The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-09
DEATHS BOLT.
1t Struck Heavily at 1880 Last
Evening.
FrightfuI Collision on the San
ta Fe Near Emporia.
Ten People Killed and Nj any
Badly Injured.
FIVE TOPEKANS DEAD.
California Express and Fast
Mail Meet on a Curve.
One Train a Double Header Go
ing so Miles an Hour.
ALL THREE ENGINES
Explode and Cars Take Fire
and Burn Up.
Wm. j. Bryan ON the Train and
Helps i'm Rescue.
ALL THREE ENGINES
Explode and Cars Take Fire
and Burn Up.
Nm. j. Bryan ON the Train and
Helps i'm Rescue.

The most disastrous wreck in the
history of the Santa Fe road and in
the history of the state occurred at 1880
yesterday evening on the main line
three miles east of Emporia-
Running at the rate of fifty miles an
hour the fast mail train eastbound and
the through California train westbound
came together with terrific force on
straight piece of track short distance
west of the little station of Lang.
Ten dead and fourteen injured, some
fatally, tell the tale of the result.
The dead are:
JAMES BRANHAN, Topeka, engin-
NATE HOLLIsTER, Topeka. engin-
ED GUNsAULLY. Topeka. fireman.
r. A DORAN, Emporia, postal clerk
J. F. SAUER, Kansas City, express
messenger.
BEN WALTERS. st. Joseph. fireman.
NJ. McGLADE, postal clerk, Kan
John SHIRLEY. Topeka. fireman.
DANIEL McKENNON, Topeka, boy.
C A. VAN CLEVE Kansas City,
brakeman.
In addition to the list of dead as given
the body of an unknown, burned be-
yond all semblance of humanity, was
taken ITOI4 InG Tul1lS l1lAk5 AIAOELlAS.
The injured:
VIM. FRISBY, engineer, legs broken
and injured internally.
ALEX FERGUSON, Kansas City,
conductor on No. 1; hips hurt.
CLAUD HOLIDAY, Lawrence, ex-
press messenger; both legs broken.
D. C. ETTER, Kansas City: express
messenger; legs broken, will die.
JOHN DAGAN, Topeka; face smash
ed
]. It. BUTLER, county attorney Chase
county; hip broken, may die.
WILLIAM F. JONES, Kansas City;
leg and arms broken.
b. P. MELIK, Atchison, badly bruis-
ed.
PHIL SCHIER, Kansas City; hip
crushed.
WILLIAM PATRICK, Kansas City;
badly bruised.
G D. ADAMS. City of Mexico; pain
MIKE SWEENEY, GAINESVILLE, Tex !:
r. o. MCGEE, Kansas City, postal
clerk.
E. c. FLETCHER, Kansas City. pos
tai clerk.
The story of the wreck is story of
the dead and the dying and of MANNED
and injured humanity. 1t is the story
of a horror unprecedented in the his
tory of Kansas.
The through westbound California
express had two engines attached, and
when the trains came together the force
of the collision caused the three engines
10 explode. With a terrible crashing
noise the big machines went to pieces,
tearing monster hole in the earth and
throwing fragments of the boilers and
machinery high into the air. On top
of the wrecks of the broken engines
the baggage and express and mail cars
of the two trains piled, and then the
debris ignited from the redhot engine
Goals and started to burn.
Then followed a scene of horror and
confusion scarcely to be realized Pas
sengers uninjured by the collision
scrambled madly from the dark cars
and rushed wildly about, while the ap-
peals of the dying and injured rose in
heartrending walls from among the
wreckage or from either side OF the
track.
There were but few passengers on the
fast mail train, but the CaIltorhla eN-
press was heavily loaded, carrying
many passengers who had heard VIII
liam Jennings Bryan speak at Burlin-
game yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Bryan
himself was in the smoking car OF the
train converSing with Dave Leahy, the
Topeka correspondent of the Kansas
City Times. Mr.. Leahy was an eye
witness of the wreck and tells the fol-
lowing story about it:
The conductor and brakeman were
getting their lanterns ready for En-
poria, only three miles away. There
was no warning signal. The westbound
train was going around slight curve
and met the fast mail probably within
200 feet. There was shock as if the
train had bumped up against stone
wall Then there was an explosion, a
crashing sound, an uncertain move
ment of the coaches and all the lights
went out Those who were in the first
coach in the west bound train were left
an terrible darkness and they very soon
realized the peril of their position, for
the coach was filed with steam and
smoke and also that peculiar smelling