Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-27
STORIES OF SURVIVORS.
The Terrible Sight Pictured by Pas
sengers Who Returned to Kan
kas City Last Night.

r. T. Thornton, a druggist at Fifteenth
and virginia. this city. was one of the pas
sengers on the i'll fated train. but he es-
capped without injury. as did Mrs. Thorn
ton.
Il never saw such horrible sight in my
life" he said. ut looked like there were
twenty cars piled one on top of the other.
although, of course, there were only three
or four The only cars left standing on
the track were the two Excelsior Springs
cars, in one of which we were. The first
thing I knew there was a terrific Jerk just
ahead of our car, and the sleeper was shot
under the chair car, which was turned al
most on end. The passengers in the two
cars on the track rushed out when the train
came to a standstill and hurried in the di-
rection of the cries. which came from the
forward end OF the train. There we beheld
a scene of indescribable confusion. Every
body was in a state of terrific excitement
and the sight was enough to appall the
stoutest heart. The cries of the injured
were heard above everything else, and the
attention Of those who had escaped was i'm
mediately directed to rendering what as
sistance we could to those who had suf-
fered.
1.-THE Pullman car was not broken. though
It left the track and was thrown under the
chair car Most of the dead and injured
were in the smoker and chair car, especial
" the former. The greatest loss of life oc-
CURED among the passengers in the smoker,
while the greatest number Of merely serious
injuries occurred among the chair car pas
ssngeTs.
"All the cars excepting the sleeper and
the two Excelsior Springs cars were brok-
en- up. the smoker. especially. being reduced
to kindling wood. The smoker at first
could not be accounted for until it was rec
ognized as mass of rubbish and broken
timbers at the bottom of the wreck. 1t
was absolutely impossible on the spot to
get accurate information as to how many
people were killed and injured and the
widest sorts of stories were afioat.
great many people could not be accounted
for in the confusion, but many of them are
probably safe or at least not seriously IN
jured. on such occasions there is always
a great deal of exaggeration, though the
bare facts are bad enough. congratulate
myself on escaping from the wreck without
injury
Superintendent Newgnss n Hero.
L. Newgass, superintendent Of one of the
departments of the Schwarzschild & Sulz-
berger packing plant, was one Of the he
roes of the occasion. although he modestly
refused to dwell upon the part he played
in relieving the sufferings of the injured.
But there were others who spoke for him,
and they praised in the lOudest terms the
efficient service which he rendered to the
unfortunate persons who were pinned down
in the wreck. Mr.. Newgass is said to have
saved half a dozen people from certain
death.
II hardly know how II did happen" said
Mr.. Ncwgass to a reporter for The Jour
nal. 1T came so suddenly that we were
simply paralyzed for a moment. / had no
idea of our exact location at the time. The
train was going at good rate of speed
when there suddenly came deafening
crash and a terrific lurching of the entire
train As soon as those who were not hurt
could get their bearings they took IN the
dreadful scene. Several cars were heaped
together I'm an indlstingulshable mass In
the creek into which they had been precip-
itated when the bridge went down. The
engine and the tender passed safely ever
the bridge before IL fell. The engine broke
loose. hut was soon stopped, and then 1t
went on to Missouri City and brought sur
geons to the scene of the wreck. The dead
were taken to Missouri City and none OF
the bodies were brought over to this side
of the bridge.
THE smoker was smashed into klnullllB
wood, being at the bottom of the wreck.
The Pullman was hurled onto the baggage
and mail cars and the chair car was tele-
scoDed upon the Pullman. The two Excel
sior Springs cars remained upon the track
and none of the occupants was hurt.
As soon as possible we set about doing
what we could for the injured and taking
the bodies out of the wreck. There were
several persons in the smoker who were
not accounted for. and there must be some
bodies at the bottom OF the creek. 1t
seemed 70 me that the water was fifteen
feet deep in the creek, which is ordinarily
a narrow stream not more than sixty or
seventy feet wide. We took out n great
MANY injured but II was impossible In the
confusion to tell just how many there were
and how badly they were hurt. Every body
set 10 work with a will and some good
work was done while we were waiting for
assistance to come from the town on the
other side"
Rev. Dr. HnIey's story.
Rev DIR. T. P. Haley, OF this city. form
erly pastor the the First Christian church,