The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-10-09
A PECULIAR TRAIN WRECK
Railway Accident Caused by
Engine Boiler Exploding.
SCENES OF WIDEST CONFUSION

Six Persons Were Killed in the Smash
Up, and One Man Went Crazy and
Sent a Bullet Through His Brain.
Usage City, Kan, Oct. "a fright
full wreck, attended by serious loss Of
life, and made more terrible by the
self-murder of one of the terrified pas
sengers, occurred at o'clock this
morning on the Santa Fe road, two
miles north of here. Seven dead
bodies have been recovered from the
wreck, and it is feared that other vic
Tins are buried in the debris.
The wrecked train was the east
bound passenger No. Q, the same that
had such thrilling experience with
bandits in New Mexico on Friday
night last.
The wreck was caused by the explo-
sion of the boiler locomotive. The
enigneer should have stopped for wa
ter at Usage City. but, being behind
time, he endeavored to run to the next
tank. Though it is not positively
known, the engineer and fireman both
having met death in the wreck, it is
surmised that this neglect was the cause
of the disaster. The train had gone
but two miles beyond this place, about
to the Peterson coal chutes, when two
terrific explosions were heard. The
locomotive was completely shattered.
The express, baggage and passenger
coaches came crashing upon the
wrecked engine, and the coaches that
were ahead were piled up in heap Of
wreckage. The coaches in the rear
were derailed, but the passengers riding
in the cars escaped serious injury.
The wreck was marked by scenes of
the widest confusion among the pas
sengers. The nerves of many were at
a high pitch as result of their expert
ence with the road agents of New Mex
leo and when the crash came. the first
impression of nearly all was that the
train had been attacked again by rob-
bers.
One passenger, William Becker, Of
Los Angeles, en- route to Chicago,
seemed to lose his reason. When the
crash came, he drew pistol from his
pocket, and, in the presence of car
full of terrified passengers, took his
own life, sending bullet into his
brain. Becker had been drinking
heavily. He was about 55 years Of age.
Owing to the extreme excitement
and confusion, little could be done to
rescue the injured and remove the
bodies of the dead until the morning q
sun appeared. Seven bodies were
finally recovered.
The explosion broke the locomotive
entirely in two, and the front trucks
crashed into coal chute thirty feet
from the track. The explosion blew q
hole in the ground four feet deep. The
mail car, which followed the tender.
plunged into the hole and rolled over
on it's side. The baggage car, next be.
hind, was torn from it's trucks and also
rolled over on its side. Third from
the locomotive was the express car,
which telesooped the baggage car, and
also rolled over on its side. The smok-
ing car, a chair car, and a tourist
sleeper, which were behind the express
car, were also derailed and overturned,
and though their occupants were badly
shaken up, none were seriously hurt.
The Pullman coaches in the rear OF
the train remained upright, though
they were badly shaken up, as the
train was running forty miles an hour
when the accident occurred.