Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-06-12
FATAL ERROR
An Operators Mistake of Forty
Ave Minutes.
shocking loss of Life 70 stabIemen and
Others By Collision Of n Train hound
For tho Kansas city
Races.

For the hnnHhn CITY
Races.
ST. LOUIS, June 10. AT 1:25 yester-
day morning a palace horse car train,
composed Of eight cars loaded with val
liable race horses bound for Kansas City,
came in collision with freight train No.
16 on the Wabash, at point one-half OF
a mile west Of Warrenton, Mo. The
trains were running at full speed and
came together with an awful crash with
fearful result. The accident was the
result of a telegraph operators error in
train orders, made by the operator at
Montgomery. The special horse train
had orders TO run two hours and five
minutes late and the order delivered TO
Conductor Holland and Engineer Shivel
OF train No. 2, held by the operator at
Montgomery, read that the special was
TO run two hours and tifty minutes late.
The fatal error was that the operator
mistook five for fifty and handed the
death warrant OF at least seven men to
the tra'nmen in charge OF the freight
train, which dashed into and demol-
ished the special horse train at a point
near Warrcnton. The two powerful
freight engines came together with
terrific crash, rearing up and tearing
each other TO fragments, leaving moth
ing but the solid part Of the great ma
chimes intact and crushing them out Of
all resemblance locomotives, both en-
glnes being pronounced almost total
wrecks.
The escape OF the engineers and fire.
men OF the respective trains was almost
miraculous. All the trainmen are said
to have acted brayely and with good
Judgment, doing all they could TO avert
the accident and no blame is attached
TO any one in charge save the operator
at Montgomery, who Is said TO have
been driven almost insane by his error.
In addition 10 the demolished engines
two palace horse cars and sixteen freight |
cars we're badly wrecked and the money
loss will be very heavy. Following is
an oillc al list Of the killed and 4 lred;
Killed William II, Thomas, colored |
boy Cyntlriana, Ky; Henry Stone, |
trainer Harrodsburg KY; James Kel-
ley, Chicago. H.; Ed. $ simmons, hostler,
Lexington, Ky; Morris Green, colored,
Frankfort, Ky; Sam Davis, rider, Lex
ington, Ky.
Injured - Engineer Shivelle, rib /
broken; William Taylor, colored trainer
Covlngton. Ky, arm broken; Lewis
Thompson, colored, Harrodsburg. bone
OF foot fractured; Lee Parsons, Wabash,
locomotive fireman. collar bone broken;
j. +. Norton, brakeman, severely
bruised; Louis Augustus colored. Iiar-
rodsburg KY. left thigh fractured;
George Hurley, colored, Cynthiana, Ky,
arm and log brolSon; Lee lirown, Louis
Vile, Ky, arm cut and back bruised
Merritt Johnson, colored, st. Louis arm
broken. Several Others received minor
cuts and bruises
Seventeen valuable race horses we're
killed.
The names OF some OF the horses
killed are; Little Prince and a two-year-
old in the same car (no name). Ben
Ridgely, Matte Park, Egypt Lige p,
Spring Dance and Turner. The marc
Huntress is badly injured
The scene at the wreck was terrible
one. Cars and engines were inter
mingled in one huge mass OF debris,
from under which came the screams Of
wounded and dying, some cursing and
begging to be killed, while others we're
praying for help.
A force of men worked from two a m.
until seven rescung the unfortunates
from just such positions as the above.
and had it not been for a steady down
pour of rain, the loss of life would have
been much greater, as the wreckage
would have caught fire.
There were in all eight dead taken
put four whites and four negroes, and
twenty-five wounded
The stable most affected by the wreck
was that of +. J. Kellar of Cynthiana,
KY. IL occupied the car next TO the en-
zine and Kellar and his young son, who
we're sleeping in the front end, we're
killed instantly. After the debris had
been cleared away their bodies we're
ound within a few feet OF each other,
he heads OF father and son lying on the
anne pillow. They had five horses and
very one Of them was killed outright
rhe horses names were Egypt Lige r.,
spring Dance, Turner and Ben Ridgely,
md Kellar and his son had been racing
hem only since the Louisville meeting
n May.
The stable of Jack Chinn was almost
wiped out of existence ltoccupied the
econd car that was demolished, and IL
5 a wonder that every one of the horses
vas not killed outright As it was
ianges, Little Prince, St. Bridget, Ok
ahoma and Leo never walked after the
ar they we're in left the track. The
tablemen were able to take Mary Nc
iowan and the fast flly Josie NJ. to a
livery stable at Warrenton, but they ,
we're so seriously injured that they
Till never race again. They wore left .
{ the town when the train proceeded
n to Kansas City. In the stable with ,
he Chinn horses was Huntress, She re-
lained under the debris several hours
efore she could be extricatcd. and it ,
'as thought by stablemen on the train
bat she would never face the starter 7,
gain