The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-13
THE STATION AGENTS STORY.
He Saw the Excursionist Train. but
Too Late to stop 1t.

Omaha. July ia special to the Rec
from logan, Iowa. says: William Shaffer.
the agent of the Northwestern Al Logan.
saw the excursion train pulling up. He
supposed at hrst that the movement was
for the purpose OF hurrying up any tardy
members of Tie party ard fiat TIE train
would stop before Il left the yard and
wait for the passing OF No Ss. He was
Mortified 20 notice that Instead of Stacking
up at the switch the train wes rapidly taxi
ing on more speed He rushed down the
platform ard asked an employe II the
special had pulled out and received an
affirmative reply. Then God help them
said shaffsr. "thev rave pulled out with
out orders and No 81 is due n a minute"
Bur n was too late 10 avoid the catas-
trophe or even 20 attempt Il. All Logan
was on the platform cheering FOR the ex-
ctzrSsonists. and me excursionists had
flst foinea IN ar offer OF three cheers for
Logan and her people. The echo Of the
last htrrah had not died away when the
crash came No. As with a fgli head OF
steam one minute behind time. dashed
around the curve a: forty-miie an hour
gait. and no human power could avert
the disaster.
The floor of the baggage car was found
wedgei so tightly into the coach that all
efforts TO remove it were futile. although
a thousand willing hands joined in the
attempt 10 lift the cover that was conceal
ing the dead and imprisoning the injured
in living tomb Finally one Ak was pro-
cured and section of the car floor cut
away The sight revealed was heVnnd the
power OF words TO portray. The first OBJ
5ect 10 attract the attention OF the res
cuerx when the section OF the aoor was
removed was the upright body OF a man.
whose head had been almost severed from
the trunk so recent had been the acrf-
dent that the blood from his wounds had
- as~sf ~
rses of It's GOVERNS. glistened like a poll
ishea billiard bah. The body of the man
was drawn froru the ruins and was soon
Identified a. thar % John Kenkel. an Orqa-
- musician who had heen playing with
tha hand az the picnic
The next bodies 20 b. drawn from The
r,1ins we're those Of Mrs.. Bradley and ha~
hzhe. a child about year old The
fshvsz head Was badly crushed. bgf she
held IN her arms a pretty doll hat Vas
as unrumpled ard fresh as when fe came
from the toy store. The sHaca in the car
between the fioor Of the coach and fha
floor OF the baggage car was packed with
de al and dying humanity. GroanS ard
sxarfxinx appeals for help came from the
injured ard spurrea the rescaers 10 their
greatest Efforts As soon as lfttGe srace
within was cleared TIRE Workers climbed
inside the coach ansi the work OF "a sslrss
m ire bodies og the dead and injured
progressed Fnnre rapidly.
II seemed as fs shs en4 would never BE-
reached Twenty-sfve dad ho4leS ua~A
ssken cat ard lAi2 81 a row On she
grass alonSslSe ths ~ lroai rra-& ana TIE
injured wsre a. once tAkeu 81 rsarrsaxos
10 IssSza. IN a wsry short tfrne tae aro@4l
far hssp had b3en answered ~ All tAa
~Nwssrsans frozn LGeas end Missouri Eai-
lev RnT faen some system as .nsrnascs-3
xs,gn tsa uaanaSE 0E rescue wOrk
TkeTe Was q great lsek Of material 20
hsrs fhe w0anas. az2 pocket banker
cAle9s. at1FcA iowelS All Aaea articles Gg