Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1896-10-10
MET DEATH ON THE RAIL
SEVEN KILLED IN A TRAIN " NH' -
OS THE SANTA FEE.
,,,,tixc HIcw Up NeHr Usage
city, Kan, for lack OF ""'er
in the Boiler.

Usage City. Kan, Oct. IA lrls"'10'
wreck. attended by serious loss OF ma
and made terrible BY the selL-murder o.
one OF the terrified passengers, occurred
at o'clock this morning on the SANTA
Pc road, two miles north OF this STA
ton.
Seven dead bodies have been recovered
from the wreck, and it Is feared that
other victims are buried beneath the
debris The wrecked train was the cast
bound passenger No 2, the same that had
such a thrilling experience with bandits
In New Mexico on Friday night last
The wreck was caused by the eXplo-
sion Of the boiler OF the locomotive. The
engineer should have stopped for water
ri Usage City. but being behind time he
endeavored to run TO the next tank.
Though II Is not positively known. thu
engineer and fireman having both met
death in tho wreck. it IS surmised nat
this neglect was the cause of the dis
astsr.
The train had proceeded but Two miles
beyond this place when two terrific ex-
plCsious were heard. ou0 following close
after the other The locomotive was
completely shattered. The express, bag
gage and passenger coaches came crash
ing on the wrecked engine and tho
coaches that were ahead were piled up
In a heap OF wreckage. The coaches
in the rear were all deraled. but the
passengers riding in the rear car escaped
serious injury.
The wreck was marked by scenes OIL
the widest confusion among the terri
fec passengers. Tho nerves Cf the pas
sengers were at d high pitch as a re
suit Of their experience with the road
agents OF New Mexico, and when the
crash came. the FIRST impression oi al
was that the train had been attacked
again by robbers.
One passenger, William Becker OF Los
Angeles. Cal, en- route TO Chicago. seem
ed to lost his reason entirely. When the
crash came he drew q single barreled
pistol from his poc~et and in the pros
ence OF car fun OF terrified passengers,
took his own life, sending n bullet into
his brain.
He had been drinking heavily. He was
about 55 years Of age. Owing to the ex~
element and confusion. little could be
done to rescue the injured and remove
the bodies OF the dead until the mornings
sun appeared. Seven bodies were finally
recovered. The dead are;
William Becker, Los Angeles Cal
Engineer Strump, Topeka, Kan.
Fireman Harry Holuster, Topeka.
William McAdams. a tramp, riding cn
the baggage car, and supposed 10 be
from ChiIIicothe. Ohio.
Three tramps, names unknown, who
were riding on the baggage car.
Among those injured are; Mrs. Emma
Maxwell. an editor on the Evening Teie
gram, Colorado Springs, Col, hands and
arms cut and bruised; William Burns,
tramp, legs and arms cut; james Cole
man, tramp. cut and badly bruised.
None Of the expressmeu or mail clerks
we're seriously injured.
The force Of tho explosion broke the
locomotive entirely in Cwo and the front
trucks crushed into "a coal chute 30 feet
from the tracks. The explosion blew
hole in the ground four feet deep The
mail ear, which followed the tender.
plunged into the hole and rolled over on
Its side. Third from the locomotive was
the express coach, which telescoped the
baggage car and also rolled over on Its
side. The smoking car a chair car and
a tourist sleeper, behind the express car,
were also derailed and overturned. Their
occupants were much shaken up, AS the
train was probably running 40 miles an
hour when the accident occurred.
At / o'clock this afternoon a track had
been built around the wreck. and traffic.
was resumed.