Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-10
i IlU UuIltL W hLNAib
Bastbound Overland Flyer on the Union
Pacific Jumps the Track.
FIREMAN THOMAS KRAUSE IS KILLED
Engineer W. Il, Van Noy Receives Fatal
Injuries.
ACCIDENT OCCURS IN THE CITY LIMITS
Train Was Running at the Rate Of Thirty
Five Miles an Hour.
,ClDENT OCCURS IN THE CITY LIMITS
MANY NARROW ESCAPES FOR TRAlNMEN
Passengers Were BADLY shaken Up
and Scared. but None Received
More Thnn Very Slight Injuries
-Rnilroad Loss Quite Heavy.

While running at a speed Of thirty-fve
miles an hour, Union Pacific eastbound
overland flyer jumped the track about 100
yards west of the Twentieth street viaduct
shortly before 8 o'clock last evening, and,
humping along the ties for trains length,
piled up in an indiscrimnate mass. Fire
man Thomas Krause yielded up his life and
Engineer w. II. VanNoy lies in a. precarious
condition at st. Joseph's hospital Tho
passengers escaped with slight injuries.
The train is due in Omaha at 4:45, and
as is usual after leaving Summit siding, tho
speed is quickened into the city. Just west
of the viaduct there is a separation of
the various tracks used for the freight and
passenger trains known as a puzzle" switch.
A short distance beyond the switch there Is
a sharp curve into the freight tracks while
the passenger track remains nearly straight.
1t was here that the engine left the tracks.
The accident was witnessed by switch
tender William Hem, a lamp man, Will
lam Lamb and crew of section men who
were engaged in repairing the tracks
short distance away. Running to the front
end of the train they found the engineer
VanNoy. had been thrown several feet to
one side of the track and that his mann
moth machine had crushed entirely through
small switch shanty and had turned
over upon one side
VanNoy was picked up in an insensible
condition and removed to the hospital,
where hopes of his recovery are enter
tanned.
FIREMAN DEAD WHEN FOUND.
Fireman Krause was found wedged in be-
tween the engine and tender and was dead
when removed. No limbs were broken and
death is supposed tn have been caused from
scaldng by escaping steam. He was ten
derly picked up by the road attaches and
! later removed to the morgue. a4-
The heavy train which consists of nine
mall baggage and sleeping cars. was ar
ranged in zigzag shape over the track bed,
the rails for almost the entire distance
travelled by the train after leaving the
track being torn from their ties and fish,
plates and twisted into fantastic shapes.
In the first car which was United States
! mail coach, were H. e. Harrison and 7. A.
Bailey Both had narrow escapes, pit
came through the accident unscathed with
the exception of a severe shaking up. The
front end of the coach was splintered and
crushed and heavy brake bar was forced
I'D through the floor narrowly missing Har-
rison Mail sacks were piled around in the
greatest confusion but none of them de-
stroyed
In the second car, which is also mail
| car F. D. johnson had charge. The crew
consisting Of three men escaped unhurt. VI
| the remaining cars in the train all jumped
| the track but two chair cars and tourist
sleeper. Outside of the engine the damage
was inconsiderable, with the exception OF
| the twisting off of n number Of trucks from
under the sleepers.
RAILROAD OFFICIALS NOTIFIED.
AS soon as the accident was reported at the
headquarters of the company, Superintendent
p. j. Nichols and Division superintendent
sutherland went Immediately TO the
| grounds. The wrecking crew In the lower
| wards was summoned and went to work
with the least possible delay. stub train
was run down to the scene of the accident
| from the Union depot, and the passengers
and mail sent on to their destinations Win
| a delay OF scarcely over an hour.
The train wrecking crew was placed In
| charge of Yardmaster II. Mcneil. When ap-
| preached upon the subject OF the manner In
| which the accident had occurred Mcneil
refused to reveal the name of the switch
tender or any other facts in the case. He
said: you'll not get any Information OUT
of me. | refuse to talk. Get your informa-
ton the best way you can"
SWITCH TENDERS STORY.
II was learned that the accident was
| largely due to switch tender william Henn
He was seen in his shanty shortly after
wards and gave the following version OF the
| accident: There has been large number
| of extra f;elght trains running between
South Omaha and tho ice houses on Cut Oh
lake during the past month. The puzzle
| switch over which / have charge Is the
junction of the rails OF the passenger and
freight trains No. has the right OF way
into the city over the passenger rails ano
| at the time the train came along the SWITCH
was thrown open for the freight track. The
| freight track has sharp curve In 1t ano
II is customary for trains going over IL tt
run slow. The other track admits OF ful
speed ] was expecting the Rock lslano
bridge freight No. SO from South Omaha
and was starding about hundred yards
from my shanty when No came Into sight
IL was running very fast. | ran towards the
lever to throw the rails over to the passen
ger track bus saw that could not get there
in time. / then signaled to the fireman o
the passenger train. but as he was not OF
the lookout on his side OF the cab ! failed
10 attract attention The engine struck thu
switch all right but upon reaching the curve
left the track and the wreck followed"
Whether Henns statements are true ol
not will be the subject OF an investigation
by the railroad officials, and the blame
located where II belongs. When questioned
as to the manner OF finding out which trair
had the right OF way at the time OF thu
accident. Hem stated that 1t was matter
OF signals from the first incoming train
as No. was frequently late and the freigh
occasionally went In ahead. II would ap
pear however. that he was not at his sta
tion at the time OF the accident or h
would have been in position TO throw the
switch.
Conductor Wilcox stated that with thu