The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1892-09-22
FrightfHl Wreck ON TIE Santa Fe Road
Caused by Removal Of o
Rail.
The Engine Sent Down an Embank'
ment and Passenger Coaches Piled
ON Top of 1t.
A Million Dollars Aboard Which Rob
bers Didn't Get Fonr Killed and
Many Irjured.

TOPEKA, Kan, Sept. ga frightful
wreck occurred on tn. Santa Fe road, .
few miles west of Usage City, at 3 a. m.
The train was ditched by train robbers,
and four of the trainrnen were killed and
about twenty-five passengers seriously
injured. The train was the fast Missouri
river express, east-bound, and due In
this city at 4:45 a. m. 1t consisted OF a
baggage and express car, four coaches,
and three Pullman sleeping cars. The
coaches and sleeping cars were well
filed with passengers, nearly all OF
whom were asleep when the accident
occurred. The train was ditched by OBJ
structions placed on the rails and rolled
down steep embankment. The day
coaches in the forward part Of the train
were telescoped, and it was in these
coaches that most of the injured passen-
gers were located.
The following are the killed and in
jured SO far as can be learned at present:
Killed:
ENeNEER EDWARD MEYER, of Topeka,
Kan.
FIREMAN THOMAS CHADDIcKs. of
Topeka, Kan.
BloMENiHAL, express guard, first name
unknown.
FRANK BAXTER. express messenger,
Kansas City.
Wounded.
C.. T. Wordlaw, Elliott, Ills, badly
bruised about body and legss w. A. Carr,
Burlington, Kan, head cut; A. G. Board,
Newton, Kan, slightly cut about arms
and arms; Ollie Young, Popular Bluff;
No., head badly cut; j. Il. johnson,
indianapolis, badly bruised; III. c. Nc
Clure, Richards, Mo-, leg broken and
head badly cut; p. II. s. Foster, Law
renee, Kan, badly bruised on head and
shoulders. Several others were also
slightly injured.
In the express car there was about
81 ,OOO, 900 which was being shipped by
the Mexican Central Railway company
through to its general offices in Boston.
The object of the wreckers was not ac-
complished, owing to the manner in
which the express car was buried by the
coaches that we're piled up in general
confusion. So high was the wreckage
heaped that it was literally impossible
to find the locomtive, let alone the treas
ure box. The place selected for the
wreck lies between Barclay and Usage
City. There is heavy grade there, and
frequent curves mark the course of the
track East-bound trains pass over this
stretch with great speed, and the ill
fated night express was making fifty
miles an hour when it rounded a curve
fifty yards west of the point where the
wreckers had removed the bolts from
the east end of rail, swinging it out
ward toward the embankment, thus
switching the train off the roadbed. The
embankmept at this point is about
eight feet high. The engine
plunged over it, following the course
prepared by the would-be robbers. The
train was composed of thirteen cars in
all, and all except three sleepers were
piled on top Of the engine. Most Of
them were overturned and broken into
splinters. Fortunately, fire did not
break out and it was with little diff.
Guilty that openings were made into the
coaches to permit the passengers to
emerge into the semi-darkness of the
night. The sight that met the gaze oil
the persons who escaped death or injury
was terrible. The engine had gone Il
the bottom Of the hill and on top wa.
piled the wreckage of FIVE cars covering
it SO completely that it was hidden from
sight. Engineer Maher had beer
thrown from his cab some distance
away and had been almost cooked
alive by the steam from tn,
bursted boiler fiues. He was perfectly
conscious, although itwas apparenttha
death was near. He said that he saw
the rail out and told briefly OF his effor
to prevent the derailment of the train.
James Chaddick, the fireman, had no
been found up to noon, and it is sup
posed that he was buried under th
engine. Burt Baxter, the express mes
senger, was scalded and otherwise in
iured. He died before he could b
brought to Usage City.
AS soon as the news was received q
the company's Office in this city a relic
train was made mp and sent out with
number of surgeons and their assistants
The train returned to Topeka at 1890 a
m. with the wounded and dea,
and all the passengers. Thos
who were not seriously injure
were sent on their journey by
special train Immediately after dinner
The dead were placed in caskets befor
removal from the train The wounds
were taken to hospitals.
Several passengers say that they saw
number of men run from the brus
near by Immediately after the disaster
The robbers have not yet been caught
45 s59FEs
AT RockAWAY BEACH.