The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-27
PLUNGED THROUGH A TRESTLEE.
A TERRIBLE RAIL ACCIDENT IN
MISSOURI.
The Known Dead Are Nine, While
Estimates of the List Run as
High as Twenty-Five.

plunged through a trestle at Missouri
City, No. at five minutes after Z
O'Clock, carrying down the entire train,
with the exception Of the rear car, a
Pullman. The gorge, which a few
hours previously was practically empty,
mad become a roaring torrent by a tre-
mendous downpour of rain, and the
structure weakened. Nine persons are
known to be dead and the list may
reach twenty-five. There were twenty
hve passengers in the chair car, and
only a few of these are accounted for.
IN the intense confusion that ensued,
1t became impossible to estimate the
dead or wounded.
The known dead are: Charles c.
Copeland of st. Louis, conductor of the
train; Edward Greidrod of ST. Louis,
express and baggage man; w. O. Smith
of st. Louis, postal clerk; Frank w.
Brink of st. Louis, postal clerk; Sam
uel Winters of ST. Louis, postal clerk;
w. S. Mills of st. Louis, postal clerk;
Gus Smith OF st. Louis, postal clerk;
e. 2. Greasley of st. Louis, brakeman;
train boy, name unknown.
Following is as complete list of the
injured, as can be obtained: Mrs. S.
s. Prather, Columbia, Mo-, head, shoul-
ders and neck very badly injured; Arte-
liza Prather, Columbia, Mo-, 3 years old,
head and face cut; w. r. Wilkinson,
Kansas City, shoulders injured, head
and face covered with cuts; Mrs. w.
II. Wilkinson, Kansas City, right arm
broken, head and fact cut; Miss Alice
Darcy, Kansas City, head badly cut;
both arms sprained, side injured; Miss
Nellie Mirrick of Carrollton, back badly
hurt; Mrs. Sallie Matthews, Kansas
City, side hurt; Edward Dillon, Holli-
Gay, kans., head bruised and cut, knee
sprained; DR.. Sol Gray, Prairie Hill,
Mo-, right knee, both elbows injured:
y. w. Huff, Mexico, Mo-, both legs bad
ly bruised.
The bodies of the dead which have
been recovered from the wreck are at
Missouri City. Those who were very
badly injured were left at Missouri
City in charge of surgeons from Mober-
~. All who can be removed will be
taken to the company's hospital at Mo-
perry Others of the injured and those
VINO escaped were returned to Kansas
CITY IN a special train sent down from
randolph, and which arrived here at IL
o'clock tonight.
Ihere were twenty-five people in the
smoker at the time the crash came.
only eight could be accounted for after
the wreck. 1t is believed all the others
were crushed or drowned Only the
top OF the smoker is above the water.
The chair car was crowded. Sever
al who were occupants of this car have
not been accounted for.
The train left Kansas City at 600 %.
m. and was composed of a mail car.
baggage and express, smoker, chair
car, sleeper and two coaches for Excel
slor Springs. The treStle at which the
disaster occurred is about two miles
south of Missouri City, and is built on a.
curve. As the train struck the trestIe
the framework gave way beneath the
weight, evidently having been weakened
by the tremendous volume of water be-
meath 1t, an unusually heavy rain hav-
ing swollen the small stream to a tor
rent. The engine and tender passed
over safely but the mail and express
cars toppled over, each falling on the
side. The chair car plunged down into
the chasm end first, and the car fol-
lowing also went in end first, grinding
and crushing the mail and express cars
beneath. The front end of the sleeper
projected over the chasm, but the two
Excelsior Springs coaches. in the rear.
held it upon the track.
Lor =,
the heaviest rain storms ever seen in
that country. 1t was accompanied by
tremendous roll of thunder and vivid
lightning. The elements and the horri-
BILE nature of the accident combined to
make one of the most terrifying sights
imaginable. Before anyone could re-
alize what happened the cries of the in
jured filed the air. Shrieks for help
came from all sides. Some one shout
ed THE wreck is on fire. and another
shouted that freight train was fol-
lowing closely. One of the young men
in the rear coach sprang off and ran
back down the track. and with an UNI
brella tagged a freight train that was
close in the rear, and the crew of that
train hurried down to render what aid
was possible.
AS soon as Engineer Billy Carlisle re-
allied what had happened he hurried
to Missouri City and reported the
wreck. A wreck crew left Moberly
shortly after Twenty minutes after
the wreck was reported special carry
ing the officials and a score of doctors
left Moberly and made one of the uuick-
est trips ever made over the line 20 the
scene of the wreck.
The work of rescuing the passengers
who were injured began with great
promptness but was accompanied by
the greatest difficulty. Not a train man
was to be found. The crew were all in
the wreck, and only the conductor Of
the Pullman and his porters We're on
hand to help the passengers. They
took charge promptly and rendered val
liable assistance The occupants of the
smoker who were in the rear end man
aged TO scramble out of the car and es-
capped although it is pretty certain q
number were unable to get out.
The worst damage was done in the
chair car Conductor Copeland was
just entering the front door of that car
when it went down. The jolt of the
sleeping car behind and under it sent
the occupants of the car in a pile down
at the front Chairs went tumbling
down along with the people, and be-
meath the mass Conductor Copeland
met his death. A heavy chair struck
him and crushed his head. while score
of other people were piled above him.
The brakeman and news agent We're in
the smoker and went down with it.
Not tho Name for II