The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-19
WENT OVER THE BANK
A STARTLING TRAiN-WRECK NEAR BIR-
MIkGllAM.
Marvellous Escape Of Passengers en- Crowded
Train on Kansas City and Mem
phis Railroad,

Kansas City, Mo-, Nov. 1S.-Train No.
2, on the Kansas City, Fort Scott and
Memphis, which left Birmingham, Ala
bama, last evening for Kansas City, was
derailed just west of Wlliford, Arkan-
sas, at 3 o'clock this morning. The COM
bination coach, chair car and sleeper
went over the bank, the combination ear
going into Spring river. The chair car
and sleeper were both consumed.
One passenger was fatally injured
and about thirty others more or less Sc
riously hurt. 1t is believed that none of
the latter Will die. The list of injured
are as follows:
Fatally. L. Hoover, Pleasant Hill,
Missouri.
More or Less riously-Leopold Pol
lock, Little Rock, Ark; Clarence MUIR
ply. Atwood, Ind; J. II. Morris, Bakers.
field, Mo-; G. A. Ravenstein, wife and
baby. Atwood, Ind; c. IL. Merriwether,
Sulphur Rock, Ark; Ed. Webb Vernon
Nook. Mo-. J. J. Altzscheel, Little Rock.
Ark; w. J. Grant, Salem, Ark; injured
about head; w Il. Stahal, Corinth, Miss
injured about head and hands; w. III.
Boatner, Lection, Mo-, injured about
head; NJ. G.. Hogan, Oakland, Ark; in
iured about head; Wesley Iyins, Atwood,
Ind, injured about head; Mrs. A. Il.
Perkins, Hiral Ark, extent of injuries
not known; II. s. Guy, Monterey, Ind,
arms hurt; j. n. Horton, Ashfat, Ark,
cut head and thighs hurt; John Horton,
his son, IA years old, bruised between the
shoulders; Luther Horton, his son, six
years old, bruised about the knee; s. l..
Guthrie, Franklin, Ark, hip bruised;
John H. Eady Hardy, Ark, head c5sut;
]. d. HILL Hardy, Ark, head cut; H. V.
Hill, Hardy, Ark, leg hurt; Mrs Prince,
going to Fort Smith, extent of injuries
not known; her son, boy, hurt about
face and arm; NJ. Bailey, Fair Play, Mo-,
foot injured; w. j. Shesabel, Voldette.
Ark, head injured; Mrs. Arnett, Nam
moth Springs, Ark, back sprained.
Number is fast through train from
the South. Between Williford and Har-
dy the Memphis tracks parallel the
Spring river, little stream running out
of Mammoth Springs. The train was
composed of the engine, mail and ex-
press car, baggage car, combination
coach, chair car and sleeper. The COM
bination car has a partition in the mid
die, ane end being used as smoker and
the other end for colored passengers.
Near Williford the engineer felt the
train leap forward and found that it
had parted between the two day coaches.
The last three cars bumped over the ties,
the chair car and sleeper turning over on
their sides and the combination car final
ly going into the river. The engineer
backed up the front part of the train and
the work Of rescue was Immediately be-
gun.
The terror of the passengers who had
gone down into the stream with the COM
bination car, was heightened by cries OF
alarm from the chair car and sleeper,
both of which soon took fire. The in
tense darkness added to the confusion
and it was some time before an organ
lied effort at rescue was put into effect
by the train crew, and those of the pas
sengers who had been able to extricate
themselves without aid. The passengers
in the burning cars were luckily rescued
before the fire had reached it's height,
and but few in those cars were injured.
Iuckily not a person was drowned and
it was not long before all had been ac-
counted for. A telegram to Thayer.
Mo-, % miles distant, brought a relief
train in an hour or so, and the injured
We're taken to that city and placed in q
hospital.
Shortly before noon to-day, Chief Sur
geon Pettijohn, of the Memphis road
. Claim Agent Crater, left Kansas
City for Thayer, and will bring the in
jured to this city.
The cause OF the accident has not
been ascertained, but it is thought some
portion of the forward truck of the
smoker gave way. This will not be
known positively until the wreck, which
is in the river, has been recovered.
The train crew escaped injury. The
wreck Is the first one of serious ma
ture In the history Of the Memphis road,
and IL Mr.. Hoover dies, he will, accord
Ing to the statement Of General Passen-
ger Agent Lockwood, be the first passen-
ger ever killed while riding on a train on
that road. i.f.e.,-f. $1,000.