Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-21
THE FATAL RAIL
4 Broken Ran Causes . had Wreck on tAs
Northern Pacific Road and Disaster TO m
Opera 7rcupe

Opera Troupe
BRAINERD. Mimi, Jan 16-The
second section of Northern Pacific
passenger train with the Andrews
Opera company on board left West Su.
perior at midnight for Grand Forks.
Near Jonesville the train struck a
broken rail. The engine and baggage
car passed over in safety, but the sleep
ing car of the opera company was de-
rallied and ran some 800 feet On the ties,
when it toppled over, broke loose from
the train and went down an en- bank
ment some five feet high.
The Pullman conductor, Herbert S.
Scott was one of the first TO get out of
the wrecked car and when he did so no
hire was visible, but as soon as windows
were broken to liberate those inside
flames shot out and in a very short time
the car was enveloped- Trainmen soon
liberated those who were unable TO ex-
tricate themselves, but none were able
to save their clothes, and the night be-
ing the coolest of the season-the Their
mometer reaching So below-their suf-
fering was terrible
AT this time it was discovered that
Mrs Ed Andrews and Tillie Wallace,
her maid. were missing, but no human
the car was mass Of flames The in
jured Were placed in baggage car ana
brought to Brainerd-
The list of the dead and injured as
far as obtained is as follows:
Mrs Ed Andrews (known as Miss
Mamie Wilkinson), burned TO death.
Tillie Wallace, of MINNEAPOLIS.
harmed to death
Florence Joy, chorus girl. severely
burned on back and head, probably
fatally.
| May Douglass, chorus girl, burned
on head and arms
Letitia Fritsch, prima donna, burned
On head and arms.
Mrs. L Z. Barker, Miss Fritsch-s sis
ter, shoulder dislocated
Marie Roe, soprano. slightly burned
I an l bruised.
George Andrews BARITONE, burned
Oh arms
Louise Harris. chorus girl, burned on
neck and arms
Jay A Taylor, tenor, cut and bruised.
Ed Allen, chorus, burned on neck.
Fred Allen, chorus, bruised
Josie Shearer, chorus girl, slightly
! burned
! w E Barker, son of Mrs Barker,
burned on hands and arms
/ W A. With, chorus. slightly injured
! Bert Lincoln. chorus, arm fractured
/ q. E MOODY, leader OF orchestra,
slightly burned
Mrs. Al Wakefield, wife OF advance
4, agent foot frozen
c. W. Andrews, business manager,
badly burned and cut
Grace Hale, chorus, slightly burned
/ Willy Rhys, orchestra, hands slightly
! injured and burned
Etna Hurning- chorus. feet frozen
Mrs Enhoare, badly burned.
c A Parker, comedian. back in
jured
I The bodies of the two women burned
/ to death were charred beyond all recog.
milton, the heads, legs and arms being
entirely gone
| The train was running smoothly and
not faster than twenty-five miles an
hour. when there came 4 terrific lurch
/ which suggested at first TO the train
hands that the engine had plunged
through a cuivert Everyone in the
baggage car was pitched against its
sides and more or less hurt When
the full extent Of the wreck be-
came apparent organized efforts
were at once made to save the occu-
pants of the sleeper Twenty were
taken out. most of them badly injured
/ There was no outcry from the end
! berth occupied by Mrs Andrews and
; her maid 1t was thought they had
escaped and before a second effort
could be made in their behaf the car
was enveloped in flames Conductor
Hall believes that both Were instantly
killed when the car capsizea-
All the members of the opera COM
pany were fast asleep when the crash
came An overturned stove caused the
fire
The accident was an unaT oidab le enc,
the rail breaking some five yards from
the end, the piece breaking IN five
pieces The members OF the company
/ lost every thing except stage clothes.
including musical instruments, watches
and money.