The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1896-10-08

Fe locomotive No. SIS. which was
recently overhauled and was there
after considered one of the best on the
road. unaccountably exploded while
it was drawing the California express
eastbound at full speed. near Peterton
in this vicinity early Sunday morning
The body of the locomotive was
thrown fifty feet through the air,
alighted in a coal chute and tore q
hole ten feet deep in the ground. The
fragments were scattered far and
wide. The express and baggage cars
were lifted from the track and dam
aged considerably.
Engineer u. Strunk and Fireman O.
81. Hollister were buried under the
tender and instantly killed. Both
were from Topeka and the former so
and the latter 80 years old. They had
years respectively. The former leaves
a family.
Four tramps, who were riding on a
brake rod, were killed and mangled
beyond recognition. One was Arthur
Smith, of al7 Parallel avenue, Kansas
City, Kan. Another, William Nc
names of the others arc unknown.
MILFORD Person, of Great Bend. and
a colored boy named Crawford, of
this place. who had been riding on
the "blind-baggage," were injured.
The most serious hurt sustained by
either was broken leg.
The train to which the exploded To-
connective was attached was Passenger
No. 2 and it was full at the time. The
most remarkable feature of the acct
dent is that none of the passengers
lost their lives. Nor were any of them
even injured with the exception of
Mrs. Edna Ii. Maxwell of 1928 East
Eighth street, Kansas City, Mo-, who
gashed her arm badly by breaking a
window of Pullman sleeper in an
attempt to escape from the car. c.
L. Shireman of Kansas City, helper
in the express car, was bruised by
falling boxes, but his injuries. though
painful, were of no consequence 9th
erwise.
A SUICIDE THROUGH TERROR.
dressed man with plenty of money
and a ticket from Los Angeles to Chi
cago. His name is believed to have
been William Becker. According to
the testimony of the train men he
had been drinking a good deal on the
trip Mrs. Maxwell, whose berth in
the sleeper was near Beckler's, said
after the accident that he must have
been an invalid, so thin and pale was
he. and that when the explosion oc-
Cured he became beside himself with
grief He muttered something about
his home in Chicago and said he had
been in California for his health. Mrs.
Maxwell asked him his name, but he
seemed not to hear. At any rate he
did not answer. In a moment he left
the car and gave $50. 81 to J. p. Ram
sayer. q Newton. Kan, dry goods
man, telling the latter if anything
should happen to him (Beckl.r) to
send the money to S. S. Rodgers of
Los Angeles. Cal, from whom 1t had
been borrowed to make the trin He
also gave up his watch.
That was the last Beckler's fellow
passengers knew of him in life. for
the next moment, having taken a seat
in mother part of the train. he shot
himself through the head with a re-
volver and fell dead into the aisle
without uttering a word. Extreme
terror was doubtless the cause OF the
suicide.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
Conductor Sill. in charge of the
tr ain. kept his head and under his
direction a score Of men set to work
to search for the dead ard injured
and to care for those in whom life
was not yet extinct. The number of
workers was continually augmented,
for the sound of the explosion had
been heard miles around. Doctors
from Peterton and this place were in
attendance in a short time.
When the mishap was reported at
Topeka headquarters, the wrec1ing
crew started for the scene.
The train had remained on the
track with the exception OF the ex-
press and baggage cars, coutigu-
Gus to the locomotive and had been
jerked from the rails when the mas
sive machine leaped through the air.
Conductor Sill, who was in the
chair car when the explosion &C.
CURED. said that the noise was like
the ''crsck of doom" The shock sent
him flying against the door. 1T was
q terrible accident" said he, land l
thank God Tor protecting q trainload
of people"