Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-09-10

Greenwood county, dictated by his daughter,
Mrs. Belle Cox (who is the only sister of the
editor of the AGITAToR), which read as fol-
lows
Engine exploded. Boys both dead; Arr
almost. Come"
The editor and his mother Immediately made
preparations to go to the scene of disaster, to
aid in whatever way we could.
Following, we explain the meaning of the
telegram: A. H. Cox lived on-or near-the
banks of the Verdigris river. He was all II
rigation enthusiast, and concluded to establish
plant on his farm. For a while, he used
threshing- machine engine but its capacity was
too SMALL so he purchased thirty-six horse
power engine and boiler-second-h hand. He
had been working for weeks to get this ell
CINE ready to work, but he finally succeeded ESQ
he thought), and last Friday was the day set to
give it trial. Everything was readiness by
O'Clock p. NJ, or about that time.
Before starting the engine, Mr.. Cox went to
the house, which was nearly quarter of
mile from the plant, on the opposite of grove,
and asked Mrs. Cox if she didn't want to go
and see the new engine start She said yes,
and he said he would send one Of the little boys
for her when all was ready, and he returned to
his work. For some reason, however, the boy
did not 60 after her before the machine started,
and, as she waited, she heard the machine start
and heard the steam escape with each revolu
ton of the balance wheel-heard this probably
a dozen times-when there came the terrible
noise of an explosion. She realized what this
meant, and Immediately ran as fast as she could
to the scene of the disaster. When in sight of
the spot, she could see nobody moving, and
when she reached it, she saw her husband and
two little boys (Dean, nearly II years old, and
Clarence, 81 lying in different places. The
husband was still breathing, but his skull was
crushed and his head and face cut and bruised.
Dean lay in the irri gation-ditch, his head re-
tanning no resemblance of head, but cut and
crushed out of shape. She got down into the
ditch and picked up the body and carried it tc
higher ground. She found Clarence further
away, his head blown off, and his body lying
across the body of the engineer Ga Mr.. Car
isle of Toronto, whose head, also, was nearly
torn away The little fellows body was also
horribly mangled. She picked up the body of
her "baby" and carried it to where Dean lay.
In the meantime, neighbors who had heard
the explosion Zone had seen it from distance)
arrived and carried Mr.. Cox to the house. He
breathed for about two hours, but did not re-
gain consciousness. telegram sent to
the family of the dead engineer, and the bodies
of the boys were taken to the house of neigh
Dor, where they were stripped of the frag
ments of clothing that remained, and prepared
for burial. Later, however-after Mr.. Cox had
breathed his last-the bodies of the boys were
taken home and placed beside their dead father.
Owing to the mangled condition of the bodies,
all were placed out of doors, under the friendly
shade of the forest trees in the front yard.
Here the heart-broken wife and mother
watched over her dead all highland here we
found her when we reached the place, little
after sun-up.
We cannot describe the scence-we would
not if we could. Indeed, we would gladly for
get it if we could; but that cannot be; it must
go with us to the grave.
The bodies could not be kept any length of
time, and it was thought best to bury them as
soon as possible, so at 1890 o'clock, OIL Satur-
day, the funeral services were held, conducted
by two neighboring ministers, and the bodies
were taken to pretty little cemetery short
distance from the home, and laid away in their
little narrow houses i'll the bosom of Mother
Earth The funeral was attended by large
number of people, farmers and their families
coming for miles to pay their last respects to
the deceased thus testifying to the high regard
in which they were held by their neighbors.