The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-09-09
CAME TOGETHER HEAD ON
Frightful Railroad Wreck at EN-
poria, Kansas.
THREE ENGINES EXPLODED
Fifteen People Killed-Some Were Burned
TO Death-W. J. Bryan on the
Train-He Works Nobly In
Aiding the Injured.

Kansas City. Sept. s.-A special Ia
the Times from Emporia. Kan. says:
one Of The worst wrecks In the history
Of the Santa Fe railroad occurred three
miles east of here. at about 1:30 O'Clock
last night. Twelve To fifteen persons
were killed and as many badly hurt.
The fast mail train going East and the
Mexico Calfornia express. westbound,
collided. head on. The Mexico and
California express was pulled by two
locomotives and. when they struck the
engine drawing the fast mail the boil
ers of all three engines exploded and
tore a hole In the ground 50 deep that
the smoking car Of the westbound train
went in on top OF the three engines and
two wrecked mail cars and balanced
there without turning over. The pas
sengers I'm the smoking car escaped
through the windows.
The front end Of this car was envel-
oped in a volume of sitting smoke and
steam belching up from the wreck be-
low and the rear door was jammed
tight with the ear behind. The wreck
caught fire from the engines. The ears
in the hole and the smoking ear burned
10 ashes In no time. In climbing from
the smoking cars several men fell
through the riffs I'm the wreck below.
and IL is impossible To tell whether they
escaped or were burned 10 death.
The west bound train carried eight
coaches. and its passengers Included
many excursionists who had been 10
hear Hon. W. J. Bryan speak at the
county fair al Burlngame. Mr.. Bryan
himself was on the train but Was riding
in the rear Pullman some 900 feet from
the ears which were wrecked. lie states
that nothing hut iheavy jolt was ex-
perienced by the passengers i'm his
coach.
Mr.. Bryan was one of the noble ST
men in the crowd of rescuers. He
helped 10 carry out the dead and
wounded and gave the greatest atten-
ton Ia their care. One poor fellow, who
was badly manned. called In Mr.. Bryan
and said: Il went To hear YOU to-day;
l am dying now. and want To shake
your hand and say God bless you. IL
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 gays ta the suffering passeN.
ger. He brought out cushions for 9TH
ers OF the injured and was everywhere
present to minister to the wants Of the
suffering.
II is feared that nearly all the seven
mail clerks perished in the disaster
but 50 far only six bodies have been
taken from the wreck. Those dead are.
Jim Brennan. engineer. Topeka: Nate
Hollister. fireman. Topeka: J. +. Sours.
Kansas City. express messenger. body
almost consumed by fire; W. NJ. Fris-
hey. engineer: X. A. Doran. Emporia.
postal clerk: - Gonzales. fireman
west bound train: unknown man, a
tramp.
Among the seriously injured are:
Claude Holiday. Lawrence. express
messenger. both legs broken: ID. q. Ert-
ar. Kansas city, express messenger
legs broken. will die: John Dagan, To.
peka. face smashed: j. r. Butler. coun.
" attorney. Chase county. hip broken
may die: William +. Jones. Kansas
city. leg and arms broken; B. r
Metik. Atchison, badly bruised; Phi
Schier. Kansas City. hip crushed; c. A
Van Fleit. brakeman. Kansas City
badly bruised; William Patrick. Kan
sas City. leg and arm broken: G. ID
Adams. City of Mexico. painful,
bruised: Mike Sweeney, Gainesville
Texas, back hurt,
train had received orders tn meet IN,
fast mail AT Emporia and were max.
ing up lost lime. The two are the fast.
est trains on the Santa Fe system and
the west bound train must have been
running al speed of al least 30 miles
an hour. The west bound express Was
going around a slight curve aud met
the fast mail probably within 200 feet
or the seven or eight coaches max.
ing up the Mexico-C California express
only the mail. baggage and express
and smoking ears were destroyed. TIL,
coach following the smoker was badl,
spllnterrd.
There were not NOR. than dozer
passengers on ihc fast mail. all in on,
coach. and while none of them wer,
seriously injured their shaking up wa.
terrible. Every seat In the coach wa,
torn from the floor and many nooi
! planks came up with the seats. On,
man. John Sweeney. was thrown ovel
three seats and through a window. bu
, escaped with only scratches ant
bruises. The other ears of the fas
mail baggage and express. were total,
wrecked.
II is stated that the wreck was cause,
by miscarriag" of orders from III.
trainmaster. Al Emporia tn. rastboun,
fast mail train received orders to pas,
the California express al Lang. sever
miles east. Another order was sent :,
Lang for the California express Ia talk,
the siding there. but this order was no
I delivered and The w"stbounl train passc,
ou IA" tralnm'n expecting 10 pass III,