The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-09

track over all other trains, and had or
ders to pass No. 1, the California ex-
press, at Lang. As we were nearing
Lang, about three miles out of En-
poria, was standing on the platform of
the rear car, when suddenly heard a
shrill whistle from Frisby for the
brakes. A moment later there was
terrible crash and 1 was hurled from
the platform to the ground. Then fol-
lowed a noise which hope to God l
shall never hear the like of again. l
hit on soft earth, and, while stunned
for a few seconds, was able to get up
and look around.
Il don't know how to describe to you
what 1 saw and heard. The three en-
gineS had plowed a great pit in the
earth and were piled in it in a heap. to-
tally demolished. The baggage car of our
train piled onto the wreckage of the en-
g1nes, as did the baggage and express
and mail cars of train No l. They
were all smashed, and in a minute the
wreckage ignited from the redhot Goals
of the engines. AS the flames increaS-
ed and shot upward the screams of the
injured pinned underneath the debris
were pitiful to hear. 1t was an expert
ence horrible enough to turn mans
hair gray.
1T was then a fight to subdue the
fire and the passengers on the train
worked bravely. Some carried ice
tanks from the coaches and spilled their
contents on the fire in the vain endeavor
to put it out. A farm house chanced to
be near by and in a few minutes so
men were carrying water from the
house to the burning wreckage, while
so more worked hard rescuing the un-
fortunate victims from the debris. At
times the flames shot sufficiently high
to be seen at Emporia, but the fire was
finally extinguished after all of the dead
and injured had been taken from the
wreckage."
William Patrick, head brakeman of
the California express, was standing on
the front platform of the mail car when
it crashed into the next car forward
and piled up on top of the wrecked en-
gines- He miraculously escaped with
a few bruises. "A second after the
crash came I was under the car in
the middle of the wreckage," said Mr..
Patrick, but L saw an opening and
managed to crawl out. I consider my
escape almost a miracle
The four postal clerks on the Cali
fornia express all went into the wreck
age with their cars and were there
found by the rescuers. They were r.
o. MCGEE, w. F. Jones, NJ. J. McGlade
of Kansas City, and Claud Holiday.
Holidays legs are both broken and he
is injured internally. M j. McGlade
and body, and he died shortly before
midnight. Jones legs are mashed and
his head is badly cut. McGee's legs
fast mail, r. A. Doran, died shortly
after he was found; J. F. Sauer, ex-
press messenger was killed and G. A.
Van Fliet, brakeman, was fatally in
jured and died after being placed on
the relief train.
The only passenger seriously injured
is J. L. Butler, county attorney of
Chase county. Both his thighs are
broken.
Immediately after the wreck occurred
word was sent to Emporia, and a relief
train was sent to the scene from that
place. From Emporia information was
telegraphed to Topeka and a WCecking
train was hurriedly made up and left
this city at 9 o'clock. The relief train
bearing the injured returned to this
city at 6:15 this morning.