The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-01-04
Six Men Burned in the LinWOOd
Wreck.
Only Pieces Left to Identify the
Lost.
THE ENGINEER ASLEEP
Both Railroads Blaming Each
Other as Careless.

Kansas CITY, No Jan. At is
now believed that six men lost their
lives in the Union Pacific wreck at
Linwood Tuesday morning. instead of
three as at first reported; but The
flames that followed the wreck were
so fierce that every vestige of three Of
the human bodies was com pletely
bIotted out, as if they had been
subjected to the white heat Of a
erematoI-y- The whitened bones Of
two men were pieced together Tues
day Yesterday just a fragment of
what may have been another skeleton
was found More enduring than
flesh and blood, keys and knives and
yesterday sifted from the ashes and
may prove the only evidence Of the
fate Of three Kansas stOckmen.
six men are missing.
"a few chdrred bones. six pocket
knives. three watches and pieces of
chains, q conductors punch. several
keys and two teeth are all that re-
main Of them to tell the awful story
of death.
The list of dead is now believed to
be as follows:
}. W. ATWOOD OF Kansas City. conductor
HERMAN sMrzE stockman OF Clay Cen
MR MARTIN, stockman Of Wakefield,
VT All GER. stockrnan OF Russell kan
~ JOHNSON, sroekman Of Beverly. Kan
J J p ELLE4, stockman OF MarysYille'
Mr.. A. c. Geer of Waldo. Kan. ar
rived IN the city yesterday and identi-
fed the bunch of KEYS found as be-
longing to his brother, ". A Geer Of
Russell, Kan Mr.. Geer's name was
known to be a passenger upon the
train and there is very little doubt
that he met frightful death
Of Kelley and J johnson very little is
known nor has any relic yet been
found Of them un ess some of the
knives can be Identified as belonging
to them The Tn on Pacific officials
have since the wreck been coll Getting
from the station agents duplicate
way bills, those in the possession of
the conductor having been burned.
This work is not quite completed and
until it is it will be impossI bic to give
the exact number killed in the wreck.
Kelley is known 70 have shipped
cattle On that train and is supposed to
have been in the wreck so tar as
known no inquiries have been re-
ceived by any one concerning his
wherea bouts.
James A. Stevens & Co. live stock
commission merchants yesterday re-
ceived telegram inqulring if E John
son Of Beverly. Kan, had arrived at
the market He is supposed by his
friends to have been on The train and
is missing The incomplete report of
wav bills received by the & MON Pacific
does not show his name as having
shipped cattle
The officials Of each road Law the
blame for the accident upon the train
men OF the other. The Rock Island
officials say the trainmeD of the first
section of the Rock Island train had
thrown out fusees as signal for the
MON Pacific train following it to
SLOW up. The signal, they claim was
seen and obeyei BY the crew Of the
wrecked Union Pac tic train, out that
it failed to give the same signal to the
Rock Island train behind it. and that
therefore the sponsib iIity rests with
the JnIon Pacific.
The Union Pacific officials admit
that such signals were given and not
repeated. but say that such signals
foggy night when the ordinary signals
displayed by a train can not be readily
seen.
"A fusee is sort of lighted torch.
which burns ten minutes, and when
thrown out is a signal for a following
train to SLOW up. said Union Pacific
official. 'Eusees cost money, and
there was absolutely no need for Civ
ing such a signal All hands agree
that the night was perfectly clear.
and al the place where the wreck Oc-
Cured the rear lights 81 train could
be seen for a mile.
The Rock Island officials viii not
permit its train crew to talk until
af er the inquest is held. It IS runored
that the Rock Island engineer was
asIeen until too late to avoid the acct
dent but this story is denied by the
Rock island people.