Wichita eagle., 1889-05-04
ACCIDENTS.
4 ROCK ISLAND FREIGHT CON-
DUOTOR SERIOUSLY INJURED.
A Four Year Old Child Fatally Wounded
on Missouri Pacific Switch.

Yesterday morning John Slaisler moved
up to the stock yards and opened up
lunch room few doors northeast OF the
stock yards hotel A switch of the Mis-
souri, Pacific runs past the back door OF
the house. and seeing how dangerous it
would be for his little boy Johnnie, not
yet four wears old, he had decided to put
ND fence and lumber was being hauled.
In the afternoon; shortly after 2 o'clock,
while working at his new stand, he lost
got to watch it. 1t seemed it had gone di-
rect to the railroad and was playing among
some cars standing on switch.
While at this switch engine
moved quietly down the switch and
and reaching the cars they were started
slowly and quietly. so quiet in fact that
some tramps summing themselves near the
track did not notice the change until their
attention was called to it by the cries of
the child which was being run over. One
of them grabbed the sufferer and started
for the house while second broke in the
door, and the first evidence the parents
had of the accident was the sight of the
mangled child They were almost over
come with grief. The assistants tele-
phoned for physicians. which resulted in
Doctors Williams, Minnick Fordyce and
Purdy arriving in a few minutes. The
found that the child had suffered the loss
of both legs below the knee and the right
arm below the elbow 1t was decided that
the best chance to save life would be to
amputate the three limbs. When placed
on the table it seemed perfectly conscious
and raising the mangled arm looked at 1T
then to its rather and remarked: "Oh,
papa, Pm dead" A little later when ether
was being given he said, 'Yo don't go
take my leg off," 1t took nearly two hours
to perform the operation and the child
seemed to endure the suffering remarkably
well The physicians say there is a chance
for it to live but it is very doubtful If 1t
does.
1t is said that had the switch engine
given the usual alarm required within the
corporate limits the accident in all proba-
bility would have been avoided. Those
present stated that no whistle was heard
and the bell was not ringing nor was there
a brakeman to be seen looking out for a
clear track Soon after the accident the
engine made another trip along the switch
and was giving the usual amount of warn
| ing.
A HORRIBLE CASH.
Shortly before noon yesterday Mr.. j. X.
Williams. freight conductor on the Rock
Island road met with quite serious acct
cident near the stock yards at the Missouri
Pacific Y He had been adjusting a
switch and as the train was pulling
out he made an effort to swing himself to
the side of box car and ascend on the
ladder. Just as he was raising himself
the left side of his head struck on the
switch target fearful blow and he fell to
! the ground scarcely conscious of what
| had happened None of the train men
saw him at the moment of the accident.
| but soon after the engineer looking back
saw him lying on the ground and stopped
as soon as possible They found the blood
running freely from the wound and
were very soon able to decide how il
happened. He was placed in the caboose
and reaching the depot was taken to DE-
HinsGale's office, who is surgeon for the
company. The wound was dressed and
! the pat ut ~uif red intensely. The cash
! extended from the left temple to the back
of his head, showing the skull bone. After
a careful examination by physicians it was
/ thought that the bone had not been frac-
tured. The patient complained more Of
! intense pain il head, neck and shoulders
than from the cash itself, and what the
result will be time alone can answer.
Mr.. Williams mas been on the road four
teen wears and said he had never met with
an accident before, this coming when h
least expected it.
Last evening be was assisted to the cas-
bound passenger on the Rock Island anC
taken to his horne at Harrington.