The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-19
WRECKED AND BURNED
KANSAS CITY, FORT SCOTT & MEM
PHIs TRAIN DESTROYED.
One Passenger Fatally Injured and
About Thirty others Less Seriously
-Indianians in the List.


phis road, which left Birmingham last
evening for Kansas City, was derailed just
west of Williford, Ark, at o'clock this
morning. The combination coach, chair car
and sleeper went over the bank, the combi-
nation car going into Spring river. The
chair car and sleeper were burned. One pas
senger was fatally injured and about thirty
others more or less seriously hurt The
casualty list follows:
]. L. HOOVER, Pleasant Hill, Mo-, ia
tally
CLARENCE MURPHY, Atwood, Ind.
j. r. MORRIS, Bakersfield, Mo.
c. A. RAVENSTEIN, wife and baby, At
{. d. MERRIwEATHER, Sulphur Rock.
ED WEBB, Vernon Nook, Mo.
j. J. ALTZSCHFL, Little Rock.
(All the above more or less seriously
W. j. GRANT. Salem, Ark, bruised and
M. T. PRICE, Beall, Ark, injured about
W. B. srAHL, Corinth, Miss. injured
about head and hands.
w. H. BOATNER, Lection, Mo-, injured
N. G. HOGAN. Oakland. Ark. injured
WESLEY WINS, Atwood, Ind. injured
MRS A. D. PERKINS, Hiral, Ark, ex-
tent of injuries not known.
r. S. GUY, Monterey, Ind. arms hurt.
MRS. SMITH, arm hurt
MRS. PRINCE, going to Fort Smith, ex-
tent of injuries not known.
- PRINCE, young son of Mrs. Prince,
hurt about face and arms.
M. BAILEY, Fair Play, Ark, foot in
MRS. ARNETr, Mammoth Springs. Ark.
W. j. sHESABEL, vidette. Ark, head in
]. n. HORTON, Ash Flat, Ark, head cut
thighs
JOHN HORTON, his son. fourteen years
old, hurt between the shoulders.
LUTHER HORTON, his son, sixteen years
old, bruised about knee.
S. l.. GUTHRIE Franklin. Ark, hip
bruised.
J. d. HILL, Hardy, Ark, head cut.
H. v. HILL, Hardy, Ark, leg hurt.
No 2 is q fast through train from the
South. Between Williford and Hardy the
Memphis tracks parallel the Spring river, a
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 partition in the
middle, one end being used as smoker and
the other for colored passengers. When
near Williford the engineer felt the train
leap forward, and found that 1t had parted
between the two day coaches. The last
three cars bumped over the ties, the chair
car and sleeper turning over on their side
and the combination car finally going into
the river The most intense confusion pre-
vailed. 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 into the stream with the COM
bination car was soon heightened by cries
Of al 1,oir nj cto
both of which soon took fire. The intense
darkness added to the confusion, and 1t
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 themselves without
aid. The passengers in the burning cars
were luckily rescued before the fire had
reached its height and but few in those
cars were injured. 1t soon became appar-
ent that the chair car and sleeper could not
be saved and all efforts were put forth to
save the unfortunate passengers of the
combination car in the stream Screams
and cries for help were heard on all sides,
and because of the darkness rescue was
difficult. AS the flames from the two burn
ing cars became brighter the rescuers were
enabled to work to better advantage. Luck
lily not one person was drowned, and II was
not long before all had been accounted for
and were being cared for as we'll as pos
sible.
A telegram to Thayer twenty-nine miles
distant. brought relief train in an hour or
so, and the injured were taken to that city
and placed in a hospital. Shortly before
noon to-day Chief Surgeon Pettijohn, of the
Memphis road. and Claim Agent Crater left
Kansas City for Thayer and will bring the
injured to this city. The cause of the acci-
dent has not been ascertained, but 1t is
thought some portions 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, according to the state
ment of General Passenger Agent j. E.
lockwood, be the first passenger ever killed
while riding on a train on that road.
David Hoover, a stock buyer from Mans
field. Mo, who was so badly injured, died
at 9:15 this morning. Roadmaster Beck
says the wreck was caused by a wheel
Under the combination car becoming loose
and throwing the truck from the rails.