Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-09-11
OVER 4 DOZEN KILLED
Bya Head On Collision on the Santa
Fe Railroad.


The Presidential Candidate Was q
Passenger on One OF the Trains, and
Labored Zealously to Succor the
wounded-Locomoti Exploded.
worst wrecks in the history of the
Santa Fe railroad occurred three miles
east of here at 1880 o'clock last night.
Twelve or fifteen persons were killed,
and as many more badly hurt. The
fast mail train going east and the
Mexico and California express. west
bound, collided head on. The Mexico
and California express was pulled by
two locomotives, and when they struck
the boilers of all three engines ex-
ploded and tore hole in the ground
so deep that the smoking car of the
westbound train went in on top of the
three engines and two mail cars, and
balanced there without turning over.
The passengers in the smoking car es-
capped through the windows.
The front end of this car was en-
veloped in volume of sitting smoke
and steam, rushing up 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.
and the cars in the hole and the smok-
ing cars were quickly burned to ashes.
In climbing out of the smoking car
several men fell through the riffs in
the wreck below, and 1t is impossible
to tell whether they escaped or were
burned to death.
The westbound train carried seven or
eight coaches. and its passengers in
Guided many excursionists who had
been to hear Hon. William ]. Bryan
speak at the county fair at BurIingame
Mr.. Bryan himself was on the train,
but was riding in the rear Pullman.
He states that nothing but heavy jolt
was experienced by the passengers in
his coach.
Mr.. Bryan was one of the most ener-
getic men in the crowd of rescuers. He
helped to carry out the dead and
wounded. and gave the greatest at
tention to their care. One poor fellow.
who was badly manned, called to Mr..
Bryan and said: Il went to hear you
today. / am dying now. and l 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 pas
senger. He brought out cushions for
others of the injured, and was every
where present to minister to the wants
of the suffering.
1t is feared that nearly all of the
seven mail clerks persisted in the dis
aster, but so far only eight bodies have
been taken from the wreck.
The known dead are: Jim Brennan,
engineer. Topeka; Nate HOLSTER, fire.
man, Topeka; j. F. Souders, Kansas
City, express messenger, body almost
consumed by fire; William Frisby, en-
gineer; r. A. Doran, Emporia, postal
clerk; John Gonzalez, fireman west
bound train; George Brag, Topeka; un-
known tramp.
Among the most seriously injured
are: Claude Holiday, Lawrence. ex-
press messenger, both legs broken; D.
G. Erler, Kansas City. express mes
senger, legs broken, will die; John
Dagan, Topeka, face smashed; j. T.
Butler, county attorney of Chase
county, hip broken, may die; William
F. Jones, Kansas City, leg and both
arms broken; Phil Schuer. Kansas City,
hip crushed; William Patrick, Kansas
City, leg and arm broken.
Ben Walters, of st. Joseph, NO.,
fireman on the westbound train, is
missing.