New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-28
MAIL CLERKS ALL KILLED.
SEVEN LIVES LOST IN THE WABASH
RAILWAY WRECK.
A TRESTIE WEAKENED BY FLOOD GIVES Way
FARMERS HEROIC EFFORTS TO AVERT

A FARMERS HEROIC EFFORTS TO AVERT
DISASTER PROVED UNAvAILING.
Kansas City. Mo. June 27.-seven collins were
forwarded to ST. Louis to-day from missouri
City. They contained the bodies Of victims Of
last nights wreck the Wabash road a cor
rect list Of the dead follows:
BRINK. F. W. postal clerk. St. Louis
GREAslEY. Charles r. brakeman, ST Louis
GRINROD. Edward. haeraSoman. 81. Louis.
MILLS. w. s.. postal clerk. 50. Louis
SMITH o. NJ. postal clerk 81. Louis
SMITH. Gustav A.. postal c.eTk. -. Louis
WINTERS. Charles. postal clerk. st. Louis
The conductor Of the train. G. c. Copeland, or
st. Louis who was reported last right among
the dead IS still alive. He was removed this
morning to the railroad hospital at Moberly.
With a fractured skull and several broken ribs.
he fingers between life and death. but the sur
geons express Il hope that he will recover. Mr.
Copeland was supposed to he dead when taken
from the wreck ard his body was laid In n row
with the seven dead. A few minutes later some
one observed n sign of life. and he was trans
ferred to a stretcher and received every possible
attention.
OF the nineteen Others injured, not one Is In
critical condition. Among them all there Is not
one broken limb though many Of them were
thrown three quarters Of the length or the
coaches in which they were riding. A partial
list Of those, besides Mr. Copeland, injured. Is
as follows:
DILLON Edward roiliaay Kan; head bruised and cut
DARCEY. Miss Alice. Kansas city; head badly cut.
GRAY Dr. sol" Prairie Ii. Mo- right knee and both
elbows injured.
HINNOX j. w. Mexico Mo.; both legs badly bruised
MATTHEW'S. Mrs salie Kansas city: side hurt
MERRICK Miss Nellie. Carroon; back badly hurt.
pRATIIER Mrs. $ C.. Columbia Mo; head shoulders
and ne
PRArHER Artea. eight years old. Columbia. Mo- head
and face cut.
WILKINSOT. ". H.. Kansas City, shoulders injured AND
head
WILKINSON Mrs. W. H.. Kansas City; right arm
broken.
Mrs. W. IT, Wilkinson. Of Kansas City. is the
most seriously hurt. Two small bones Of her left
hand are broken, and she suffered a severe lacer-
alton Of the thigh as we'll as bruises about the
face and neck The wounds of most Of the
others trivial.
All indications are that death came TO at least
four Of the five nail clerks almost instantly
Their car pitched end-first through the break
in the trcstle and they must have been drowned
in the raging stream while in an unconscious
condition. The bodies IF the four were swept
from the wreck and We're recovered some dis.
tance down the stream. There were signs OF life
in the body of the fifth mail clerk when rescuers
dragged him from the wreck. but he died few
minutes later.
Last night it was feared there were more bod
les in the stream. but careful search to-day
proved that the fatalities are limited to those al
ready named To-day but a small stream was
flowing beneath the trestle whore the wreck oc-
Cured In ordinary weather II is a dry creek
bed. The storm Of last night. which was al
most a cloud burst, had swollen the little stream
10 a torrent The food carried away wagon
bridge a short distance above the Wabash trestle.
The wreck Of this bridge was hurled down upon
the railroad trestle and carried away a row or
wooden supports in the centre.
\ neghbOring farmer noticed the perilous con-
dillon OF the trestle, and resolved to flag the
passenger train. which he knew was about due.
FOR nearly an hour he stood in the terrific down
pour Of rain. only to fail at last in his good IN
tentiOns for when the fast mail came numbering
on the storm was almost binding. and the en-
gineer evidently could not see the signal Which
the farmer frantically waved across the track.
The locomotive struck the trestle. The engine
passed over but the tender went through with
off its side while the mailcar which followed
pitched into the stream. end first Every IRE IN
this car was lost. The smoker, next behind fol-
lowed. 1t in this car that the conductor,
Mr. Copeland was riding. The other occupants
escaped serious injuries. The Charcar, next be-
hind also plunged in upon the mass Of wreck
age end first and all it's passengers were thrown
to the forward end in a heap The front end or
the sleeper, next in the rear Jammed INTO the
protruding end Of the chaircar. and was thus
prevented from following the others into the
chasm The two Excelsior Springs coaches in
the rear remained on the track.
The scene Of the wreck, which is tWenty-one
miles northeast Of Kansas city. near Missouri
City station. was visited to-day by many per-
sons. wrecking train worked all day repair
ing the trcste and raising the shattered coaches,
and tonight trains are moving over the road as
usual
As soon rs the engineer Carlisle realized what
had happened he started as fast as his crippled
engine could travel for Missouri City and re-
ported the wreck wrecking crew left Mober-
iv shortly after. Twenty minutes after the
wreck was reported a special train carrying the
officials Of the line and "A score Of doctors left
Noherly Word was sent 10 Kansas city for
suocial with doctors and the Wabash surgeon.
Or J. y. Jackson. and dozen assistants were
soon at the station. II was then learned that
those persons with slight injuries could be
brought back TO this city quicker. and tn" spe-
cial was not run from here The doctors waited
at the station for The train that brought the in
jured in
we're all in the wreck and only the conductor of
the Pullman and his porter We're there to help
the passenger.
Conductor Copeanl had lust entered the front
door Of that coach when it went down. Chairs
went tumhling down alonc with me peopi" ana
beneath the mass Copeland met his death. Cries
came from all parts of III" wreck. and people
were climbing and hurying out of II. Men with
blood streaming ali over them and Wrmen WITH
clothing dishevelcd and covered with blood pit
ccuslv appe alod for help. Men were piniCned
down beneath great masses II earth. and it was
agony unspeakable to get them out, hut those
Who could render assistance did all that was pos
sible There is no telling how many people are
I'm the water. II was from six 10 ten feet deep
and the current was swift
II was sitting in the middle ~ the chair-car.'
said Mrs Saie Matthews, "when the train wen.
down never heard such shrieks and cries in
my life before Then all was still for a moment.
The thunder was rolling dreadfully. the light
ring was blazing. and the rain falling in torrents
There were a dozen men in the car. and all but
three ran out and left the dozen women there
all alone"