Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-24

About o'clock Yesterday morning freigh,
engine No. on the Suntower road; John
Mcdaniel engineer. William Strobe, fire.
man. and James Knightley, brakeman of
the train. went through the Minnesota
bridge about a mile southwest Of Clearwater,
and the engineer has not been seen or heard
Of sihcc and no doubt exists MS 10 his fate.
This was the construction train and they
had been loading stock at Millerton, a small
station about four or Ave miles west of the
river, all night. The water running low in
the tank they concluded to run to Clear
water for water. In consequence of being
I up NIL night the boys were sleepy, but claim
! that the track Looked to be in line and all
right on the bridge. There is moderate
grade coming down TO the bridge and prob
ably they were running pretty last. They
moved farlessly upon the bridge and when
about the center it gave way and
the engine and tank plunged headl"ng into
the foaming stream. After sinking beneath
twenty feet of water, the cab, with Strobe,
the fireman and Knightlry the brakeman
rose 10 the surface aud WAS whirled down in
the raging current, the two men hanging on
for dear life. About ane-four.h Of n mile
below the bridge the fireman grasped the
nverhanging Breaches OF tree and climbed
tn the trunk wet and cold. leaving the brak,
man still clinging to the cab. About one
bundled wards farther down the brakeman
caught tree against which the cab had
struck and like his comrsdr, half drowned
and benumbed with cold he succeeded in
reaching the trunk of the tree. In the tree
tops on their perilou- perch, their dripping
garments hanging 10 their bpnumhed bodies.
and the raging torrents beneath filing their
ears With its frighiful murmurings, sat these
two poor railrcsd boys until they were
taken to shore in boat about 9 in the
morning. But their companion, poor Ne
Daniel, vas no~hsre 10 be found. Diligent
arch WAS made tor him all dsv
yesterday but Ia no purpose. There
was ray of hope in the hearts of his
companions that he might possibly have
gotten out of the water, An ~ much dead
alive be living somewhere in the nrighbpr- |
hood, but diligent search ali the day long |
dispellrd that hope and faied to discover
any trace Of the poor fellow, dead or alive.
The cause Of the sad accident was that the
food had washed away the the center bent /
of the bridge leaving the stringers in place !
which held up the cross ties and track so |
that in the darkness it was impossible to see
ANYTHING wrong. thus it WAS that the engine
reached the middle of the stream, the men |
oblivious of danger until the track sunk |
beneath them, and the iron steed plunged |
into the angry current.
An EAGLE representative saw the fireman
at the Fort Scott depot last evening. looking
none the worse for the his terrible exper- (
fence. lie lie a smooth looking young man
about 90 In answer 10 our questions he
said: "You see We we're up all night and
were very sleepy. The irst thing that MT
trscted my attention was the old apron rat
Ting and before ] hid time TO think she
went siz. into the wafer. l next felt my
"'"H 'u'i"S nS""et thc eau S'uPiS vi
times and then we rose to the surface. AZ
ter getting on TO the tree l could have
reached the shore easy enough but the water
WIS SO cold could not bring my mind up
IN the pitch of trying the water again. /
know nothing al all ubout Mechanics, he hav-
ing disappeared as thoroughly MS if landed
in another world. | think the tank must
have struck the cab and Knocked it loose
can't conceive, for the life of me, why we
we're not all crushed b. the tank falling up
IN the cab
Up to this writing the engineers body has
not been found.