The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-10
A FEARFUL COLLISION
Two Express rrAins Rush Tosethcr-Tbr~~
Locomotive Boilers Explode - Coas~zss
Piled on the Engines and RuTrs-R
Twelve or More Persons Killed

Twelve or More Persons Killed
Kansas City. Mo. September s-a
special To The Times from E:mpnrSa.
Kan, says: One OF the worst wrecks
in the history OF the Santa Fe raiiraae
occurred three miles east OF here at
about 7:30 o'clock tonight. Twelve. Ur
fifteen persons were killed and as mas,y
more badly hurt. The fast mail trxFs
going east and the Mexico and Cab
fornia express bound west, coiiisls.c
head-on. The Mexico and California
express was pulled 10y two locomotives
and when they struck the engine draw
ing the fast mail, theboilers OF all th-~e
engines exploded and tore "A hole in the
ground so deep that the smoking -iar
of the westbound train ran on top III
the three engines and two mail CARS
and balanced there without turning
over. The passengers in the smoking
car escaped through the windows Ttae
front end of this car was enveloped ir
a volume of sitting smoke and stea1.
belchirg up from the wreck below and
the rear door was jammed tight In the
wreck of the car behind. The wreck
caught fire from the engines. The cars
in the hole and the smoking car burned
to ashes in a short time. In climbing
fell through the riffs into the wreck
and it is impossible TO tell whether thcr
escaped or not.
The west bound train carried seven
or eight coaches, and its passengers
included many excursionists who had
been to hear Hon. w. J. Bryan speak
| at the county fair at Burlingame. Mv-
Bryan himself was on the train, bIst
was riding in the rear Pullman, sons@s
400 feet from the cars which were
wrecked. He states that nothing but n
heavy jolt was experienced by the pas
sengers in his coach. Mr.. Bryan WAS
one Of the noblest men in the crowd cf
rescuers. He helped to carry out the
dead and wounded and gave the great
est attention to their care. One poor
fellow, who was badly manned, calIes1
| to M. Bryan and said: Il went IT,
hear you today; / am now dying ana
want To shake your hand and say Gota
bless you. If you possibly can, MI
Bryan, get me a drink OF water" Mr.
Bryan went into the fast mail car. oHs
end of which was burning, and CAM
out with the water which he gave to
| the suffering passenger. He brought
! out cushions for others Of the injured.
| and was everywhere present to minis
| ter to the wants OF the suffering.
1t is feared that nearly all OF this
| seven mail clerks perished in the dis
| aster, but so far only eight bodies havr
| been taken from the wreck.
The engineer OF the westbound train
| had received orders to meet the fash
| mail at Emporia and was making III,
| lost time. These two are the fastest
trains in the Santa Fe system, and tEs.
| westbound train must have been run
| ming at a speed Of at least forty miiess
| an hour. The westbound express WE
| going around slight curve. and met
| the fast mail, probably within 200 feex-
| OF the seven or eight cars making uIa
| the Mexico and California express only
the mail, baggage and express and
| smoking cars were destroyed. The
| coach following the smoker WAS badly
| splintered.
| Not more than a dozen passengers
| were on the fast NAL. all in one coar -
| 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 OF the floor planks
| came up with the seats. One man
| John Sweeney was thrown over three
| seats and through a window but esz-
| capped with only scratches and bruises
| 1t is stated that the wreck was~
| caused by a miscarriage OF orders from
| the train master. At Emporia the
eastbound fast mail train received or
| ders to pass the California expires at
| Lang, seven miles east. Another order
| was sent to Lang for the California
| express to take the siding there, bu1
| this order was not delivered and the
| Westbound train passed on, the train
| men expecting to pass the fast mail at
| Emporia