The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1897-07-03
CRUSHED AND MANGLEO
PLUNGE OF THE ST. LOUIS EMPRESS
TO AWFUL DISASTER.
Dead and Injured In the Wreck He
meath six Feet OF Raging
Water.


here at 6:20 Saturday evening, plunged
through a trestle at Missouri City, Mo-.
at 1905 o'clock, carrying down the entire
train with the exception of the rear car,
IL Pullman The gorge, which few hours
previously was practically empty, had be-
come raging torrent by the tremendous
downpour of rain, and the structure
weakened. Several persons are known to
be dead, and the list may reach 20. There
were % persons in the chair car, and only |
a few of these are accounted for. In the
intense confusion it became impossible
to estimate the dead or wounded.
The Dead.
The number of dead is estimated at
from nine to 25. The known dead num-
Der nine Their names are:
Frank W. Brink, st. Louis; postal
clerk.
Charles C. Copeland, st. Louis; conduc-
tor of the train.
Edward Greidrod, st. Louis; express
and baggageman.
o. Smith, st. Louis; postal clerk.
w. S. Mills, st. Louis; postal clerk.
Gus Smith, st. Louis; postal clerk.
c. p. Greasley, st. Louis; brakeman.
Train boy, name unknown.
The Injured.
Mrs. S. S. Prather, Columbia, Mo-;
head shoulders and neck badly injured.
Artelia Prather, Columbia, Mo-; head
and face cut; three years old.
w. L. Wilkinson, Kansas City shout
ders injured and head and face covered
with cuts.
Miss Alice Darcy, Kansas City; head
badly cut, both arms sprained and side
injured.
Miss Nellie Merrick, Carrollton; back
badly hurt
Mrs. Sallie Smith, Kansas City; side
hurt.
Edward w. Dillon, Holiday, Kan;
head bruised and cut, knee sprained.
Dr. Sol Gray, Prairie Hill, Mo-; right
knee and both elbows injured.
j. w. Huff, Mexico, Mo-. both legs
badly bruised.
The bodies of the dead which have
been recovered from the wreck are at
Missouri City.
Those who are badly injured were left
at Missouri City in charge of surgeons
from Kansas City. Those who can be
removed will be taken to Moberly. 9th
ers of the injured and those who escaped
were returned to Kansas City in spe-
cial train sent down from Randolph,
which arrived here at II o'clock.
Many Are Missing.
There were 20 people in the smoker at
the time of the crash. Only eight could
be accounted for after the wreck. 1t is
believed all the others were crushed OF
drowned. Only the top of the smoker is
above the water. The chair car was
crowded. Several who were occupants OF
this car have not been accounted for.
Work of Rescue.
The work of rescuing the passengers
who were injured began with great
promptness, but was accomplished with
the greatest difficulty. Not a trainmar
was to be found. The crew were all II
the wreck, and only the conductor of tn,
Pullman and his porter were able to he'll
passengers. They took charge and rem
dered valuable assistance. The occupants
of the smoker, who were in the rear end
; managed to scramble out of the ear ant
escape, although it is pretty certain {
number were unable to get out.
The worst damage was done in thu
chair car. Conductor Copeland had jus
entered the front door of that coach wheI
, it went down. The jolt of the sleeper be
| hind and under it sent the occupants o
| the car down at the front. Chairs wen
? tumbling down along with the people
and beneath the mass Conductor Copelan'
met his death. A heavy chair struck hin
and crushed his head while a score 0
l other people were piled above him. TIL
I trainmen and news agent were in tn
smoker when it went down.
Told by n Survivor.
. SIT was the most awful sight l eve
!, saw" says j. j. Kelley, of Kelley Bros
!. Cooperage Company of Kansas City. g
( was in the front car, going to EXcelsio
Springs. We were directly behind tn
sleeper and we stopped with suddennes
!. that bumped us about bit. We hear
cries and shouts and hurried out into til
rain to see what had happened. In
fish of lightning we could see the wrec
e piled up in most awful shape, while tn
: raging waters went foaming over an
: through the cars. / never saw a nor
n frightful picture. Cries came from a
: parts of the wreck, and people wei
$ climbing and hurrying out of it. Me
g with the blood streaming over them can
e struggling out, and women with clotl
t ing disheveled and covered with blood pi
t eously appealed for help. Everybod
; helped as soon as we could. Men wei
+ pinioned down beneath great masses