Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-09-18
FATAL WRECK.
Ten People Killed and Many injured in
a Santa Fe Wreck
Accident Occurred Near Emporia, the Re-
suit of . Head-End Collision-Fire
Adds to the Other Horrors-Com-
pany's Loss Over 100000.

"A,
dead and Ii are injured, some of them
fatally, as the result of head-end coli
lision of two of the fastest trains in
the Santa Fe service at 7:30 last night.
The fast mail train, eastbound, and
the California and Mexico express,
westbound, crashed together on a
curve three miles east of Emporia-
The engines exploded, tearing an inn
mense hole in the earth into which
the baggage and mail cars plunged
and were consumed by fire. The list
of the dead are:
James Brennan engineer. Topeka, Kan;
Nate Hollister. fireman. Topeka. Kan: Julius
F. E. Sauer. messenger. Wells-Fargo express.
Kansas City, Mo-; William Frisbey, engineer
of fast mail train; r. O. MCGEE. postal clerk,
Kansas City; R A Doran, postal clerk, En-
poria; Bragman, 623 Locust street, Topeka;
! Kan; Gonzales, fireman of westbound
train; Daniel McKennon. IL years old 92O Ham
cock street Topeka, Kan; two unknown tramps
How the Wreck Occurred.
The wreck was caused by the mis-
carriage of orders from the trainmas-
| ter. The conductor of the eastbound
train was ordered at Emporia to meet
| and pass the California flyer at Lang,
! seven miles east. An order sent to
/ Lang to the conductor of the westbound
train for him to wait there was not
| delivered and he supposed he was to
pass at Emporia- Each train was hur-
rying-one to Emporia, the other to
Lang-and met at full speed on the
main line. The westbound train was
| making not less than 40 miles an hour
when the wreck occurred. The express
train was drawn by two locomotives
and when they struck the fast mail all
three of the engines exploded and tore a
hole in the track SO deep that the smok-
ing car of the westbound train went
on top of the wreck of the three en-
pines and two mail cars, and balanced
there without turning over. Those in
this car who escaped through the win
dows came very near turning the car
over in which event the fatality would
have been much greater, as this car
soon caught fire from the exploded en-
gines underneath it and burned to
ashes in no time. In jumping out OF
| the windows one or two are known TO
have fallen into the burning debris
J underneath and their fate is unknown.
} There were not more than dozen
passengers in the fast mail, all in one
, coach and while none of them were
l seriously injured, the shaking up was
terrible. Every seat was torn from its
floor fastenings with such force that
many of them pulled plan1s from the
floor with them.
! Bryan One of the Passengers.
On the west bound train was w. j.
Bryan and Il. M. Potter. Botn meI
did splendid work in the work of res
cue. Mr.. Bryan assisted in carrying
: out of the wreckage two postal clerks
2 He was by the side of Engineer FRS
bee and helped attend him until the
doctors and relief train arrived from
Emporia.
Fire Adds to the Horror.
The dead and mangled bodies of foul
victims were dragged to the grass be
l side the tracks. The women passen
' gers huddled in terror and watched
: the flames grow higher and higher
r AS the fire roared and cracked like :
furnace men with blanched face
s fought with the bravery of he
q roes to subdue it, but they wer
working under the most ad
s verse circumstances, and it scenes
: that they would be unable t
stav the course of the fire fend
IS The flames at one time rose to such
e height that they could be seen in Eta
poria, three miles away. After hel
y culean work, they were subdued.
II Trains over the Santa Fe will be rul
by way of Ottawa for few days. TIL
. cost of the wreck to the railway is est
= mated at 500, 900.
For WESTERN SHIPPERS