Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-27
TRAM GOES THROUGH A BRIDGE
IN MISSOURI.
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED
,,N,utu NARIOUsLY EST
MATED Ar FROM . no 20
RRIDGg HAD BEEN WEAKENED.
r,c stream Under II Had Bee" sud-
denly swencd by Raj" 'r'"
-, IN a Tcn-Foot-peep TOR
rent.

i"' 80. 80 ~ 600 this evening.
80, ,,roreb n trcsue 40 Missouri City.
,r, az five minutes OF Z O'CLOCK car
-...rr down the entire train with the
,,.s-tion Of the rear car, Pullman. Inc
y.hi.1. few hours previously, was
.-....rauv empty. had become a raging
..--eat because Of tremendous down
,.r ~ rain and the structure was
,r,.tcrcl. seven persons are known TO
re dead. and The list may reach twenty
e.c There were twenty-five passengers
.. Che chair-car. and only a few Of these
ar. accounted for.
r.ru Ennis. travelling salesman for
p-.Eman d Mcknight. was IN the rear
oar az the train. which was the only
ono which escaped injury. 1t was like
...e. thc only car in which none OF the
passengers were injured. Mr Ennis had
,n interview with q farmer who had
come from Missouri City IN the evening
and was 40 the place where the wreck
occurred TO flag tho train. The farmer
claimed 20 have waved a flag on the
track but owing 10 the terrific rain the
engineer was unable 20 see the signal.
Mr. Ennis says the wreck occurred at
-05 O'Clock. The engine passed over the
tresuc. which broke Immediately after
wards. and the tender, together with the
front. or through smoking-car, was
thrown backwards into the gorge. The
farmer with whom Mr.. Ennis talked said
that at o'clock there was practically
ro water I'm the gorge. but that at the
time Of the wreck ii was a raging torrent
ten feet or more in depth. The farmer
said the bridge was clearly unsafe. which
lad impened him TO stand in the storm
.r an attempt 10 flag the train.
80 TRAINMEN LEFT.
There were no tra.nmen left unkilled on
the side OF the gorge on which most OF
the cars were left so far as Mr. Ennis
knows the engineer ana his fireman be-
Ing ON the other side. The passengers
we're left TO take independent action i'm
rrscuing the victims. one Of the most
important things. and one which secured
The safety OF the remaining passengers on
the train was the tagging Of % freight
train which followed the passenger train,
about ten minutes. This freight train
was Tagged by passengers 300 feet from
the wreck Mr.. Ennis said a passenger
on the train estimated that there were at
least forty passengers I'm the smoking
car. and that not more than ten were
rescued ON this side of the gorge Most
OF the smoker passengers if they were
saved. were found on the other side. II
was generally believed by the passengers
TO whom Mr.. Ennis talked that very
many passengers of the smoker had been
killed. but no one could give an estimate
Of the number The news-boy and con-
ductor were both I'm the front smoking
car az the time of the wreck and both
are believed TO have been instantly killed.
Mr Ennis thought & conservative esti-
mate Of the number killed would be
twenty. and that it was more likely
more than less than that number. The
mail clerk and express messenger, he
thought. were undoubtedly killed.
Edwin Zen. of Kansas city. and c. W.
Harbold. travelling salesman for En-
ery. Bird Thaycr q Co.. were the men
Who tagged the approaching freight train.
Both agreed moasulably with Mr. Ennis
ia his accounts OF the wreck and esti-
mates Of The number killed. Both said
they did not see a trainman after the
wreck. and were OF the opinion that all
except the engineer fireman, and Pull
.rau conductor were killed. The freight
train. they said. was about ten minutes
behind the passenger train.
THINKS Ten OR MORE WERE KILL
Ed
Lee Campbell of Kansas City, was in
the rear car He said. 1--WE hardly felt the
shock. / should think there were at least
o.. up twelve killed, from the reports ]
h.yo heard from The passengers on the
other cars. The baggage-master and mall
agent were undoubtedly killed The mail
ear. laggage-car. and smoker are down
il tlc water. on the other side Of the
gorge. think the gorge was about 70
feet from the top Of the trestle. On this
side of the gorge the sleeper which was
behind the chair-car I'm the train, ran
under it. and the Excelsior Springs or
second smoker. is over the chalr-car The
'front.' Of the second smoker Is broken I'm,
and two people In that car were injured.
j heard q passenger who passed through
the chair-car early in the evening say
after the wreck that it was filed with
travelling men,"
H H. Dillon. an attorney Of Topeka,
with his wife and son and servant was
ia The sleeper. en- route for New York
Dice said no part Of the sleeper was under
water in the gorge. II was standing on
end. and the passengers escaped by climb
lre through the windows. No one in the
sleeper was hurt.
M.ss Nellie Merrick Of Carrollton. Mo-
Was in the first chair-car but escaped UNI
injured. Her companion. Miss Alice Dusk
also VI CarrOlitOn. was severely bruised |
about the left side Of the head. arm. and
shoulder
Niss Merrick said that j. w Smith, OF
ErInswick. was the only man who took |
..v part IN rcscuing the ladies In the !
trt chair-car 80 far as she knew and |
fIat he carried several OF them out of |
tae car. including herself and Miss Dusk. /
The wife and child Of Rev. Dr. North |
rlp who were passengers on the train, |
escaped injury
Rev r. =. Haley. Of Kansas City. was /
in the last car with his wife, and both 7
escaped injury.
'lt an came so quickly and without the /
slightest warning" said ne. IN talking o. /
tho accident. that 81 IS difficult 90 give /
Fl connected story Of the terrible affair
we had reached point about a mile |
this s'le Of Missouri City. when without /
moments warning. Dhc bridge gave |
way. and in an instant the train was a
wreck. The engine and tender passed |
over the bridge The baggage-car. the |
smoker the mail-car. and the chair-car |
went down. The sleeDer was throw.
under The chair-car and the baggagc-car
was thrown almost on end upon the top |