The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-12-28
A KANSAS PACIFIC TRAIN GOES THROUGH
ABRIDGE.
Express Messenger Webster Killed. and Mail
Agent Orandall Injured

Agent Crandall Injured.
Details were received Saturday COIL
corning fatal accident upon the Kan
sas Pacific railway. The accident took
place between Victoria station and
Hays City, at point about go miles
west of Kansas City. 1t appears that
the eastern bound train (No. ~ left
Hays City aboft half past one o'clock
and was making its regular schedule
time across the rolling prairie between
that place and Victoria when the acct
dent occurred. One telegram states
that the accident was caused by the
breaking of and axle in tho rear truck
of the locomotive tender or tank.
This broke at bridge No. IL but was
not discovered. The train ran along
ell right until it reached bridge No.
10, when the broken axle threw the
express car from the track. This be-
ing the first car next the locomotive,
it caused the next car, which was the
baggage car, TO follow it, and the
smoking car and day passenger car
followed suit, the whole piliDg into
the bed of the dry creek in mixed up
mass of wood, iron, baggage, mail and
express matter. The sleeping car did
not go off the track The cars imme-
diately took fire. but as the train had
been running along at a moderate rate
Of speed, the shock was not SO severe
as TO injure the passengers in the last
two cars, or prevent them escaping
from the wreck.
The only man reported killed is
Frank Webster, the express agent of
the Kansas Pacific Express Company,
who distinguished himself in the Mum
Gle train robbery. He went down
with the first car, and it is said he was
crushed aud killed by the safe, as a
bad wound was found upon his head
when he was taken from the wreck.
The lower portion of his body was
badly burned, but the upper portion
was SO covered with freight as to pro-
tect it from the fire.
Later details of the accident are as
follows:
In the same car with Webster, but
divided from it by partition, was the
mail room. In this was Leroy Gran
dali, of Lawrence, who was taken out
of the burning car in an insensible con-
dition. He was bruised upon the face
and neck, and was burned in various
portions of the body. He will recover.
OF the balance of those injured none
were seriously SO. The train men
made their escape with few slight
bruises. Conductor Robert Cunning
ham was rolled about in the dirt in
rather troublesome manner, but he
got away without injury. The bag
master, G. German, fell lightly and
escaped with a few bruises in the
breast and ribs.
1t was mainly through Germans
efforts that Crandall was saved alive.
There were twenty-siX or seven pas
sengers in the two passenger cars
which went off the track. These all
escaped without serious injury. The
sleeping car had eight or ten passen-
gers in it, but as it remained upon the
track none were injured. The passen-
gers injured were G. H. Bundy, of
Boston, Massachusetts, bruised on the
leg by the falling of stove; James
Buchanan, Bellville, New Jersey, bro
ken nose; L. Client, Michigan, bruised
leg; j. w. Keihl, Junction City, bruise
on the head.
Among the distressing Incidents was
that of William Bement, of George
town, Colorado. He was on the train
taking the corpse of his wife to her
friends at Saratoga, for burial. She
was in the baggage car and completely
cremated-not vestigc left, and the
husband was disconsolate and the OBJ
ject of much sympathy.
The engineer and fireman both be-
ing upon the locomotive, passed over
the break in the bridge in safety. The
train was running very slow al the
time OF the accident-to this fact alone
many passengers owe their escape
from serious damage.
The company was prompt in provid-
ing the passengers with shelter, food
and assistance, and adjusted all dam
ages promptly on their arrival in Kan
sas City. The mail, baggage and ex-
press goods, together with four cars,
were lost in the fire. The loss is not |
so heavy as was at first supposed, the
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