The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-27
DAILY, SO A YEAR
5 CENTS A COPY.
WEEKLY 2-TIM GS-A-WEEK 81 A YEAR
TRAIN FALLS INTO A TORRENT.
NINE KNOWN TO BE DEAD AND
NUMBER MAY REACH rs.


Tries to E0lag the Train, But Fails
Owing to the Engineers Inability
TO See Him Through the Raln-A
Freight Train FIagged i'm Time to
Save 1t From PiIing ON Top Of the
Wreck
Kansas City, Mo, June 2s-The 81.
Louis express on the Wabash railway.
which left here at $50 this evening.
plunged through a trestle at Missouri
City, Mo-. at 6;55 o'clock, carrying down
the entire train, with the exception Of the
rear car Pullman.
The gorge, which few hours previous
was practically empty had become a rag
|. +ng torrent. because of tremendous
downpour of rain, and the structure
weakened.
Seven people are known to be dead. and
the list may reach twenty-five.
There were twenty-five passengers IN the
chair car. and only a few OF these are
| accounted for
John Ennis. travelling salesman for Beck
man 81 Mcknight, was in the rear car
of the train, which was the only one
which escaped injury.
II was likewise the only car in which
none of the passengers were injured. MIR.
Ennis had an interview with a farmer.
who had come from Missouri City in the
evening and was at the place where the
wreck occurred to flag the train.
The farmer claimed to have waved a
flag on the track, but owing to the terri
BILE rain the engineer was unable to see the
signal. Mr.. Ennis said the wreck occurred
at 7:05 o'clock. The engine passed over
/ the treste, which broke Immediately after
wrads. and the tender. together with the
front or through smoking car, was thrown
backwards into the gorge. The farmer
with whom Mr.. Ennis talked said that
at O'Clock there was practically no water
in the gorge, but at the time ofp the wreck
1t was a raging torrent of ten feet or more
In depth. The farmer said the bridge was
clearly unsafe, which had impelled him 10
stand In the storm Ia an attempt to fiaR
/ the train
There were no trainmen left unkilled on
the side of the gorge on which most OF
the cars were left so far as Mr.. Ennis
knows, the engineer and fireman being on
the other side. The passengers were left
to take Independent action in rescuing the
| Victims.
One OF the most important things and
one which secured the safety Of the re-
naming passengers on the train, was the
tagging OF "a freight train, which followed
the passenger train about ten minutes.
| This freight train was tagged by pas
sengers 800 feet from the wreck. Mr.. En-
mis- said passenger In the train estlma-
ted that there we're at least forty passen-
gers I'm the smoking car and that not
more than ten were rescued on this side
Of the gorge Most of the smoker pas
sengers, IL they were saved, were found on
the other side. II was generally believed
| by the passengers with whom Mr.. Ennis
talked that very many Of the passengers
| Of the smoker had been killed, but no one
could give an estimate OF the number.
The newsboy and conductor were both
In the front smoking car at the time of
/ the wreck, and both are believed to have
/ been Instantly killed.
Mr.. Ennis thought a conservative esti-
mate OF the number killed would be twen-
| ty, and that 1t was more than likely mors
| than that number.
| The mail clerk and express messengers
| he thought, were killed.
| Edwin Zea OF Kansas City and G. w.
/ Harbold, a travelling salesman for Emery,
| Bird, Thayer g. Co, were the men who
| tagged the approaching freight train.
/ Both agreed measurably with Mr.. Ennis
IN his account of the wreck and estimates
Of the number killed. Both said they did
not see a trainman after the wreck, and
we're OF the opinion that except the en-
| glneer fireman and Pullman conductor.
all were killed. The freight train, they
said. was about ten minutes behind the
passenger train.
Lee w. Campbell OF Kansas City, was
In the rear car. He said: we hardly felt
| the shock. should think there were at
least 10 or u killed from the reports
have had from the passengers on the 9TH
er cars. The baggage master and mail
| agent we're undoubtedly killed. The mall
car. baggage car and smoker are DOWN
in the water on the other side of the gorge
| think the gorge was about rs feet from
| the top OF the trestle. on this side OF the
gorge, the sleeper, which was behind the
chair car In the train. ran under II ana
the Excelsior Springs, or second smoker
is over the chair car. The front OF the
second smoker is broken In and two peo-
| pie IN that car were injured.
II heard q passenger who passed through
the chair car early In the evening say af-
ter the wreck that 1t was filled with trav-
cling men,.
III. T., 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. II was standing on end ana
| the passengers escaped through the win
dow. No one IN the sleeper was injured.
Miss Nellie Merrlck OF Carrolton, Mo-,
was IN the first chair car. but was not In
jured. Her companion, Miss Alice Dusk.
| OF Carrollton, was severely bruised about
the left side Of the head and arm ana
| shoulder
Miss Merrick said that J. w. Smith OF
Brunswick was the only man who took
any part IN resculnR ladies' In the 1rst
car, so far as she knew. and that he car
rled several OF them out of the car. The
wife and child OF Rev. DR.. Northrup.
who we're passengers on the train. were
not injured.
Rev T. p. Haley Of Kansas City was
In the last car with his wife. and both
escaped injury. III all came 20 quickly,
and without the slightest warning" said
he, In talking OF the accident, that II II
dificult 20 give a connected story OF the
terrible affair. We had reached q point