Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-10-08
WRECK.
A Boiler of an Engine on the Santa
Fe e ,plodes.
HALF 4 DOZEN LIVES ARE LOST.
A Passenger Shoots Himself After View Ing
the Wreck-The Train Running Fifty
Miles an Hour to Make Up
for Lost Time.

Usage CITY, Kan, Oct a-While
moving at the rate Of 80 miles an hour
the boiler Of the locomotive pulling
the eastbound California express train,
No. 2, on the Santa Fe railroad, ex-
ploded at Peterton, Kan, early yester-
day morning, causing disastrous
wreck and the loss Of six lives and pos
sibly more. Those killed were; George
Strumpf, engineer, Topeka; Henry Hol-
lister, fireman, Topeka; Arthur Smith,
74l Parallel avenue, Kansas City. Kan;
William McAdams, tramp; two other
tramps, unknown. The injured are:
M. Purcell, Rutledge, Mo-; leg badly
bruised; j, B. Stone, postal clerk, arm
and body bruised; II. s. Fowler, postal
clerk, back hurt; W. F. Evans and F.
A. Tiffany, postal clerks, bruised about
limbs and body; Mrs Edna Maxwell,
Kansas City, Mo-, hand cut by glass;
MILFORD Burns, tramp, OF Great Bend,
cut on legs and arms; James Coleman,
colored, tramp, both legs crushed. Will
liam Becker, of Chicago, passenger
en- route from California, soon after
viewing the wreck committed suicide
by shooting himself in the head.
The California express left La Junta
Saturday at one o'clock, two hours
late. At Dodge City, Conductor E B.
Sill, of Nickerson, look charge OF the
train, and upon the arrival at Usage
City at 4;37 yesterday morning it had
made up all OF so minutes of lost time.
At Newton, Engineer George Strumpf,
of Topeka, took charge Of the engine,
with Harry Hollister as fireman. The
trainmen were doing their best to
make up the lost time and arrive in
Kansas City on the regular schedule
time at seven o'clock in the morning.
The throttle was thrown wide open,
and the train was gliding swiftly over
the plains and through the little ham
let's, when suddenly a terrific explo'
sion took place, throwing a ponderous
engine three car.lengths ahead and
derailing six cars, causing loss of life
and injury, as stated above, and crea.
ting panic among the passengers.
The miraculous escape Of the passen'
gers and trainmen in the coaches from
death or serious injury was obvious to
everyone when the nature OF the wreck
became fully apparent. Only one pas
senger, Mrs. Maxwell, was injured.
She cut her hand in breaking window
to effect an escape from the mass OF
shattered cars.
William Becker, of Chicago, an in
valid on his return from the Pacific
coast, became crazed by excitement
and committed suicide in a Pullman
car by shooting himself through the
head with 99-caliber revolver. He
had acted very strangely on the train
for two days He had been to the
coast for his health. When the pas
sengers recovered from the shock Of
the explosion they began hasty ex-
animation. 1t was found that the
engine had crushed into coal chute
about ten feet from the track, and
that the machine was complete
wreck. 1t was broken in two and
stripped Of the smokestack and other
outside apparatus
The body Of Engineer Strumpf was
found about 20 feet from the engine.
1t was as limp as rag, and was life.
less Fireman HOLSTERS body was
under the engine and was badly mutt.
lated.
The explosion blew hole in the
ground about four feet deep, and the
mail car struck the hole and was
hurled over on its side. 1t was badly de.