The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-09-09
OVER A DOZEN KILLED
Bya Head-0n Collision on the Santa
Fe Railroad.
HON. WILLIAM J. BRYAN ESCAPED

The Presto ,tial Candidate Was a
Passenger on One of the Trains, and
Labored Zealously to Succor tho
Wouuded-Locomoti Exploded.
Emporia, Kan, Sept. 9.--One of the
worst wrecks in the history of the
Santa Fe railroad occurred three miles
east Of here at 1880 o'clock last night.
/ Twelve or fifteen persons were killed,
and as many more badly hurt. The
fast mail train going east and the
Mexico and California express, vest
bound, collided head on. The Mexico
md California express was pulled by
Two locomotives, and when they struck
The boilers of all three engines ex-
ploded and tore q hole in the ground
30 deep that the smoking car of the
westbound 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-
raped through the windows.
The front end Of this car was en-
veloped in volume Of sitting smoke
md steam. rushing up from the wreck
tight in the wreck of the car behind.
The wreck caught fire from the engines.
md the cars in the hole and the smok-
Ing cars were quickly burned to ashes.
In climbing out of the smoking car
several men fell through the riffs in
the wreck below, and it Is impossible
to tell whether 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 Hon. William ]. Bryan
speak at the county fair at Burlingame.
Mr.. Bryan himself was on the train,
but was riding in the rear Pullman.
He states that nothing but heavy Jolt
was experienced by the passengers In
bis coach.
Mr.. Bryan was one Of the most ener-
getic men in the crowd of rescuers. He
helped to carry out the dead and
wounded, and gave the greatest at
tention to their care. One poor fellow,
who was badly manned, called to Mr.
Bryan and said: Il went to hear you
today. I am dying now, and I want
to shake your hand and say God bless
you. If you possibly can, Mr.. Bryan,
get me 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 pas
senger. He brought out cushions for
others of the injured, and was every
where present to minister to the wants
Of the suffering.
1t is feared that nearly all of the
Beven mail clerks perished In the dis
nster, but so far only eight bodies have
been taken from the wreck.
The known dead are: Jim Brennan,
engineer, Topeka; Nate Hollister, fire.
man, Topeka; ]. It. Souders. Kansas
City, express messenger. body almost
consumed by fire; William Frisby, en-
gineer; r. A. Doran, Emporia, postal
clerk; John Gonzalez fireman west
bound train; George Brag, Topeka un-
known tramp.
Among the most seriously injured
are: Claude Holiday, Lawrence, ex-
press messenger, both legs broken; D.
C. Erler. Kansas City, express mes
senger, legs broken, will die; John
Dagan, Topeka, face smashed; ]. T.
Butler, county attorney of Chase
tounty. hip broken. may die; William
F. Jones. Kansas City leg and both
arms broken: Phil Schuer Kansas City,
hip crushed; William Patrick, Kansas
City. leg and arm broken.
Ben Walters. Of st. Joseph, Mo-, a
fireman on the westbound train, is
missing.
The engineer Of the westbound train
had received orders to meet the fast
mail at Emporia, and was making up
lost time. These two are tie fastest
trains on the Santa Fe system, and
The westbound train must have been
running at speed Of at least 40 miles
IN hour. The westbound 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 badly
splintered.
There were not more than a dozen
passengers on the fast mail, and all
In one coach, and while none Of them
was seriously injured their shaking up
was terrible. Every seat in the coach
was torn from the floor, and many
hoor planks came up with the seats.
One man, John Sweeney was thrown
over three seats and through a window,
but escaped with only scratches and
bruises. The other cars of the fast mail
train, baggage and express, were to-
tally wrecked.