Wichita eagle., 1889-09-19
A NARROW ESCAPE.
The Frisco Runs Through Split Swifch-The
Passengers Pretty Badly Shaken up and
Terribly Scared,

On Tuesday night as the east bound
Frisco train was going up a steep grade
known as the Picayune hill between Leon
! and keighley the lady's car was thrown
from the rails by split or half open
switch overturning it but leaving the
balance of the train in tact. The reports
that reached here yesterday morning were
very much exaggerated as is usual in such
cases and grave fears were entertained
/ that some lives were lost. Developments
| proved however, that there was justifia-
bic scare on the part of the passengers
with no one very badly hurt. Mr.. Ike
Dean was probably the most unfortunate
of the injured ones, but his physicians do
not apprehend that his injuries are OF a
dangerous or lasting nature. The train
only ran about five hundred feet after the
accident and fortunately was not running
at high rate of speed at the time. Elk
perts say that on that up grade it would
be impossible to attain a greater speed
than twenty miles per hour.
In all about four hundred feet of track
was torn up and the ties found in good
condition, and the only thing discovered
wrong that would account for the acct
dent was the absence of the pin that
should hold the switch open or closed So
far it has been impossible to lay the blame
OF Its removal on any one, and it is pretty
generally supposed that some malicious
person took 1t away without needing the
danger to which the trains would be ex-
posed. The train passed all right until
the rear trucks of the ladies coach reached
the place and by that time the jar Of pass
ing had thrown the switch partly open.
The rear trucks took the swith and was
followed on to the side track by the chair
car and Pullman sleeper, leaving the bal
ance OF the train, the engine, baggage car
and smoker, on the main track. As
natural consequence the ladies car was
turned over on its side. The lights went
out and in the darkness there was consid-
cradle confusion until the officers of the
train restored order by assisting the scared
and wounded from the overturned car.
The entire party was taken to Beaumont.
a few miles beyond, and medical aid sum
moned. No one was found to be
very seriously hurt. although several
of the ladies had annoying bruises and
small cuts about the head and arms. Yes
terday morning all OF the passengers con-
tinued their journey east on the noon
train excepting Mr.. Dean, who came to
this city. There was an unusual number
OF children on the train and all of them es-
capped any injury worth mentioning. The /
examining physician reported that all of
the passengers had been subjected to a
severe nervous shock, but that no fears /
need be entertained regarding their safety |
The time Of the accident must have been /
about Has Tuesday night, for the train /
was on time and due in keighley at 1913 .
p IN. The railroad people say they cannot .
estimate their exact damage yet, but do |
not regard that part of it as very serious. /
The one car has been sent TO the shop for
repairs and the track relayed and the
damage at the outside will not be over a
mere nominal sum.
The names of those reported injured by
the examining physician are as follows:
Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. Rhoades, Miss Gillette,
William Beason. Isaac NJ. Dean, j. ".
Glover and Isaac CASTLE