For a week or more, western newspapers carried stories about the wreck of two trains near Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the early morning hours of 20 September 1884. Three trainmen were killed, including two in the engine who heroically stayed at their posts applying brakes and trying to prevent the collision instead of taking their chances in jumping from the train. No passengers died, although they were badly shaken up.

After investigation, fault was placed at the feet of the conductor of the passenger train. His train had been late in leaving its last stop, and because he had not taken whatever steps were expected in such a situation to warn other traffic on the road, the men on the freight train had not been aware of the passenger train’s presence on tracks that were supposed to have been cleared for their own rapid passage.

You know who had expected to be on that passenger train, but was not? Apostles Joseph F. Smith and Erastus Snow, and prominent Southern States missionary John Morgan, among a party of ten who had been visiting conferences in the Colorado settlements and in Bluff, Utah, and were then on their way to conferences in New Mexico and Arizona.

Joseph F. Smith recorded the circumstances that had spared their presence on the train:

On Sep. 18th we came to Antonito by the D. & R.G. whence, parting with bro. E. Snow and wife, bro. Morgan and I proceeded by team, twelve miles, to Manassa where we held meeting in the evening, according to appointment, and spoke to the Saints, all of whom in that vicinity I should judge from the crowded house, had come out to hear us, and I think they felt well pleased and satisfied with our renewed instructions and visit.

The next morning (19th) we returned to Antonito, several of the brethren accompanying us, found bro. Snow in good condition after a quiet night’s rest, and about 10.40 a.m. started by rail on our journey towards the settlements of the Saints in Arizona.

At Espanola, the terminus of the Santa Fe branch of the D. & R.G. Ry, where we arrived about 5 p.m. we found that the bridge over the Rio Grande, a long and ponderous structure, had been partly swept away by the spring floods, and we were obliged to have our baggage transferred to the river from the cars on wheelbarrows, propelled by Mexican Indians, and then ferry across in a small skiff, which had to make three trips to complete the transportation of our little party of seven adults & three little children. The stream, still large in consequence of the plentiful waters of the season, was somewhat swollen and rapid from the late heavy showers of rain, making our voyages across the river in the frail vessel at our disposal, with a boy to row us over, a little romantic if not hazardous.

This little interruption threw us rather late in the evening getting off on the stage for Santa Fe, a distance of some 29 miles, we would now have to travel in the night, and we did not reach the city until about 2 o’clock next morning, but what we most regretted was that we had missed connection with the train, and would be delayed one day. We had calculated our time very closely and our appointments were sent ahead, so we thought that we had no time to spare.

It was not long till we learned however that there was a higher providence in our delay than mere accident. The train which left that night, on which we had intended to go, came in collision, near Albuquerque, with a freight train, completely wrecking both trains, killing three persons and sadly jolting and bruising the remainder of those on board the train. The Lord ordained, quite contrary to our calculations, that we should escape this unfortunate smash up, for which we are duly thankful, and will ever gratefully acknowledge His hand..

I have no doubt that the Lord loved those three trainmen as much as he did the three churchmen and their party. He did not save them from their fate, the consequences of living in this fallen world. Did God actively intervene in the natural course of the world to save the lives of Elder Smith and his traveling companions? I cannot answer that. But I am glad to see that Elder Smith was grateful for having been spared what would otherwise have befallen them. Gratitude, at least, is always within our power.

(Clipping from Weekly Republican [Phoenix, Arizona], 25 September 1884, 3 — courtesy of Newspapers.com)