Time Machine: 100 years ago, deadly train crash in Glenwood Canyon

25 years ago

Dec. 1, 2000

While the U.S. presidential election was being worked out in court, a local election in Eagle County was also being contested.

Steve Morris, who lost the District 2 commissioner race by 39 votes, filed a lawsuit in District Court asking the county to throw out votes he alleged to be illegal, the Vail Trail reported.

Morris was questioning the legality of about 100 votes, alleging that people who were not residents of the county and not lawfully registered in the county were allowed to vote; people who registered less than 30 days prior to the election were allowed to vote; voters were allowed to cast ballots in violation of change-of-residency laws; and people who voted in other counties were also allowed to vote in Eagle County.

“Who says Florida is the only place to have dysfunctional elections?” the Trail wrote. “A local election is getting its day in court.”

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Morris’ opponent, Arn Menconi, was personally named in the lawsuit.

“My hope is that this unfortunate situation does not deter others from serving their communities,” Menconi said.

50 years ago

Dec. 4, 1975

The House of Representatives passed Sen. Floyd K. Haskell’s bill to designate a 235,230-acre Flat Tops Wilderness Area in the White River National Forest, the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.

“Because the House acted on the same bill the Senate passed in June, no conference is necessary and the measure goes directly to the President for his signature,” the Enterprise reported. “That will give Colorado its second new wilderness in a year.”

Haskell also introduced a bill to set aside the Weminuche Wilderness in southwestern Colorado. He had a third wilderness bill in the works, which would designate 128,084 acres north of Vail as the Eagles Nest Wilderness.

“I’m delighted with the House action,” Haskell said. “Designation of the Flat Tops is long overdue. Now I hope we can expect action on the Eagles Nest bill early next year.”

75 years ago

Dec. 2, 1950

Despite a fluorine deficiency in their domestic water, more than 800 Eagle County school children can anticipate an improvement in their dental health, the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.

Dr. Robert Downs, state director of Dental Public Health, reported that a topical fluoride treatment had been applied to 802 students in the towns of Eagle, Gypsum, Minturn, Red Cliff, Gilman and county rural schools by a U.S. Public Health Service team working under his direction.

“Efforts to reduce tooth decay among Colorado school children by the state has largely been concentrated in Western Colorado, where most waters are deficient in fluorine with consequent high attack rates of decay in teeth,” the Enterprise reported. “Children consuming water less than one-half of one part fluorine per million parts of water consistently have less healthy teeth, regardless of professional or personal care and eating habits, than do kiddies drinking water ranging from one-half to one-and-one-half parts fluorine per million parts of water. Sixty percent of Eagle County’s children are in need of dental care, according to inspections made at the time of treatment.”

100 years ago

Dec. 4, 1925

An eastbound freight train ran into a dirt and rock slide in the Glenwood Canyon and was badly wrecked, with one man killed, the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.

“It was a ‘double-header’ train, and the helper engine left the track and rolled about fifty feet down the embankment and off the right of way,” the Enterprise reported. “The second engine left the track, but did not overturn.”

Five freight cars were jammed together and completely demolished.

“Dick West, the engineer, and Marion Fox, the fireman of the helper locomotive, escaped death or serious injury almost miraculously,” the Enterprise reported. “Neither man was badly hurt in the accident. Fox’s most serious injury being from steam escaping from the wrecked locomotive.”

The crash occurred a short distance east of the mouth of Spruce Creek in the canyon.

“The body of the man killed in the wreck was discovered by the wrecking crew Sunday under a car of ore in which he had been stealing a ride,” the Enterprise reported.