The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-09-09
TWELTE PERSONS KlLLED.
BRYAN I'm a wrcct-He Joins the Rescuers
and DOCS Noble Work,


worst wrecks in the history OF the Santa
Fe railroad occurred three miles east Of
here al about 7.s0 o'clock tonight Twelve
or fifteen persons were killed, and as
many more badly hurt. The fast mail
train going East. and the Mexico and
California express. bound West, collided
head on.
The Mexico and california express was
pulled bv two locomotives, and when
they struck the engine drawing the fast
mail. the boilers of on three engines ex-
ploded. and tore a hole in the ground
so deep that the smoking-cor Of the vest
bound train ran on top ~ the three en-
gines and two mail ca-s, and balanced
there without turning cyer The passen-
gers I'm the smoking-car escaped. but by
the windows. The front end of this car
was enyeloped in a volume OF sitting
smoke and steam boiling up from the
wreck below. and the rear door was
i8mmod tight Ga the wreck Of the car be-
bind it
Tho wreck cauel fire from tho engines.
The cars in The hole and the smokIng-car
were burned 90 ashes in a short time.
i'm climbing out of the smoking-car. sew
eral men foIl through the r.fts into the
wreck. and it is impossible 10 tell whcth-
en- they escaped Or wore burned 10 death.
Tho west-bound train carried seven or
eight coaches. and .ts passengers included
many cNcursionists who had been to hear
Hon. vs.. J. Bryan speak nc the County
Fair at HmlIug1me. Mr. Bryan himself
was on the train. but was riding in the
rear Pullman some 900 feet from the
cars which were wrecked. Tie states that
nothing but % heavv Jolt was experienced
by the passengers in his coach.
A1r Bryan was one OF the noblost men
in the crowd OF rescucrs. IIe helped 10
carry out the dead and wounded. and
gave tho greatest attention % their care.
ono poor fellcw. who wa1 badly MANNED.
called TO Afr. Bryan and said:
OF went 20 hear you to-day. 7 am now
dying and want t0 shake your hand and
say God hles you. III y0u possibly can,
MT Bryan. got mo a drink of water"
Mr. Bryan went into the flst-maU cars
one end Of which was burning. and came
ont with tho water which Doe gave 20 the
suffering passenger. He brought out
cushions for others NJ tho injured. and
was everywhere present t0 minister 20
the wants or the suffering.
It is feared that nearly all " tho seven
mail clerks pcrished in the disaster. but
so FAR only eight bodies have been taken
from the wreck. Those dead arc
Jim Brennan. eneInecr Topeka.
Nate HOLSTER lroman Topeka.
v. +. j.. S0uders Kansas City. express
messenger; body almost consumed by fire.
William IT, RishW engineer.
k. s.. D0rdn. Emuoria. postal clerk.
Gonzles fr.m1n. west-bound
train.
Unknown man. tramp Topeka
Among those seriously injured are
Claude Holiday. Lawrence. express mes
ecnror, both legs broken; ID. O.. Erie,
kansas CITY, fApft7- messenger, legs
broken: John Dagan. Topeka, face smash
ed. J. IT, Butler county attorney Chase
county. hip broken. may die; william F
Jones. Kansas city leg and arms broken;
B. u. Mctlk. At0h.sOn. badly bruised:
Phil Schuer Kansas city, hip cruehedi
O. a. Van Welt brakeman. Kansas CITY
badly bruised. william Patrick, Kansas
CITY leg and arm broken, O.. ID. Adams
CITY OF Mexico. painfully bruised, Mike
Sweeney Gainesville, Texas. back hurt
BEN. Walters. ST. Joseph Mo-, fireman
on the west-bound train. is MISSING
THE engineer of the West-bouud train
had received orders tO meet the fast mail
at Empora. and was making up lost time.
These two are the fastest trains in the
Santa TIE system. and the Weft-bound
train must have been running mo speed
OF at least forty miles nn hour lle west
bound express was going around slight
curve. and met the fast mail probably
within two hundred feet
OF the seven or eight cars making un
the Mexico and California express only
the mail. baegaee and express ears and
smoking cars were destroyed. The coach
following the smoker was badly splinter
ed.
There were nqt more than a dozen pas-
songors ON the/faet mail. an in the first
class coach. and while none of them We're
seriously injured their shaking up was
terrible Every scat in the coach was torn
from the floor and many floor planks
came up with the seats.
one man. John Sweeney. was thrown
'over three seats and through window,
but escaped With only one scratch and
some bruises
It is stated that tho wreck was caused
bv a miscarriage of orders from the train
master. At Emu0ria the east-h0und fast
mail train received orders 20 pass the Cali
iflrnia express at Lang seven miles east
Another order WAS sent t0 Lang for the
California express 10 take the siding
there. but this order was not delivered
and the west-holnd train passed on, the
trainmen expecuus to pass the fast mail