The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-01
PASSENGER TRAIN GOES THROUGH
A BRIDGE AT MISSOURI CITY,
MISSOURI
NUMBER OF DEAD IS UNCERTAIN
Nine Bodies Have Been Recovered
A Terrific Electrical Storm Added
to the TerrOr-A Second Wreck
Narrowly Averted.

ut $40 this evening, plunged through {
trestle ut Missouri City, Mo-, at 30,
o'clock, carrying down the entire trail
with the exception of the rear car, {
Pullman. The gorge, which few hour,
previously was practically empty, had be
come Il raging torrent because of ire
mendOus dOwnpour of rain, md the struc
ture weakened. Seven persons are known
to be dead, and the list may reach TWEEN
ty-five. There were twenty-five passen
gers in the chair car, and only few OF
these are accounted for.
The train was known as No. q, and left
the city at G:2O p. m. 1t was composed
of IA mail car baggage car and express
smoker, chair, sleeper and two coaches
for Excelsior Springs 1t made the run
without incident until the bridge, about
two miles this side of Missouri City was
reached. There is a wooden trestle on
curve, which was built several years ago
to avoid using tunnel that was formerly
used. When the train struck the trestle
ii swung out of line
The engine passed over safely, but the
structure went down beneath tine mail
car and the tender was broken loose from
the engine and fell off the track on its
side The mail car went down into the
water, the express car following. The
chair car tipped down into the chasm, and
as the rear end raised up, the front end
of the sleeper went up, and it stood on
end, the lower end grinding and crush
ing the mail and baggage ears beneath
1t. The front end of the sleeper was cut
over the chasm, but it was held in place
by the coupling of the two Excelsior
Springs cars behind it.
The accident happened during one of
the heaviest rain storms ever seen in that
country. 1t was accompanied by ire
mendous roll of thunder and the most
vivid lightning. The elements and the
horrible nature of the accident combined
to make it one of the most terrifying
sights imaginable. Before any one could
the injured filled the air Shrieks and
shouts for help came from all sides. The
number of dead is estimated at from nine
to twenty-five, the known dead nubering
nine. Their names are:
Charles G.. Copeland of st. Louis, con-
ductor of the train.
Edward Greidrod of ST. Louis. express
and baggage master.
c. NJ. Smith of st. Louis, POSTAL clerk.
Frank w. Brink of st. Louis, postal
clerk.
Samuel Winters of ST. Louis, postal
clerk.
W. $. Mills of st. Louis, postal clerk.
Il. u. Smith of st. Louis, postal clerk
c. Z. Greasley of st. Louis, brakeman.
Train boy, name unknown.
The following is n partial list of the
injured:
Mrs. s. C.. Prather of Columbia. No.,
head, shoulder and neck badly injured.
Artelia Prather of Columbia. 8 years
old, head and face cut
w. III. Wilkinson of Kansas City,
shoulders injured and head and face coy
cred with cuts.
Mrs. w. IL. Wilkinson of Kansas City,
right arm broken. head and face cut.
Miss Alice Darcy of Kansas City, head
badly cut, both arms spraned, side in
jurcd.
Mrs Nellie Merrick of Carrollton, No.,
badly hurt
Mrs. Sallie Matthews of Kansas City,
side hurt.
Edward Dillon of Holiday, Kan, head
bruised and cut
DR.. Sol. Gray of Prairie Hi. No..
right knee and both elbows injured.
D.: w. Hinnon of Mexico, Mo-, both legs
badly bruised.
In the midst of the excitement follow
ing the crash some one shouted the wreck
was on fire, and another shouted that Il
train MAS following closely One of the
young men in the rear coach sprang off
and ran back down the track, and with
IN umbrella tagged the train, which was
close in the rear.
AS soon as Engineer Billy Carlisle re-
allied what had happened, he started us
fast us his crippled engine could travel
for Missouri City and reported the wreck.
a wrecking crew left Moberly shortly
after. Twenty minutes after the wreck
was reported Il special train carrying the
officials of the line and n score of doctors
left Moberly and made one of the quickest
runs ever made over the line to the scene
of the wreck Word was sent to Kansas
City for a special with doctors, and a
dozen doctors were soon at the depot. 1t
the slighter injuries could be brought
back to the city quicker, and the special
was not run from here. The doctors
waited ut the depot for the train that
brought the injured. The work of rescu-
ing the passengers who were injured be-
gan with great promptness, but was ac-
complished with the greatest difficulty.
Not Il trainman was to be found. The
crew were all in the wreck. and the con-
ductor of the Pullman and his porter were
there to help the passengers. They took
charge promptly and rendered valuable
assistance. The occupants of the smoker
who were in the. rear end managed to
scramble out of the car and escaped. al
though it is pretty certain number were
unable to get out.
Ihe worst damage was done in the chair
car. Conductor Copeland had Just en-
tered the front door of that coach when II
went down. The punch of the sleeper be-
hind and under it sent the occupants Of
the car in pile down at the front.
Chairs were tumbling down along with