Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-11-26
OPEN SWITCH.
Culpable Carelessness Of a Union
Pacific Conductor.
A Freight Train Resting on siding with
tho Switch Open, Down Which u
Passenger Train Comes
Thundering.

OMAHA, Neb., Nov. 23.-Not in several
years has more serious or distressing
accident occurred on the Union Pacific
than the accident which took place at
Aida siding, eight miles west of Grand
Island, when express train No s, going
at the rate of forty miles an hour,
crashed into an extra freight train
standing on the switch. The passen-
ger train, which was due ut Grand
Island ut 5 o'clock and Mt Omaha at
10:4O, was nearly an hour and halt
late, and, striking the grade west OF
Aida, Engineer Mcdonald Of the passen-
ger train, determining ~ make up some
of the time, pulled the throttle open,
with the result as indicated.
The freight engine had been doing
considerable switching on the siding.
and after the work had been completed
the engine was comparatively dead at
the head of the siding. The morning
was foggy, and, unmindful OF danger
and resting secure in the thought that
the switch was properly placed, the en-
rineer and fireman of the extra waited
for the passenger train to rush by. but
the switch had not been closed, and the
passenger train brought death to four
men and fatally wounded three others,
through the criminal negligence OF the
switch tender. The men killed were:
J.W. Keller. conductor OF the freight,
Grand Island, who leaves n wife and
two children.
Barney Mcdonald, engineer OF the
passenger, North Platte. who leaves
wife, but no children.
Gus Barrett, engineer of the freight,
North Platte, who leaves wife and
three children.
Ira Owens. fireman of the freight,
North Platte, who leaves a wife and
five children.
The injured are:
William Costello, fireman of the pas
senger, Grand Island, single: fright
fully scalded, both ankles fractured.
Will probably die.
William Sutherland. brakeman on the
freight, Grand Island, single; arm
caught in wreck and broken.
A. NJ. Lyons, mail agent, Kearney,
head wounds and leg fractured.
No passengers were injured.
Both engines are total wreck, while
the mail and baggage cars are badly
damaged. Inside of half an hour re-
lief train from Grand Island was ON
the scene with physicians to look after
&La xyor1dad md all MESSENGERS and
baggage were transferred from the
wreck to the relief train which reached
Omaha yesterday afternoon Mt o'clock
Later-Fireman Costello and Brake
man Sutherland died last night. The
coroner's inquest developed the fact
that Conductor Keller left the switch
open.
ANOTHER Rad WRECK.
New ORLEANS, Nov ga confusion
of train orders occasioned a wreck on
the Queen & Crescent road yesterday
afternoon. The wreck took place six
miles of Derby, IL small station sixty
FIVE miles north of New Orleans. The
northbound freight crashed head on
into the southbound passenger train
and disastrous smashup resulted. A
tramp was killed instantly and Charles
Peek, of Chattanooga, Tenn, was fa-
ally injured. Manuel L. Crume, OF
Livingston, Ala, had leg broken;
Z. NJ. Holland. of this city, was badly
but not fatally hurt, and Charles Scott,
of Chicago sustained sprained ankle.