The herald., 1897-11-19
Railroad Cars Tumble to
Destruction
THIRTY PASSENGERS INJURED
TWO OF THE CARS CONSUMED BY
FIRE
The First Serious Wreck on the Mem.
phis Road Results From Cause
Now Unknown
Associated Press Special Wire.


on the Kansas City, Fort Scott and
Memphis Railroad. which left BirminS-
ham last evening for Kansas City, was
derailed just west of Williford, Ark, al
ton coach. chair car and sleeper went
over the bank, the combination car
going into Spring river. The chair car
and sleeper We're both consumed.
One passenger was fatally injured and
thirty others more or less seriously hurt
The list of injured follows.
]. L. HOOVER, Pleasant Hill. Mo.
More or less seriously injured:
LEO POLLOCK, Little Rock, Ark.
CLARENCE MURPHY. Atwood, Ind.
]. S. NORRIS, Bakersfield, Mo.
C. A. RAvENSTEIN, wife and baby
Atwood. Ind.
C. L. MERIWEATHER, Sulphur
Rock, Ark.
ED. WEBB, Fernon Nook, Mo.
J. ]. ALTSCHEEL. Little Rock, Ark.
w. ]. GRANT, Salem, Ark, bruised
and cut about the head.
NJ. T. PRICE, Beall, Ark, injured
about head.
w. =. STAHAL, Corinth, Miss, in
jured about head and hand.
W. H. BOATNER, Lection, Mo.
NJ C. HOGAN, Oakland, Ark, in
jured about head.
WESLEY IRVINES. Atwood, Ind,
injured about head.
MRS. A. D. PERKINS, Hiram, Ark,
extent of injuries not known.
r. S. GUY, Monterey. Ind, arms hurt.
MRS. PRICE, going to Fort Smith, eX-
tent of injuries not known.
A son of the last named hurt about the
face.
W. j. SHESABEL. veadette, Ark,
head injured.
MRS. ARNITT, Mammoth Springs,
Ark, back sprained.
1t is thought that all of the injured
will recover except one.
No. 2 is a fast through train from the
South. Between Williford and Hardy
the Memphis tracks parallel Spring
river. a little stream running out of
Mammoth Springs. The train was COM
posed of engine, mail and express cars,
baggage car, combination coach, chair
car and sleeper. The combination car
has a partition in the middle, one end
being used as a smoker and the other
end for colored passengers.
When near Williford, the engineer
felt the train leap forward and found
that it had parted between the two day
coaches. The last three cars bumped
over the ties, the chair car and sleeper
ttIry inc fhair. Sjda nd a
bnation car finally going into the river.
The most intense confusion prevailed.
The engineer backed up the front part
Of the train and the work of rescue was
Immediately begun. The terror of the
passengers who had gone down the
stream with the combination car was
heightened by alarm from the chair car
and sleeper, both of which soon took fire.
The intense darkness added to the
confusion, and it was some time before
an organized effort at rescue was put
into effect by the train crew and those
of the passengers who had been able to
extricate themselves without aid. The
burning cars were opened and their in
mates rescued, and but few in those
cars were injured
1t soon became apparent that the chair
car and sleeper could not be saved, and
all efforts were put forth to help the un-
fortunate passengers of the combina-
ton car in the stream. Screams and
cries for help We're heard on all sides,
and because of the darkness rescue was
difficult. AS the flames from the two
burning cars became brighter, the res
cuers We're enabled to work to better
advantage.
Luckily, not a person was drowned
and it was not long before all had been
accounted for and were being cared for
as best possible. A telegram to Thayer
Mo-, twenty-nine miles distant, brought
a relief train in an hour or so, and the
injured We're taken to that city and
placed in hospital.
Shortly before noon today, Chief Sur
geon Pettijohn of the Memphis road and
Claim Agent Crater left Kansas City
for Thayer and will bring the injured
to this city.
The cause of the accident has not been
ascertained, but it is thought some por-
ton of the forward truck of the smoker
gave way. This will not be known posi-
lively until the truck, which is in the
river, is recovered.
The train crew escaped injury. The
wreck is the first one of a serious nature
in the history of the Memphis road, and
if Mr.. Hooper died, he will, according to
the statement Of General Passenger
Agent j. T.. Lockwood. be the first pas
senger ever killed while riding on a
train on that road.