The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-10-10
TWO FATAL MISHAPS.
An Engineer Driven From His Locomotive
by Fear.

by Fear.
From the New York Sun, Sept 25.
The beautiful chapel that Mrs. Gilbert
Brinkerhoff recently built as an addition
to the Presbyterian Church in Engle-
wood, n. j., in memory of her father,
the late Col. Washington c. Vermilyea,
was filed with mOurnful assemblage
from Brooklyn, New York, and Engle-
wood, yesterday afternoon. In front of
the pulpit rested-a coffin containing the
remains of Miss Mary X. Bussing, who
was killed by a locomotive of the North
ern Railroad of New Jersey on Monday
afternoon while returning along the
track with two companions from fern
gathering excursion. On the cOffin-lid
rested a pillow of white flowers marked
" Rest, and large floral cross. The
pail depending to the floor was fringed
with flowers and green leaves. A table
at the foot of the coffin was heaped with
floral designs and loose flowers. Dur
ing the service, conducted by the Rev.
Henry NJ. Booth, the family, consisting
of the dead girls father, Robert s. Bus
sing, formerly of Brooklyn, her mother,a
brother and two younger sisters, sat in u
side room. A quartette, composed of four
of her personal friends, sang hymns
that she had expressed preference for.
Mr.. Booth announced that the body
would be taken to Greenwood Gene
terry for burial at 10 o'clock this MORN
ing.
The young people of the neighbOrhOOd
had intended to make surprise party
at Miss Bussing's house last evening ON
the occasion of her birthday. Instead,
they organized into watching parties to
remain in the chapel with the body dur
ing the night. Many went forward after
the service to look at the remains. The
face, which was inclined to the right and
rested on bed of white flowers, was
very natural and peaceful in expression.
John Peterson, the engineer, whose
locomotive killed Miss Bussing, saw her
and her two companions rs they attempt
ed to cross on the plank lying between
the two rails, and leading over the little
bridge. He was running at
the rate of IS miles an hour. The girls
had time to cross the bridge, and it was
not his duty, he said, to stop the train
until he saw Miss Bussing fall. At this
time she had only about four feet to 90
to arrive on firm ground, where she
could leap to one side of the track. Pc
tersOn reversed his engine and applied
the air-brakes. She's up, jack"
the fireman in his ear.
From the place where he stood after
applying the brakes the upper works of
the locomotive hid the girl from his view.
He leaned to the left when he heard the
words of the fireman, and as he looked
out of the cab window ON that side he
saw her fall again. The engine was yet
and the breakers were rapidly
bringing the train to a stop.
" 1t is too late, }" was his only response
to the fireman. Miss Bussing, as she
fell the second time, was partly on firm
ground. She threw herself to one side.
so that her body and left arm were be-
yond the track. Peterson saws that he
shall never to his dying day forget the
lace as she was drawn unconscious from
under the train.
On Tuesday afternoon, the day after
the killing of Miss Busting, as Peterson
was running the same locomotive, No. 2,
toward Jersey City, child about two
years old ran out from behind some
bushes near Tyler Park in front of the
locomotive. The child was instantly
killed. In this place there was no pos
sibility of stopping the train in time to
prevent the accident. Peterson stopped
it, however, as soon as he could and the
body was picked up and sent home.
When the train arrived at the depot,
Peterson, with tears in his eyes, leaped
down from the locomotive and said that,
come what might, he would never climb
into it again. He seemed to think that
there was some fatality about it for him.
The railroad officials, after examining
into the two cases, decided that he had
not been at all blameworthy. They
urged him to resume his charge of the
locomotive, but he declared that he
would not do so. t7
II will run freight train," he said,
aor take any other position you may
choose to give me on the road. but L
iare not enter that engine again"
Another passenger locomotive viii he
'ut under his charge.