The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-27

the water on the other side of the gorge.
think the gorge was about fifteen feet
from the top of the trestle. On this side
of the gorge the sleeper which was behind
the chair car in the train, under it,
and the Excelsior Springs, or second smok-
er, is over the chair car. The front OF the
second smoker is broken in and two people
in that car were injured. / heard passen-
ger who passed through the chair car early
in the evening say after the wreck that II
was filed with travelling men,"
H. p. Dillon, attorney. of Topeka. with
his wife and son and servant. were in the
sleeper en- route to New York. He said no
part of the sleeping car was under water
in the gorge. 1t was standing on end and
the passengers escaped by climbing
through the window. No one in the sleep
er was hurt. Mr. Dillon was unable TO tell
how many persons were in the sleeper, but
said that estimates OF five made by other
passengers was too low and that there We're
at least eight or nine persons. Mr. Dillon
was scratched on the face, but the other
members of his party showed no evidence
whatever of having been three cars deep in
track wreck.
A POSTOFFICE INSPECTORS STORY.
Dennis Sullivan, postof1ice inspector with
celsior Springs smoker, the front end of
which was smashed up and two of the
passengers of which were injured. He said
one of the passengers injured is a liquour
dealer of Excelsior Springs but he did not
know the name of the other man. The
Excelsior Springs man eXtricated himself,
but Sullivan and Mr. Hall, of Kansas City,
had to take the other man out. He was
pinned between the car stove and side OF
the car. The shock, Mr. Sullivan said, was
sufficient to throw all the passengers of the
front Excelsior Springs car from their
seats.
Miss Nellie Merrick, of Carrolton, Mo-,
was in the first chair car but escaped un-
injured Her companion Miss Alice Dusk,
also of Carrolton, was severely bruised
about the left side of the head and arm and
shoulder. Miss Merrick said that ]. w.
Smith, of Brunswick, was the only man
who took any part in rescuing the ladies
in the first chair car, so far as she knew,
and that he carried several of them out of
the car, including herself and Miss Dusk.
The wife and child of Rev. DR.. Northrup
who were passengers on the train, escaped
injury.
Rev. T. p. Haley. of Kansas City was
in the last car, with his wife, and both es-
capped injury. 1T all came quickly and
without the slightest warning said he, in
talking of the accident that it is difficult
to give a connected story of the terrible af-
fair We had reached point about mile
this side of Missouri City, when without a
moments warning the bridge gave way
and in a moment the train was a wreck.
The engine and tender passed over the
bridge. The baggage car, the smoker, the
mail car and the chair car went down. The
sleeper was thrown under the chair car
and the baggage car was thrown almost
on end upon the top of the other cars at
an angle of fully 80 degrees, as if hoisted in
that position with a derrick. The scene
which presented itself was indescribable
The cries of the wounded We're frightful. l
can never forget the spectacle. Fortunate
ly, the agony of fire was not added to the
other horrors of the occasion"