The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-01-22
THE FATAL RAIL.
A Broken Rail Causes a Bad Wreck on the
Northern Pacific Road and Disaster to an
Onern 1rOune

A Broken Rail Causes a Bad Wreck on the
Northern Pacific Road and Disaster to an
Opern Troupe.
BRAINERD, Mimi, Jan. 16-The
second section of a Northern Pacific
passenger train with the Andrews
Opera company on board left West SUI
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 embank-
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
fire was visible, but as soon as windows
were broken to liberate those inside
flames shot out and in 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
fering was terrible.
At this time it was discovered that
Mrs. Ed Andrews and TilIie Wallace,
her maid, were missing, but no human
effort could render them assistance, as
the car was a mass of flames. The in
jured were placed in baggage car and
brought to Brainerd.
The list of the dead and injured as
far as obtained is as follows:
Mrs. Ed Andrews Q1nown as Miss
Mamie Wilkinson, burned to death.
Tillie Wallace, of Minneapolis,
burned 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. T. Barker, Miss Fritschs sis
ter, shoulder dislocated.
Marie Roe, soprano, slightly burned
ami bruised
George Andrews, barytone, burned
On 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.
G.. f. Moody, leader of orchestra,
slightly burned
Mrs. Al Wakefield, wife of adva1ce
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 iu-
jured.
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 terrific lurch
which suggested at first to the train
hands that the engine had plunged
through a culvert 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 cutlery 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 behalf the car
was enveloped in flames Conductor f.
Hall believes that both were instantly |
killed when the car capsized.
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 unavoidable che, |
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.