Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-10
Une Of Worst that Has Ever
Occurred on the System.
len Persons Are Dead rs Others
Suffering from Serious Injuries.
Mr. Byan's Gallaat work--Alany Scenes Of
Nerve and Bravery.

pSka ~ santa re proves to have been
the worst disaster that has occurred on
| that system in many years. Ten peo-
pie killed outright, or soon died of their
injuries, and Is others were more or
! less seriously injured One or two
more OF the wounded may succumb.
That the wreck didn't result more seri-
ously, seems miraculous. VIM j.
Bryan. who was a passenger on one of
the trains, escaped uninjured and aided
NATURALLY in rescuing the unfortunates
| and alternating their sufferings.
The wrecked trains were the fastest
| in the service--the fast mail, east
bound, and the California and Mexico
| express, west-bound, drawn by two en-
Sines. Each train was running at the
| rate OF 10 miles or over an hour
The wreck occurred at 7.30 last even
| ing, three miles east of Emporia, on
small culVert that crossed a dry
| stream. The culvert was not more than
| 10 feet wide and the foremost engine
Of the west-bound train had spanned
| 1t when the collision occurred. The
| embankment approaches to this cul-
| vert were about 10 feet high. This
added to the danger. The wreck was
caused by a miscarriage of orders by
| the train dispatcher. The conductor
of the bound train was ordered at
| Empora to meet and, pass the Califor-
mia flyer at Lang. seven miles east An
order sent to Lang to the conductor of
| the west bound to wait there, was not
! delivered and he supposed he was to
pass at Emporia. Each train was hur-
rying one to Emporia, the other to
| Lang, and met at full speed on the
main line.
| The California train was almost an
| hour late. and owing TO Mr.. Bryan's
lecture engagement at Burlingame, was
| crowded with eXcursionists returning
| home. The west-bound train carried
eight passenger coaches and all were
crowded The conductor and brake
men were getting their lanterns ready
! for F.mporia. only three miles away.
! There was no warning signal. The
| west bound train was going around q
slight curve and met the fast mail.
probably within 200 feet. There was
| shock as If the trains had bumped
against a stone wall Then there was
an explosion. crashing sound, an un-
certain movement of the coaches and
all the lights went out.
Those who were in the first coach on
the west bound train, were left in total
darkness and they very soon realized
| the peril of their position for the
| coaches were filed with steam ami
smoke All three boilers of the engines
exploded with the compact and tore
| hole in the track SO deep that the
| smoking car of the west bound train
| went on top of the wreck of the three
| engines and two mail cars and bal
| anced there without turning over
Those in this car who escaped through
| the windows came very near turning
the car over, in which event the NOR
| tality would have been much create"
| as this car soon caught fire from the
exploded engines underneath it and
| burned to ashes in a short time.
/ VIM j. Bryan was interviewed by
reporter and said
Il have Travelled thousands upon
thousands of miles on railroads and
| never was in a wreck before. | did not
feel the shock very severely where
| was, but from the way things looked
| / cannot for the life of me see why we
| were not all killed. The scene there
presented is the most terrible | have
ever seen 1t has made an impression
on me that cannot leave me during my
lifetime.
Mr.. Bryan requested the correspond
ent not to mention him as taking any
unusual part in the matter
/ Is il true you We're the first man to
reach the ground from your car ana
/ hsa af those H.
| jured?" he asked.
please don't say anything about
that" Mr. Bryan repuied with a dep
recating gesture.
From passengers present it was
learned that Mr.. Bryan was the first
| person to rush forward TO the assist
lance of the victims; that he assisted to
carry the first body recovered and that
SO long as there was any necessity he
was foremost in the wreck.
Mr. Bryan, accompanied by David
r.eahy Topeka newspaper man, Were
in the smoking coach of the west
bound train They We're discussing the
days events at Burlingame, where the
| Nehraskan had been the attraction OF
thousands of people, when they heard
a crash. then an explosion. In mo-
ment the lights went out and steam
| and gas from the coal filed the car
Before they could make move, the
| car was pushed forward with trenen-
/ dous force and ii seemed to toss In the
debris like a crippled ship at sea-
| Every moment they expected II TO
turn ever The car finally stopped, anu
| as it did so began to catch fire from
| below. The two men jumped cut OF the
| same window without their hats or
! baggage which were afterwards
burned. and escaped almost without
scratch.
Mr. Bryan reached Emporia about
midnight and remained at the hotel
till this morning, when he resumed MS
Journey.
| Many acts of bravery and nerve We're
Il displayed Claude HOLSTER of Topeka,
/ had both his legs broken and shattered in
half a dozen places. When his reseuers
laid him on the grass beside the track he
turned to one of the group and asked if
he would pull through When assured
u that he would live if he were brave, he
n said: