The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-15
A FRIGHTFUL WRECK.
SiNThFEFAST TRAINS CRASH READ-
LONG TOGETHER.

LONE TOGETHER.
Locomotives Exp'cde-MakinE hole in
Ehich Oars Sink Dozsns Killed aud
Wouuded-Es. j. Bryan's Noble Work.
A specia' from Emporia, Kas.. says:
One of the worst wrecks IN the bis.
tory of The Santa Fe railroad occurred d
three miles cast'of here at about z
o'clock tonight. Twelve or fifteen
persons we've killed and as many more
badly burt. The fast mail train going
east and the Mexico and California
express bound west, collided head on.
The Mexico and California express
was pulled by two locomotives, and
when they struck the engine drawing
the fast mail, the boilers OF all three
engines exploded and tore a hole in
the ground so deep that the smoking
car OF the westbound train ran on top
OF the three engines and two mail cars
and balanced there, without turning
over. The passengers in the smoking
car escaped through the windows:
The front end OF this car was enveloped
in volume of sitting smoke and steam
boiling up from the wreck below and
the rear door was jamnled tight in the
wreck Of the Car behind. The wreck
caught fire from the engines. The
cars ia the hole and the smoker burned
to ashes in 8 short time. In climbing
out of the smoking car several men
fell through the riffs into the wreck
below, and it is impossible to tell whe'
ther they escaped or were burned to
death.
The westbound train carried seven
or eight coaches, and its passengers;
included many excursionists, who had
been to hear Hon. w. j. 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 the cars which
we're wrecked. He states that nothing
but a heavy jolt was experienced bV
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. Cne poor fellow,
who was badly maimed, called to MIR.
Bryan and said:
II went to hear you tody, I am now
dying and want to shake your hand
and say God bless you. Ifyou posi-.
bly, can, Mr. Bryan, get nae drink OF
water" -.
Mr.. Bryan went into the fast mail
car, one end of which was burning,
and came out with the water, which
be gave to the suffering passenger.
He brought out cushions for others OF
the injured, and was everywhere pes
ent to administer to the wants Of the
suffering.
1t is feared that nearly all Of thu
seven mail clerks perished in the dis
aster but so far only eight bodies have
been taken from the wreck. Those
dead are:
Jim Brenmen, engineer, Topeka.
Nate Hollis!er, fireman, Topeka.
J. T. Souders, Kansas City, express
messenger, body almost consumed by
fire.
William Frisbv. engineer.
r. A. Doran, Enporia, postal clerk:
W. Gonzales, fireman, westbound
trsiu.
Unkdown man, tramp. Topeka.
w. Bragman.
Among the seriously injured are:
Claude Holiday, Lawrence, Kan,
express messenger, both legs broken.
Will die.
D. G. Erler, Kansas City, express
messenger, legs broken; will die.
John Dagan, Topeka, face smashed.
J. T. Butler. county attorney, Chase
county, hip broken; may die.
William +. Jones, Kansas City,
legs and arms broken.
B.P. Metik, Atchison, badly bruised.
Phil Schuer, Kansas City, hip
crushed.
G. A. Vanliot, brakeman, Kansas
City, badly bruised.
William Patrick, Kansas City, leg
and arm broken.
G. D. Adams, City of Mexico, pain.
fully bruised.
Mike Sweeney, Gainesville, Texas,
back hurt.
Ben Walters, the st. Joseph, Mo ,
fireman on the westbound train, is
missing.
The engineer OF the west5ound train
had received orders to meet the fast
mail at Enporia, and was making up
lost time. These two are the fastest
trains On the Santa Fe systeul, and the
wes.bound train must have been run
ming at speed of at least forty miles
an hour. The westbound express was
going around slight curve, and met
the fast mail, probably within two
hundred feet. OF the seven or eight
cars making up the Mexico aud Cal
ifornia express, only the mail, bag
gage and express and smoking cars
were destroyed. The coach following
the smoker was badly splintered.
There were not more than a dCz IN
passengers on the fast mail. all in one
coach, and while none OF them were
seriously injured, their shaking up
was terrible. Every seat in the coach
was torn from the floor, and many
floor planks came up with the seats
One man, J.hn Sweeney, was thrown
over three seats and through win
dow, but escaped with only scratches
and bruises.
1t is stated that the wreck was caused
by miscarriage of orders from the
trainsmsster. At Enporia the east,
bound fast mail train received orders
to pass the California express at Land,
seven miles east. Another order was
sent to Land for the California eX'