Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-09-16
TWO TRAINS COLLIDE.
MANY KILLED AND INJURED IN
THE CRASH.
Fast Express and Mail Trains ON the
Santa Fe Road Come Into Colii-
sion Near mporia-Fire Consumes
Santa Fe Disa ster.

One of the worst wrecks in the history
of the Santa Fe Railroad occurred three
miles east of Emporia, Kan, Wednesday
night. Nine or ten persons were killed
and many more were badly nurt. The
fast mail train going east and the Mexico
and California express, west bound, col
lided head on. The Mexico and California
express was pulled by two locomotives,
and when they struck the engine draw
ing the fast mail the boilers Of all three
engines exploded and tore a hole in the
ground so deep that the smoking cur Of
the west-bound train went in on the
three engines and two mail cars aad bal
aAced there, without turning over. The
passengers in the smoking car escaped
through the windows. The front end Of
this car was enveloped in volume of
sitting smoke and steam, belching up
from the wreck below, and the rear door
was jGmmed tight in the wreck of the
car behind.
The wreck caught fire from the en-
gines. The cars in the hole and the smok-
ing car burned to ashes in no time. In
climbing out OF the smoking car several
men fell through the riffs in the wreck
below and it is not known whether they
escaped or were burned TO death. The
west-bound train carried seven or eight
coaches. and its passengers included many
excursionists who had been to hear w. j..
Bryan speak ut the county fair at Burling-
ame. Mr.. Bryan himself was on the
train, but was riding in the rear Pullman,
400 feet from the cars which were wreck
ed. He says nothing but heavy jolt
was experienced by the passengers in his
coach.
Mr.. Bryan was one of the noblest men
in the crowd OF rescuers. He helped to
carry out the dead and wounded and
gave the greatest attention to their care.
One poor fellow, who was badly manned,
called to Mr.. Bryan and said; Il went
to hear You to-day; am dying now and
want to shake your hand and say God
bless you. If you possibly can, Mr..
Bryan, get me drink Of water" Mr..
Bryant went into the fast mail car, one
end of which was burning, and came out
with drink of water, which he gave to
the suffering passenger. He brought out
cushions for others Of the injured. and
was everywhere present to minister to
the wants of the injured.
The engineer of the west-bound train
I1uu TccclNeu OTutTS 10 lHetl tSle luSl Hltli
at Emporia and was making up lost time.
These two are the fastest trains on the
Santa Fe system and the east-bound train
must have been running at n speed of
forty miles an hour. The west-bound ex
press was going around slight curve
and met the fast mail, probably within
200 feet. OF the seven or eight cars max
ing up the train of the California express
the mail, baggage and the express and
smoking cars were destroyed. The coach
following the smoker was badly splin-
tered.
There were not more than dozen pas
sengers on the fast mall all in one coach,
and while none of them was seriously in
jured their shaking up was terrible. Ev-
cry seat in the coach was torn from the
floor and many floor planks came up with
the seats. 1t is stated that the wreck
was caused by a miscarriage Of orders
from the tranmaster. At Emporia the
east-bound fast mail train received or
ders TO pass the California express at
Lang, seven miles east. Another order
was sent to Lang for the California ex-
press to take the siding there. But this
order was not delivered and the east
bound train passed on, the trainmen ex-
pecting to pass the fast mail at Emporia.