The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-27


here az so O'Clock this evening. plunged
through a trestls at Missouri City. Mo. at
rs O'Clock. carrying dcwn tire entire train
with the exception OF the rear car, q Pull
man.
The gorge. which few hours previous
ly was practically empty. had become
roaring torrent by a tremendous down
pour OF rain and the structure weakened.
Seven persons are known 10 be dead. and
the LIST may reach twenty-five. There were
twenty-five passengers IN the chair car
and only few OF them are accounted for.
IN the intense confusion that easued IL
became impossible 10 estimate the dead
or wounded.
The number Of dead Is estimated al from
nine TO twenty-five. The known dead
number nine. Their names are:
CHARLES c. COPELAND. o. ST. Louis.
conductor OF the train.
EDWARD GREIDROD. OF St Louis. ex-
press messenger.
". Q. SMITH. OF So. Louis postal clerk
FRANK W. BRINK. OF 81. Louis. postal
SAMUEL WINTERS. OF St. Louis. pos
" s MILLS. o, St. Louis, postal clerk.
GUS SMITH. Of St. Louis, postal clerk.
{. Z. GREASLEY. OF St Louis. brake
man.
TRAIN BOY. name unknown
Following is complete a list OF the
injured as can be obtained:
A r. frather, Columbia, No, years
old. head and face cut: ". r. Wilkinson.
Kansas City. shoulders injured and head
and face covered with cuts; Mrs. ". n.
Wilkinson. Kansas City. right arm broken,
head and face cut. Miss Alice Darcy. Kan
sas City. head badly cut. both arms
sprained. side injured: Miss Nellie Mir
rick. Carroliton, back badly hurt: Mrs.
Saiiie Matthews, Kansas City. side hurt:
Edward Dillon. Holiday. Kan, head
bruised and cut. knee sprained. DR. Sol
Gray, Prairie Hill. No. knee and both ell
bows injured; ]. w Huff, Mexico. Mo.
both legs badly bruised.
The bodies OF the dead which have been
recovered from The reck are al Missouri
City. Those who were very badly injured
were left at Missouri City in charge Of
surgeons from Moberly. All who can be
removed Will be taken TO the companys
hospital at Moberly. Others of the injured
and those who escaped were returned 10
Kansas City in a special train sent down
from Randolph which arrived here at II
o clock tonight
There were twenty-five people in the
smoker at the time the crash came. Only
eight coald be accounted for after the
wreck II IS believed all the others were
crushed or drowned. Only the top OF the
smoker is above the water
The chair car was crowded. Several who
accounted for.
The train left Kansas City AT go o'clock
p. m. and was composed of mail car
baggage car and express car. smoker
chair car. sleeper and two coaches for
Excelsior Springs. The trestie at which
the disaster occurred is about two miles
south OF Missouri City, and Is built on a
curve As the train struck the trestle tina
framework gave way beneath the weight,
evidently having been weakened by the
tremendous volume OF water flowing be-
Meath IL. an unusually heavy rain having
swollen the small stream 20 a torrent Tho
engine and tender passed over safely. but
the mall and express cars toppled over.
each failing on the side. The chair car
plunged down into the chasm end first.
and the coach following also went In end
first. grinding and crushing the mail and
express cars beneath. The front end OF
the sleeper projected over the chasm bat
the two Excelsior Springs cars in the rear
held II upon the track.
The accident happened during one Of the
heaviest rain storms ever seen In that
country. II was accompanied by a ire
mcudous roll OF thunder and vivid light
ming. The elements and the horrible ma
ture ~ the accident combined 20 make one
Of the most terrifying sights imaginable.
Before any one could realize what had
happened the cries Of the Injured filed the
air. Shrieks for help came from all sides.
Some one shouted that the wreck was on
fire. One Of the young men IN the rear
coach spraug of and ran back down the
track and with an umbrella TAGGED =
freight tain 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 10
Missouri City and reported the wreck. A
after. Twenty minutes after the wreck
was reported a special train carrying the
officials and a score of doctors left Mis-
sour. City. and made one OF the quickest
trips ever made over the line 20 the wreck
The work Of rescue was begun. but IL
was accompanied by gTea, difficulty. Not
a trasrrnar was TO be found. The crew
were all in the wreck and only the con-
dUctor OF the Pullman and his porTers were
there 70 help tire passengers. They took
charge PROMPTLY aDG rsnderod valuable as
sist8ncs. The occupants OF the smoker,
who were in the rear end managed 10
scramble out 81 THE car and escape. al
though e is pretty certain a number were
unable 20 get out.
The worst damage vas done IN ;hs chair
car. Conductor Coressnd had Just entered
the front door q thai coach when II went
down. The 3olt of the sleeping car be-
hind and under II. sent tire occupants o.
the car IN 9 pile down so the frort chairs
went tumbEsux down along with the peo-
pie and BENEATH the mass Conductor Cope
land u2et hts death, 4 heavy chair struck
him and crushed his head white a score
Of other people were piled above him.
The bra Aeu5ac and news aEent were IL the
ST cSer ard went down win L.
III Was the most awful ssEAt I ever
saw" said J ! Kelley. of Kelley Drus'
CooPersge Company. 81 Kansas city,
"l vas IN che front car so.Hg 70 Excelsior
Springs. We we're directly behind the
sleeper. and we STOPPED with = sudden
reSs chat moved "a about 3 bit We heard
cries aaa shouts ard hurried ogt into The
ra.o 80 eee What had happened IN the
RASH % GehtDlnE va cogli see sbe wreck
pH,ad 0p Isl the faost awfUl share ! never
saw 3 n re triEatgul picture. cries came
from All parts Il the wreck and peopta
w~-e climbing uaG harry.uS cut az g.
Men. wlta blood streaming al ever tAera-
came Struggling o4t ard women. wt.h
cIathsaE 8.ssevesed ard covered WEB
t.oc1 Fiteously appealed Tor help Ev-
erHeo8y helped as Sooc as we ca1,'f sac
wnat coa.d &c doae but = was something
a&fst Men we're p.a2oae1 down beneath
great masses - Seats aaers we're broken
aH1 - was asoTy rs-spea Sa@is - Get them
o1t 6ut those MO could render assistance
&G al tAzt was possible There = 70
telling acv uaan> people are fow1 r. that
u4trr, i Vas tzosa s.x "a zen fee, seep
ans tee C4gTeels V4~ %ery swift
Il transFsres ta-&t 3 farmer ltvi-g near
Missouri c3sy revectesrs taae tHe food Vas
Wea SeatssS she er.sge. waited fer several
Naea tat cT.tsca- NONE ~ ea.se hs SAD
ste engineer &-3 1ct see his Sszusa THIS
~aS a0e te @1s sear.@E oevs. .,oGr - Fan