Apr 2, 1896
A LUCKY ESCAPE – PART OF A D. & R.G. PASSENGER TRAIN GOES THROUGH BURNING BRIDGE.
"The narrow gauge passenger train, which left Denver Monday night [Mar 30, 1896] for Durango, ran into a burning bridge near Navajo, not far from Lumberton. After the engineer discovered the fire there was not sufficient time to stop the train, but with presence of mind he reversed the throttle, gave the danger signal, and just as the locomotive struck the bridge the engineer, along with the fireman, leaped to the ground, the locomotive the next instance crashed through the burning structure and falling in a heap at the bottom. The mail car was next and it piled on top of the engine, the postal clerk having jumped from the side door, otherwise his life would have been in great danger.
The coupling between the mail and baggage car broke and the baggage and other cars were stopped by the air brake before reaching the bridge, thud saving a serious loss of life. The mail car along with its contents, including both letter and paper mail, was consumed by fire and the locomotive suffered the same fate, so far as the wood portion was concerned."
A REAL WEDDING TRAIN-THIS IS ON "THE RIO GRANDE & PAGOSA SPRING RAILROAD COMPANY OF NEW MEXICO" IN A RUN DOWN TO LUMBERTON, NEW MEXICO (6 MILES)
Feb 2, 1897
Monero, NM Feb 1, 1897 – At 12:30 o’clock on Jan 31, while a big dance was in progress at Edith, Colo., by pre-arranged plans, Engineer George Eaton steamed up his locomotive and hitched into Supt. Dan Henney’s private (flat) car No. 6619 and got a merry crowd aboard, ran down into New Mexico on the Navajo river, where a novel wedding took place. Mr. Harry Davis and Miss Sarah Ellen Boggs [Biggs] were united in the holy bond of matrimony by E. K. Caldwell, Justice of the peace. At the conclusion of the ceremony the magistrate kissed the bride, the headlight on the engine flickered, the whistle sounded loud and long, the bell rang and the wedding party returned to Edith, where the bride and groom received the hearty congratulation of the 150 people there assembled to enjoy the dance, which was kept up till about 4 o’clock in the morning. The bride and groom are residents of Archuleta county, Colo. New Mexico is a favorite place for Colorado people to come to, to get married, as here no license is required, while in Colorado they must have a license, often having to go a long distance to procure the same. [Daughter of Edger M. Biggs who owned the railroad and New Mexico Lumber Company at Edith, Colorado.]
