The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-10
Cause of the Awful Santa Fe
Collision.
TWELVE WERE KILLED.
WILLIAM j. BRYAN JUMPED
THROUGH A WINDOW.
Car in Which He Was Riding Was
Balanced on the Top of Three
Locomotives and Quickly Burned
to Ashes-He Was Foremost
Among the Rescuers.

Emporia, Kan, Sept. 9.-Twelye
known dead, one missing (probably in
cinerated) and Ia injured, two of whom
viii likely die, is the record of the ter
rible head-end collision on the Santa
Fe as known tonight The first lists
were mixed because of the confusion
attending the wreck, and all day names
on the list Of injured have been trans
ferred to that of the dead. Even TO-
night it is not positively known that
the list given is complete, as it is be
lieved that several were burned 70
death and nothing left by which they
could be recognized The 'bodles OF u
have been taken from the oeprls,
burned beyond recognition.
William ]. Bryan, who was q pas
senger on one of the trains. escaped
uniniured and aided materially IN res
culng the unfortunates and alternating
their sufferings.
Trains over the Santa Fe will be
run by the way of ottawa for rev
DAYS. The cost of the wreck to the
railway is estimated at 100000. I1e
wrecked trains were the fastest IN the
service-the fast mail eastbound and
the California Mexico express, west
bound. Each was running at the rate
of 40 miles an hour or over
The wreck occurred at 7:30, three
miles east of Emporia, on small cul-
vert that crossed a dry creek. Ihe
culYert was not more than- ten Ietl
wide and the foremost engine of the
westbound train had spanned it when
the collision occurred. The embank-
ment approaches to this culvert are
quite high.
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 dellV-
/ cred and he supposed he was to pass
| at Emporia. Each train was hurrying
one to Emporia the other to Lang
! and met at full speed ON the main line
] The California train was almost an
| hour late and owing to Mr.. Bryan
| lecture engagement at Burlingame
| was crowded to the guards With eXcuf-
| sionists returning home 1t earned
eight passenger coaches, all crowded
/ The conductor and brakeman were get
| ting their lanterns ready for Emporia
! only three miles away. There was nc
warming signal. The westbound trair
was going around slight curve wher
II met the fast mail. There was SHOCK
as if the train had been bumped VI
against a stone wall. Then there wa'
| an explosion, crashing sound, an IN
certain movement of the coaches ant
all the lights went out. Those Wht
were on the first coach in the West
bound train were left in total darkness:
and they very soon realized the peril o.
their position, for the coach was tillet
| with steam and smoke.
BOILERS EXPLODED.
The westbound train was drawn b!
two locomotives, and when they strucl
I the fast mail all three Of the engine;
/ exploded and tore q hole in the tract
so deep that the smoking car of thu
Westbound train went on top of thu
wreck Of the three engines and twt
mail cars, and balanced there withou
turning over Those in this car VIII
escaped through the windows cam
very near turning the car over, Il
which event the fatalities would hay
been much greater, as this car sool
underneath it and burned to ashes Il
no time.
The cars of the fast mail did no
leave the track There were not NOR
than a dozen passengers on the latte
train and all were in one coach
Engineer Brannan was found unde
his engine, dead Engineer Nate Hol
lister was thrown 80 Ieet from MS en-
CINE and was picked UP dead. Engirlee
F'risbie was picked up some distanc
from the track, fatally injured. Ben
iamin Walter, his fireman, was ter
!, ribly mangled. ShurIey and Gonzallf
, the firemen on No. /, were badly injure
and died after being removed from til
wreck.
Many deeds of heroism were pei
formed in the brief space that SCENE
like ages TO the men who We're strue
Cling to save their fellows. Men who's
property was lost in the wreckaS
whose valuables were hidden In valise
that lay strewn over the ground {
! waited to be fuel for the flames, 9ougf
for mastery. over the fire and carrie
water when it could be obtained to uI