Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-07-20
RAILROAD WRECK.
WHY the Trains Were Delayed.

The cannon BALI express, due here
at 9:23 Tuesday evening, did not arrive
until 4 the next morning. The west
bound passenger train, due at 9:56
Wednesday morning, was three or four
hours late. The cause of the delays
will be found in the following, from
Wednesdays Topeka Cafifai::
Swith engine $40, Union Pacific, e1-
ploded her boiler yesterday, three miles
west of the city, fatally injuring fireman
James Dutton, severely iDiuring engineer
Richard Secord and inhicting painful
wounds on Mike Schulmeister and VIM.
Courtwright, section man and switchman.
No. $40 was condemned some three years
ago, and taken OFF the road and given
work in the yards and local work. Yes
erday forenoon she was sent to haul six
fiat cars of rails out to the construction
train short distance west and along the
line. Engineer Secord was in charge,
with Fireman Dutton. There were scat
tered along the cars six workmen. AS the
train crossed the Silver Lake wagon road
it was running at the rate Of twenty miles
an hour. In the Y of the crossing of the
country road and the railroad is situated
the cottage of J. G. Cornelison, half hid
den by beautiful grove of oaks. Mr..
and Mrs. Cornelison were sitting out
under the shade Of the trees when they
heard the train coming. They are friends
of the trainmen, and always watch
their coming with gladness, and are in
the habit OF exchanging pleasant greet
ings as they pass. They saw one of the
men on the foot board hammering the
pump, and the third tap was followed by
the terrific explosion. The speed OF the
train carried the engine some thirty feet
ahead, where it capsized and lies half
across the track in Heterogeneous mass
of twisted bolts, warped and bursted iron
plates, broken woodwork, brass, and ev-
erything that goes to make up an engine,
bat SO distorted that skilled mechanic
could scarcely pick out the pieces. Two
cars laden with rails leaped the wrecked
engine, and third, as though miscalcu-
lating the leap, had dropped on the great
shapeless mass Of iron and broken in two
ike brittle shell. Fortunately none OF
the injured men were pinioned, but were
easily removed. The engineer was taken |
from the rear of the cab, all mangled and
The fireman was picked up along the
outside of the track more dead than alive, |
scarcely able to groan. Both were moved
to the shade near by, where Mr. and Mrs.
Cornelison and the men who were not in
jured did all they could to relieve them.
The engineer received severe wounds on !.
he head and was bruised all over, scalded
across the back and one foot. The fire.
nan had received hard blow. fracturing
he base of the skull, besides other seri-
,us scalp wounds and countless bruises.
Nike Schulmeister had flesh wounds on
lis thighs as though some great iron pin
lad struck him. Mr.. Cartwright had
oeeu thrown across the brake-wheel,
striking on his stomach. Although suf-
ering he started On run for town to get
help. A farmers wagon picked him up
and brought him on to the city. Drs.
and Williamson were called and
we're taken out on hand car. DR.. Shell
don, the companys surgeon, was tele-
phoned and followed few minutes later
There. in the cool shade with plenty of
water, the poor bruised heads and bodies
we're dressed and made as comfortable as
skilled surgeons could make them. The
engineer was semi-delirious, talking now
IF one thing, now of another, but mostly
If his wife, LENA" The fireman uttered
lot q word.
y X X \
At last reports the wounded men were
'esting as comfortably as could be ex-
,ected.