Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-09-22
FIENDISH AND FOUL
Diabolical Crime of a Train
Wrecking Gang.
DONE BY MAKING A FALSE SWITCH
A Passenger Train Ditched and Four
Persons Killed in an Attempt
at Robbery.

fwenty-Seven Seriously Wounded, Two of
Them Probably FataIIy-A Rich Prize
of 81 ,OOO,O 900 the Stake, but the Wreck
So Complete to Battle the SIiscreants
Terrible Disaster in Ohio-Twelve
Persons Caught in the Debris and Gre
mated, Some Being Burned A1ive-Lists
Df Dead and Wounded.
TOPEKA, Kan, Sept. 22.-One of the
most destructive train wrecks ever known
in the history of the Atchison road took
place two and one-half miles west of Usage
City at 3:l5 yesterday morning. 1t was
the work of train wreckers, whose object
was robbery. The train was the Missouri
river night express from Denver and San
Francisco. AT least five lives were lost
and more than a score of passengers were
seriously injured. In the express car there
were about 81, 100000 which was being
shipped by the Mexican Central Railroad
company through to its general offices in
Boston The object of the wreckers was
not accomplished owing to the manner in
which the express was buried by the
coaches which We're piled npon it in gen
eral confusion. So high was the wreckage
heaped that it was literally impossible to
find the locomotive, let alone the treasure
box
Fixed Up Deadly Switch.
The place selected for the wreck lies be
tween Barclay and Usage City. There is
heavy grade there and frequent curves
mark the course of the track. East
bound trains passed over this stretch with
great speed, and the Inflated 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 outward toward the embarkment. thus
switching the train off the roadbed Ed
Mayer, of this city, was the engineer in
charge. Just before reaching the wreckers'
improvised switch he noticed that the rail
had been misplaced, and seeing that there
was no time TO stop the train ne threw the
throttle wide open, hoping that he might be
able to Jump the break in safety and avert
impending calamity.
Eject of the Deviltry.
The embankment at this point is about
eight feet high. The engine plunged over
1t, following the course prepared by the
would-be robbers. The train composed
of thirteen cars in all, and all except three
sleepers were piled on top of the engine.
Most of them We're overturned and broken
into splinters. Fortunately fire did not
break out, and it was with little difficulty
that openings We're made in the coaches to
permit the passengers to emerge into the
sfmi-darkness of the night. The sight that
met the gaze of those who escaped death or
injury was terrible The engine had gone
to the bottom of the hill and on top was
piled the wreckage of five cars, covering it
completely.
Did the Work Too Well.
Engineer Maher had been thrown from
his cab some distance away and had been
almost cooked alive by the steam from the
burst boiler flues. He was perfectly con-
scious, although it was apparent that death
was near. He said that he saw the rail out
and told briefly of his effort to prevent the
derailment of the train. James Chettick,
the fireman, had not been found up to this
writing, and it is supposed that he was
buried under the engine. Burt Baxter, the
express messenger, was scalded and other
wise injured. He died before he could be
brought to Usage City A guard was sent
with the express messenger from Las Vegas.
He was killed. His name is unknown
As soon as the news was received at the
company's office in this city relief train
was made up and sent out with number
Of surgeons and their assistants.
The Killed and NIangled.
Following is list of the dead and
wounded, obtained after a thorough in
vestigation: Dead-Ed Maher engineer of
Topeka; James Chettick. fireman, of
Topeka; Burt Baxter, express messenger,
of Kansas City; Express Guard Bloom
enthal, of Las Vegas.
The injured are-R. NJ. Donahue, con-
ductor, wounds in head and in leg; H. c.
Mcclure, Richmond, Mo-, cut in head and
knee fractured; II. S. Foster. postal clerk,
Lawrence, Kas., both hands and arms
burned, head and legs badly bruised; G. B.
Kearns, Kansas City, leg and arm broken;
J. b. Oberlin, Kansas City, hip sprained,
head and shoulders Bruised S. G.
Kelley, Kansas City, right shoulder
broken; Mrs. Mary Lyman, Blooming
ton, ILL.,, badly cut about head and
injured internally; Miss Jessie Gould,
Great Bend, Kan, injured in
the hip and back; William Doom
and child, Chillicothe, o., badly bruised;
Mrs NJ Jones and two children, Wichita,
bruised; Thomas Nelson, Topeka, bruised
about the head; NJ. A. Robert, Emporia,
Kan, back injured; J. +. Waddell, Boyer,
Kan, injured in the left hip; c. F. Woodlow,
Elliott, Ills, badly bruised; w. A. Curry,
Birmingham, Kan, head cut; Ollie Young,
Poplar Bluff, Mo-, head badly cut; A. C..
Roart, Newton, Kan, head cut; j. E.
johnson, Minneapolis, badly bruised w.
ID. Minor, Ness City, Kan, knee hurt; G. B.
Kinne express messenger, Kansas City,
Glight bruises.
Chettick's Body Recovered.
Late yesterday afternoon Fireman Chef
ticks body was recovered. OF the above