Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-05-03
WEAKENED BRIDGE.
A Burlington & Missouri Express
Train Wrecked Near Alma,
Neb., by
Going Through Bridge Weakened by
Rains-TwO Dead and Several
Injured.
Fatal Gasoline Experimentation Hand
Killed-Oonvicts Burned-Two Men
Sufocated.

OMAHA, Neb., April 2S.-There was quite
a serious wreck the Burlington q Mis-
souri, River two miles from Alma, Neb.,
about six o'clock yesterday morning. The
smoker, day car and Kansas City Pullman
were precipItated into Rope creek, which
had been swollen by rains that had weak
ened the bridge. The engine, baggage and
express cars passed over safely. The eu-
CINE broke loose from the others. The ex-
press car turned over and caught fire and
burned. The baggage was all burned.
The mail was soaked. and the smoker
and day car, telescoped and broken In
pieces, are now lying the bed OF the
creek. Twelve persons in the day car and
Smoker were badly burned. The dead are:
S. A. Towns and wife, Grand Rapids, Mich;
Mrs. Towns was taken out Of the creek
alive, but died at Alma; G. E. Eaton, Lin
coin, travelling man from Kansas City, is
not expected to live. Conductor Odell was
severely cut on the head and internally
injured; brakeman was cut on the
head Edward Defenbaugh, of Adelphi,
O., was seriously injured; NJ. c. Kirby. OF
Montreal, cut on the head The
wounded are all at Alma, and all doing
we'll, except Eaton. An inquest will be
held to-day.
FATAL GASOLINE EXPLOSION.
TOPEKA, Kan, April 2S.-At 4:30 o'clock
yesterday afternoon Mary Mclaughlin,
aged six, daughter of James Mclaughlin,
tried to light a gasoline stove but had no
sooner applied the match than an explosion
occurred and she and Annie Evans, aged
nineteen, a domestic, who was standing
near, were enveloped in flames. Every
effort was made to save the two but with
out avail. The house belonged to A. d.
Campbell and was occupied by his family
and that Of Mclaughlin. The coroner
viewed the charred remains OF the victims
last n ght but no inquest will be held. The
position in which the bodies lay indi-
Gated that the servant had desperately
tried to save the little girl. Mrs. Nc
Laughlin, the mother of the little girl, was
badly burned and lies in a critical condi-
ton. She ran out of the house enveloped
in flames. When the explosion happened
she attempted to return to the house TO
rescue her child, but fell exhausted to the
ground. The house was a new one and I'M
finished. The partitions were paper and
temporary. The whole house seemed to be
on fire at once from the start. 1t was we'll
furnished. There was no insurance, anu
the loss to the owner, Campbell, will ex-
coed $1,000.
DIED FROM CHAMBERS.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, April 27.-Thomas NJ
Turner died in great agony this morning,
at 2O1l East Eighteenth street, from CLAN
ders, contracted through treating a dis
eased horse. about three weeks ago. The
horse itself died in the meantime. Turner
became affected with the disease through
the virus touching a scratch on his finger.
Turner is the man who was tried at great
length for, and acquitted of, the murder of
Mrs. Catherine Conway and her eleven
year-old daughter, Katie, at 40 East
Eighteenth street, October 81, 1885. The
murder was committed in broad daylight
while Mr.. Conway, a dairyman, was at
Westport.
PICKED UP DEAD.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, April 2S.-As an ex-
press train was passing Hall station,
twelve miles from here, yesterday morn
ing at full speed, Alverson Vilerman,
section hand, who had been at work,
stepped to one side, but seemed in deep
thought and did not move far enough. In
consequence he was struck in the cheek
by the side bar of the engine pilot and
hurled twenty feet and when picked up
was dead.
CONvICTS BURNED.
JEFFERsoNvILLE, Ind, April %. - The
clothing of Walter SEWERS and Char es
Davis, colored, inmates of the Southern
some molten iron falling upon them while
they were enveloped in flames. Both are
thought, die.
TWO MEN SUFFoCATED.
ST. LOUIS, April 27.-Anson Wildvogel
and Emil Schueler were found dead last
night in a cistern, where they had been
suffocated by foul air. They were cleaning
the cistern. Neither of them returning, a
covered.