Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-11-01
A KANSAS WRECK.
III 1t Had Been an Ordinary Train Instead
Of VsstibuIs Most Of Us Would
have Been Dead New" Said
the Conduc
A Whole Train in tho Ditch With $50
People and Nobody Kined-Oyer
Twenty More LESS Injured
Prompt Relief

ToPEKA.-The Denver vestibule express on
the Atchison, Topeka d Santa Fe railway
was wrecked at Wakarusa, thirteen miles
west of Topeka, and the entire train. with
the exception of the engine, thrown from the
track. The train consisted of eight cars, in
Guiding Pullman, tourist car, two chair
cars, a smoker, express, baggage and mail
cars. About $50 people were on board. No
one was killed. About eighteen persons were
injured, about four of whom are quite Sc
rious.
The injured are: Miss Kate O'Connen, of
Chicago; Mrs. Jane Mcfarland, of Carroll
Hill, Ohio; J. J. Body, brakeman, of Kansas
City, Kan; three mail clerks; W. F. Jones,
Harvey Stone, of Kansas City, No., and J.
w. Fadely, of Kansas City, Kan; F. L.
Terry, express messenger, Kansas City; 81.
Z. Lindsey, of Topeka; Prof. F. w. Cragin,
OF Nashburn college, Topeka; 7. J. John
son, of Kansas City; VIM. I. Wardall, of
California; Mrs. DR.. w. c. Peaslee, of Col
orado: Mrs. George Terry, of California; S.
Sylvester, of California; c. T. Harrington,
OF Illinois; ]. j. Buckley, rear brakeman;
two Swiss lady emigrants; Mrs. W. J. Nc
Clure, Kansas City; Mrs. L. E. White, of
California; I. A. Fair. of Albuuuerae, and
d. L. Willard, of Sterling, Kansas.
1t is quite certain that but for the fact that
it was a vestibule train there would have
been great loss of life. Conductor H. NJ.
Marshall, who was in the chair car when it
happened, said: 81 am satisfied it would
have been terrible disaster but the vesti-
bule saved US. If it had been any other kind
of train it would have teleScoped and not
one-half of US would be alive now. We were
going down grade, probably about forty-five
miles an hour. About 400 feet of track was
torn up"
The train was moving at the rate of about
fifty miles an hour, the run for the last six
miles having been down a steep grade. The
accident occurred just as the train was pass
ing over the last turn of the double reverse
curve entering the east switch at Wakarusa
station. Just as the train had passed over
deep embankment and the engine had al
most reached the switch, the tender jumped
the track. Engineer James Rollo quickly
reverse his engine, but 1t Travelled zoo yards
before coming to stop, never leaving the
track. The frame of the tender never broke
from the engine, and the express car, though
of the track all the time, remained coupled
to the tender. The other eight cars were
thrown from the track and three of them are
almost complete wrecks. The Pullman
sleeper, which was turned out of the shops
only SIX weeks and is one of the finest cars
on the road, was turned over. Seats and
other furniture within were demolished. The
tourists car. which was the rear of the train,
together with the chair car, was also over
turned. The ladies' coach was thrown from
Its trucks and also stands on its bottom. The
smoker, which Is pretty badly smashed up,
the aggage car, which stands on her roof,
toge' her with the mail car. are on the south
side of the track. Very little is left of the
postal car; several sacks of letters and papers
were destroyed in the wreck. The injured
people were principally in the chair car and
ladies' coach. The smoker was occupied by
fifteen Italians who were en- route to Cali
fornia. They were greatly frightened, but
none of them were hurt.