Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-09

Was Burned to Ashes-How
Many Were Burned in This Aw-
full Furnace Not Known-Hon. W.
j, Bryan, a Passenger on the
Train, Did Heroic Service for the
MANNED and Dying.
Emporia Kas., September S.-One OF
the worst wrecks in the history of the
Santa Fe occurred three miles east OF
here at about 7:30 o'clock tonight.
Twelve or fifteen persons were killed
and as many more were badly hurt.
The fast mail train going east and the
Mexico and California express col
lided head-on. The Mexico and Cali
iornia express was pulled by two loco
motives and when struck by the en-
ygine drawing the fast mail the boilers
of all three engines exploded and tore
4 big hole in the ground, so deep that
the smoking cars of the west-bound
train went in on top Of the three en-
gines and two mail cars and balanced
there without turning over. The pas
sengers in the smoking car escaped
through the windows. The front end
of this car was enveloped in column
Of sitting smoke and steam, belching
ND from the wreck below, and the
rear door was damned tight in the
wreck Of the car behind. The wreck
caught fire from the engines. The
cars in the hole and smoking car burn
ed to ashes in a short time.
Climbing out of the smoking car
several men fell through the riffs in
the wreck below, and it is impossible
to tell whether they escaped or were
burned to death.
The west-bound train carried seven
or eight coaches, and its passengers in
Guided many excursionists who had
been to hear Hon. w. ]. Bryan speak
at the county fair at Burlingame. Mr..
Bryan himself was on the train, but
was riding in the rear Pullman, some
400 feet from ma the etf5ae Es Tefh by the
passengers in his coach
Mr.. Bryan was one of the noblest
men in the crowd of rescuers. He
helped to carry out the dead and
wounded and gave the greatest atten-
ton to their care. One poor fellow
VINO was badly manned called to Mr..
Bryan and said: 81 went to hear you
to-day; l am now dying and want to
shake your hand and say God bless
you. If you possibly can, Mr.. Bryan,
get me a drink of water
Mr.. Bryan went into the fast mail
car, one end of which was burning,
and came out with the drink of
water, which he gave to the suffering
passenger. He brought out cushions
for others of the injured and was
everywhere present to minister to the
wants of the suffering.
1t is feared that nearly all of the
seven mail clerks persisted in the
disaster, but SO far only six bodies
have been taken from the wreck.
Those dead are:
Jim Brennan, engineer, Topeka.
Nate HOLSTER, fireman, Topeka.
J. F. Sours, Kansas City, express
messenger; body almost consumed by
fire
William Frisbey engineer.
R. A. Doran, Emporia, postal clerk.
- Gonzales, fireman west-bound
train.
- Bragman, Topeka.
Unknown man; tramp.
Among the seriously injured are:
Claude Holiday, Lawrence, express
messenger both legs broken.
D. c. Erter, Kansas City express
messenger, both legs broken; will die.
John Dagan, Topeka, face mashed.
J. 7. Butler, county attorney, Chase
county, hip broken; may die.
William F. Jones' Kansas City. leg
and arms broken.
B. P. Metik, Atchison. badly bruised
Phil Schier, Kansas City, hip bruised.
c. A. Van Fleit, brakeman, Kan
sas City badly bruised.
William Patrick, Kansas City, leg
and arm broken.
c. D. Adams, City of Mexico painful-
ly brushed
Mike Sweeney, Gainesville Tex
back hurt
Ben Water. st. Joseph Mo fro
man on the west-bound train is misc
ing.
The engineer of the west bound train
had received orders to meet the fast mai, /
ct Emporia and was making up lost time. |
Ianese TWO are the fastest trains in the
Pc system and the west bound /
ave beeh running at spead