The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-04
WENT OFF THE TRACK.
Rock Island Eastbound Train De-
rallied Near Willard.
THE TOURIST SLEEPER TURNED OYER
Two People Cut With Broken Glass,
but Nobody is Seriously Injured.

Two People Cut With Broken Glass,
but Nobody is Seriously Injured.
The Rock Island east bound train due
in Topeka at 1926 Sunday afternoon, NO
q was derailed one mile west of Will
lard, little station eighteen miles west
of Topeka, yesterday afternoon. The
train consisted of nine cars, and all of
these except the front baggage car and
the engine left the track The tourist
sleeper was turned over on its side, and
the train after leaving the track bumped
along on the ties for distance of more
than 200 feet. A remarkably quick stop
was made considering the fact that the
train was going thirty five miles an hour
at the time of the wreck.
Serious as the accident appeared to
be, none of the passengers were bodily
hurt In the inverted tourist sleeper
two passengers were cut with glass about
the face, but not so seriously as to even
leave permanent scars Another pas
senger in this car thought his leg was
broken, but it was not. In the other cars
the passengers were shaken up like
glass in patent lemonademaker, but
aside from this and general soreness,
they were not Inconvenience
The passengers who were on the SIN
iured list'' were brought to Topeka by
the engine and fed, three at the Ches-
terfield and four at the National, at the
company's expense. The Rock Islands
local physician, DR.. Mum was also pres
ent, to make examinations, free.
As soon as the news of the derailment
reached Topeka by telegraph an
emergency train was made up,
aud with General Superintendent
Hit on board, quick run
| was made to the scene. The report that
the tourist sleeper had caught fire and
burned up was found to be incorrect
The car had caught fire from the in.
verified and deadly car stove, but the fire
WAS put out by means of bottles of t1r G
extinguisher, kept in the car. In saving
the car Conductor J. E. Ward had his
uniform badly burned and himself had
a narrow escape. The engineer, Dan
Sullivan, stayed by his engine, 'old 9O1, .
nobly.
The train Is one that is consolidated at
| Mcfarland, and includes both the Den
yer and the Texas train. 1T always has
from eight to twelve cars. Yesterday il
was nine. The accident delayed the
train more than three hours, but some
time was made up, and she pulled into
Kansas City within three hours of SEIZED
ule time.
The cause of the wreck is a puzzle tt
the Rock Island officers here. The wreck
occurred on a five degree curve, and {
defective rail is the easiest way to &C
count for it, and the theory generally ac
copied.
General Superintendent Hit told
JOURNAL reporter today, however, tina
he had personally inspected the track a
the scene of the wreck. and for some dis
| lance back, and he was unable to find an.
trace of defective rail.
The theory of defective truck nigh
account for one car leaving the track, Blu
it would hardly take seven other coache
with it
Another theory is that the constructing
tendency of the extreme cold upon tn
steel rails had the effect of breaking tn
! precise relative position which rails mus
occupy on curve
The Rock Island people are still on tn
ground, and expect to know more abou
it later.
None of the persons injured in tn
wreck were Topeka people, and so far a
known there were no Topeka people o
the derailed train.