The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-09-16
TRAIN WRECK IN KANSAS.
One ofthe Worst Accidents in the His
tory Of the Santa Fe Railroad.
ENGINES EXPLODE IN COLLISION

Jury ana M1nlsters 10 1nOse Less + OF
tunate Than Himself-Twelve Fellow
Passengers Crushed to Death-Boil-
ers of Three Locomotives Exploded.
EMpoR1A, Kan. (SpeciaD.-One Of the
worst wrecks in the history OF the Santa
Fe Railroad occurred three miles east OF
here at 7.30 o'clock p. m. Twelve or flf-
teen persons were killed and as many more
badly hurt. Benjamin Walters, OF st.
Joseph, NO., a fireman on the west-bound
train, Is missing. 1t was feared that nearly
all of the seven mail clerks had perished in
the disaster.
The identified dead are: James Brennan,
engineer, Topeka; n. Hollister, fireman,
Topeka; J. F. souders, Kansas City, express
messenger; body almost consumed by fire.
William Frisbey, engineer; R. A. Doran;
postal clerk; - Gonzalez, fireman, west
bound train; unknown tramp; - Brag-
man, Topeka.
The fast mail train going east and the
Mexico and California express, west-bound.
collided head on. The Mexico and Cali
fornia express was pulled By two locomo-
tives, and when they struck the engine
drawing the fast mail, the boilers Of all
three engines exploded and tore hole In
the ground 50 deep that the smoking car
OF the west-bound train went in on top OF
the three engines and two mail cars, and
balanced there without turning over.
The passengers In the smoking car es-
capped through the windows. The front end
of this car was enveloped In volume OF
sitting smoke and steam, rushing up from
the wreck below. and the rear door was
jammed tight in the wreck OF the car be-
hind.
The wreck caught fire from the engines,
and the cars in the hole and the smoking
car were quickly burned to ashes.
In climbing out Of the smoking car several
men fell through the riffs in the wreck be-
they escaped or were burned to death.
The westbound train carried seven
or eight coaches, and its passengers in
cluded many excursionists who had been to
hear W. ]. Bryan speak at the county lair
at Burlingame.
Mr.. Bryan himself was on the train, but
WAS riding In the rear Pullman. He states
that nothing but heavy jolt was expert
enced by the passengers In his coach.
Mr. Bryan was one Of the most energetic
man In the crowd Of rescuers. He helped
to carry out the dead and wounded, anu
gave the greatest attention to their care.
One poor fellow who was badly manned
called to Mr.. Bryan and said:
II went to hear you to-day; am dying
now, and want to shake your hand and say
God bless you. II you possibly can, Mr..
Bryan. get me q drink OF water"
Mr.. Bryan went into the fast mail car,
one end Of which was burning, and came
out with the drink Of water, which he gave
to the suffering passenger. He brought
out cushions for others Of the injured, ind
was everywhere present to minister to the
wants Of the suffering.
The engineer Of the west-bound train had
received orders to meet the fast mail at
Emporia and was making up lost time.
These two are the fastest trains on the
Santa Fe system, and the west-bound train
must have been running at speed Of at
least forty miles an hour. The west-boIlnd
express was going around slight curve
when the collision occurred.
OF the seven or eight cars making up the
Mexico and California express, only the
mail, baggage and express and smoking
cars were destroyed. The coach following
the smoker was splintered badly.
There were not more than dozen pas
sengers on the fast nail, all In one coach.
None Of them was seriously injured, though.
Every seat in the coach was torn from the
floor and many floor planks came up with
the seats.
John Sweeney was thrown over three
seats and through q window, but escaped
with only scratches and bruises. The other
cars OF the fast mail train, baggage and
express, were totally wrecked.