the marooned car to the bank and almost miraculously effected a rescue".
Due to heavy rains in the area the line had been inspected by the Section Foreman . At 8 p.m. the creek was only about 18 inches deep and he said there was no drift or debris lodged against the bridge and he was satisfied that "no dangerous condition existed". The bridge itself was constructed in 1914, it was 111 feet in length, 20 feet above the creek bed, and made up of nine wooden trestle spans; all in good condition. The Roadmaster reported that in the previous nine years the depth had never exceeded 3 feet; yet when he arrived at the scene shortly after the accident it was running at a depth of 10 – 12 feet. It was several days before the current subsided enough to recover the bodies all of the victims from the submerged coaches. In all 30 of the 66 people aboard the train were killed in the accident.
The period of September 27–29 storms caused flooding over much of central Wyoming and wrecked other railroad bridges, though none with such catastrophic results. Newspaper reporters from Denver who attempted to reach the site by road were still stranded 100 miles away on September 29.
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
history, killing 30. It happened on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
between Glenrock
Glenrock, Wyoming
Glenrock is a town in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 2,231 at the 2000 census.Glenrock, known as Deer Creek Station, had its beginning as a mail and stage station along the Oregon Trail. The station served as a relay and eating place and was a vital supply point for...
and Casper
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
on September 23, 1923. (The nearest current community is Meadow Acres
Meadow Acres, Wyoming
Meadow Acres is a census-designated place in Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. It is part of the Casper, Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, lying west of the site, across the North Platte River
North Platte River
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long counting its many curves, It travels about distance. Its course lies in the U.S...
). It occurred when the crack Casper to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
train, only 15 miles into its journey, plunged into Cole Creek after the bridge spanning it had washed away after three days of storms.
The train concerned was operated jointly by the Burlington and the Colorado and Southern Railroad and comprised seven cars hauled by Colorado and Southern engine No.350. It had left Casper at 8.35 p.m., due in Denver at 10 a.m. the following day. According to the official ICC
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
report it was travelling at a speed to between 30 and 40 mph when it reached bridge 98 crossing Cole Creek; the bridge being on a curve was not visible to the headlights of the train until it was too late. The only surviving member of the train or engine crew stated that the emergency brakes were only applied just before the train plunged off the rails.
After the accident very little of the bridge structure remained. The engine ended up 'practically submerged in sand' the structure of the first car was completely destroyed; the next three cars ended up in the creek; the 2nd and 4th on top of the 3rd which was 'demolished'; the 5th car remained on the west bank with one end submerged; although it finally fell into the torrent.
A rescue train from Casper arrived at the scene at 11 p.m. and found over 20 people stranded on top of a sleeping car 'begging to be rescued'. The Dallas Morning News reported "A cable rope obtained from the Big Muddy
Big Muddy
-Geographical Areas:*The Big Muddy Badlands situated along Big Muddy Creek in southern Saskatchewan and northern Montana.-Music:*Waist Deep in the Big Muddy, an anti-war song written by Pete Seeger during the Vietnam War...
oil field was thrown over to the marooned sleepers. With the headlight of the relief train playing on the scene, the slow process of rescue in this manner proceeded. Men, women and children went hand-over-hand from the sleeper to the east bank, a distance of more than 150 feet. Several times women lost one hand-hold of the rope, only to regain their balance and save themselves from dropping into the sweeping waters. After their perilous trip across the water, several women fell into a dead faint and had to be carried to waiting cars. A man carried a baby in his arms from the marooned car to the bank and almost miraculously effected a rescue".
Due to heavy rains in the area the line had been inspected by the Section Foreman . At 8 p.m. the creek was only about 18 inches deep and he said there was no drift or debris lodged against the bridge and he was satisfied that "no dangerous condition existed". The bridge itself was constructed in 1914, it was 111 feet in length, 20 feet above the creek bed, and made up of nine wooden trestle spans; all in good condition. The Roadmaster reported that in the previous nine years the depth had never exceeded 3 feet; yet when he arrived at the scene shortly after the accident it was running at a depth of 10 – 12 feet. It was several days before the current subsided enough to recover the bodies all of the victims from the submerged coaches. In all 30 of the 66 people aboard the train were killed in the accident.
The period of September 27–29 storms caused flooding over much of central Wyoming and wrecked other railroad bridges, though none with such catastrophic results. Newspaper reporters from Denver who attempted to reach the site by road were still stranded 100 miles away on September 29.