The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-19
PASSENGERS IN DIRE PERIL.
ONE FATALLY AND 80 MORE OR
LESS SERIOUSLY INJURED.

Their Train BADLY Wrecked in Ar
lSnnsHs by breaking in TVvO-Thc
Combination Car PIunges Into a
Hiver-The Chair Car and Sleep
ing Car burned After PIunging
Down an EmbanlSment and Turn
ing Over on Their Sides--The Acci-
dent Supposed to Have Bcen Due
to the Breaking of IA Truck.
Kansas City. Mo-, Nov. lS.-Train No ?
on the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Mem
phis. which left Birmingham, Ala, last
evening for Kansas City. was derailed
just west of Willford, Ark, at o'clock
this morning
The combination coach, chair car and
sleeper went over the bank, the combina-
ton car going into Spring river. The
chair car and sleeper were both consumed,
one passenger was fatally injured, and
about thirty others were more or less
seriously hurt. 1t is believed none of the
latter will die. The list of injured fol-
lows:
Fatally-J. L. Hoover of Pleasant Hill,
Nc.
More or Less Seriously-Leopold Pollock
of Little Rock, Ark, Clarence Murphy of
Atwood. md, j. r. Morris of Bakersfield,
Mo-, C. A. Ravensteln, wife and baby of
Atwood, Ind, C. L. Merriweather of Sui
phur Rock, Ark, Ed Webb of Vernon.
Mo-, j. j. Altzscheel of Little Rock, Ark,
W. j. Grant of Salem Ark, bruised and
cut about the head; M. l.. Price OF Evea-
bel Ark, injured about the head; W. B.
Stahal of Corinth, Miss, injured about the
head and hands; w. II. Boatner of Lection,
Mo, injured about the head; NJ. c. Hogan
of Oakland, Ark, injured about the head;
Westly WINS of Atwood, Ind, injured
ABOUT the head; Mrs A. ID. Perkins of
Hiral, Ark, extent Of injuries not known
r. S. Guy of Monterey, Ind, arms hurt;
]. N. Horton of Ashhat, Ark, thighs hurt
John Horton, his son, IA years old, hurt
between the shoulders; Luther Horton, his
son years old, bruised about the knee;
s. L. Guthrie of Franklin, Ark, hip
bruised; John l.. Eadick of Hardy, Ark,
head cut; j. D. Hill of Hardy, Ark, head
cut; II. V. Hill of Hardy, Ark, leg hurt;
Mrs. Prince, going to Fort Smith, extent
of Injuries not known; her son, a boy, hurt
about the arms; NJ. O. Bailey, from Fair
Play, Mo, foot injured: w. j. Shesabel Of
Voldete, Ark, head injured; Mrs. Arnett
of Mammoth Springs, Ark, back sprained.
No is a fast through train from the
south. Between Williford and Hardy the
Memphis tracks parallel the Spring river
little stream running out of Mammoth
springs. The train was composed of the
engine, mail and express car. baggage
car, combination coach, chair car and
sleeper. The combination car has a par
tition in the middle, one end being used
as smoker and the other end for colored
passengers.
When near Williford the engineer felt
the train leap forward and found that il
had parted between the two day coaches
The last three coaches bumped over the
ties, the chair car and sleeper turning over
on their sides and the combination car
finally going into the river.
The engineer backed up the front part
of the train and the work of rescue was
Immediately begun.
The terror of the passengers who had
gone down in the stream was heightened
by cries of alarm from the chair car and
sleeper, both of which soon took fire The
intense darkness added to the confusion.
and it was some time before an organized
effort at rescue was put into effect by the
train crew and those of the passengers
who had been able to eXtricate them
selves without aid. The passengers in the
burning cars were rescued before the fire
had reached its hight and but few In those
cars were injured.
Luckily not a person was drowned. and
it was not long before all had been ac-
counted for.
A telegram to Thayer, No, twenty-nine
miles distant, brought a relief train in an
hour or so, and the injured were taken TO
that city ana placed in hospital
Shortly before noon to-day Chief Sur
geon Pettliohn Of the Memphis road and
Claim Agent Crater left Kansas City for
Thayer and win bring the injured to this
city.
The cause of the wreck has not been as
certained, but 1t is thought some portion
Of the forward truck of the smoker gave
way. This will not be known positively
until the wreck, which is in the river, has
been recovered. The train crew escaped
injury
The wreck IS the first one Of a serious
nature in the history of the Memphis road
and if Mr. Hoover dies, he will, accord
ing TO the statement of General Passenger
Agent J. E. Lockwood be the first passen
ger ever killed while riding on a train on
that road.