The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-09-30
BETWEEN THE CARS.
4 Conductor on the Council Bluffs
Road Crushed to Death.
4 Lingering, Horrible Agony OF
Four Terrible Hours.
Grim d. ath Travels Faster Than
a Lightning Train.

A most distressing accident, horrible snt
painful in the exire me, occurred at Win
throp, No, small town just opposite
Atchison, on the Kansas City, 81. JOSEPH
and Council Bluffs railrord, yesterday
morning about half past ore o'clock. Tn,
down and up night trains on that road
meet at Winthrop, where the up train
switches of onto the side track in order &c
let the dowa train pass. The up train, I.
Farwell, conductor, had, accordingly
switched off and the switch put into posi-.
ton by the brakeman. At that instant il
occurred to the brakeman that he had no,
set the switch right, and he undertook to
change it. This change, however, was a
fatal one, as it afterwards proved, as he
set it entirely wrong, throwing tine rails in
such manner that when the down train
came into Winthrop the track had been so
sci that as she backed out again she collid-
ed with the UP train. When the two
trains were almost together the brakeman
saw collision was inevitable, ard shout
cd with all his might hoping to arrest the
attention OF the eng neer OF the down trai n,
but it was too late. He was not heard, and
with heavy crash OF splitting timbers the
two heavy trains came together.
BETWEEN THE CARS
Conductor Farwell was in the sleeping
coach Just before the accident, and heard
the shouts of the brakeman. Immediately
divining something was wrong, he rushed
to the front platform Of the sleeper and
peered out into the darkness OF the morn
ing. He was there at the time the trains
came together, and the sudden shock and
terrific force OF the collision broke the
platform upon which he was standing into
pieces, the wreck Of the broken timbers
gripping him firmly in an iron embrace
from his hips down, crushing the bones of
both legs as though they were but glass.
As soon az it was known that Farwell
was hurt and fastened between the cars,
axes were procured, and all hands set at
once TO work tofcut the unfortunate man out.
1t was time OF
HORRIBLE, EXcRUrIATING AGONY,
for his limbs were so tightly fixed in the
wreck that it was nearly an hour before he
could be rescued, during which period one
Oi tne coaches was almost
CHOPPED TO PIECES
before Farwell could be extr1cated, all this
while he maintained himself with the ut
most heroism giving instructions to the
workmen as to how to proceed, and direct
ing them in order to facilitate his release.
When at last he was gotten out the physi-
clan said at once that his death was ques-
ton OF few short hours at the longest.
HIS WIFE
at Kansas City was telegraphed for. Mean
while he was removed TO hotel in Win
throp. As soon as word was received at
Kansas City of the affair special train
was got in readiness for Mrs. Farwell, and
which made the astonishing time from that
city TO Winthrop distance of nearly fifty
miles in the astonishing time.
sEvESTY-FivE MINUTES,
arriving there at 5 An But it was too
late-too late by fully hall an hour, for
the heroic and fearless conductor had
lreathed hi: last about thirty minutes pre-
yiOus, and the tender, loving wife was
widow.
IN MEMORIAM.
Mr.. Farweil was about fifty years old, |
and was the oldest and best conductor upon
the road. He was fearless, yet neither
rash nor prudent, and his death was the re-
suit of a fearful yet unintentional blunder.
He leaves a wife and two boys to mourn
his untimely death. His remains were ia
ken to Kansas City yesterday for burial.