Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1897-09-11
FAST TRAINS COLLIDE.
GOING FORTY MILES AN HOUR IN
OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.
Ten Were Killed w. j. Bryan a
Passenger but Is Unhurt-Aids
the Sufferers.

Emporia, Kan, Sept. 9.--One of the
worst wrecks i'll the history of the Santa
Fe railroad occurred three miles east of
here at about 1880 o'clock last night.
As near as can be ascertained 10 or IL
were killed and many were injured.
William Jennings Bryan was on the
train, but was unhurt
The fast mail train going east and the
Mexico and California express. west
bound, collided, head on. The Mexico
and California express was pulled by
two locomotives, and when they struck
the engine drawing the fast mail the
boilers OF all three engines exploded and
tore hole in the ground so deep that
the smoking car of the Westbound train
went in on top of the three engines and
two wrecked mail cars and balanced
there without turning over. The wreck
caught fire from the engines. The cars
in the hole and the smoking car burned
to ashes in no time. In climbing from
the smoking car several men fell through
the riffs into the wreck below and it is
impossible to tell whether they escaped
or were burned to death.
The Westbound train carried eight
coaches, and its passengers included
many eXcursionists who had been to
hear W. j. Bryan speak at the county
fair at BuIlingame. Mr.. Bryan himself
was on the train, but was riding in the
rear Pullman, some 400 feet from the
cars which were wrecked. He states
that nothing but heavy Jolt was ex-
perienced by the passengers in his
coach. Mr.. Bryan was one of the nobest
men in the crowd of rescuers. He helped
to carry out the dead and wounded and
gave the greatest attention to their
care. One poor fellow who was badly
manned called to Mr.. Bryan and said;
Il went to hear you today. / am dy-
ing now, and want to shake your hand
and say, God bless you. If you possibly
can, Mr.. Bryan, get me a drink of wa
ter"
Mr.. Bryan went into the fast mail car
one end of which was burning, and came
out with the drink of water, which he
gave to the suffering passenger He
Drought OuC cuSHloHS lOI OIneTS Oh the
injured and was everywhere present to
minister to the wants of the suffering.
The Dead and Injured.
The list of dead as known at midnight
follows:
James Brennan, engineer, Topeka.
Nate HOLSTER, fireman, Topeka.
William Frisby engineer.
- Gonzales, fireman.
j. F. Saurs, express messenger, Kan
sas City.
r. \. Doran, postal clerk, Emporia.
NJ. J. McGlade, postal clerk, Emporia,
died at II o'clock.
- ShulIey, fireman.
Daniel McKinnon, boy, Kansas City.
Unknown man, tramp.
Ben Walters, fireman, st. Joseph, Mo,
is missing.
Among the seriously injured are:
Claude Halliday, Lawrence, express mes
senger, both legs broken; d. G. Erter,
Kansas City, express messenger, legs
broken, will die; John Dagan, Topeka,
face smashed; J. T. Butler, county at
toney of Chase county, may die; Will
broken; b. X. Metik, Atchison, badly
bruised Phil Schier. Kansas City, hip
crushed; c. A. Van Fleit, brakeman,
Kansas City, badly bruised; William
Patrick, Kansas City, leg and arm
broken; C. d. Adams, City of Mexico,
painfully Bruised Mike Sweeny Gaines
vile, Texas, back hurt.
Going Forty Miles an Hour.
The engineer of the westbound train
had received orders to meet the fast mail
at Emporia, and was making up lost
time. The two are the fastest trains
on the Santa Fe system, and the west
bound train must have been running at
IA speed of at least 40 miles an hour. The
westbound express was going around a
slight curve and met the fast mail prob
ably within 200 feet.
1t is stated that the wreck was caused
by a miscarriage of orders from the
trainmaster