Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-03-23
A TRAIN WRECKED.
A Rock Island Passenger Train
Jumps the Track.
The EXPRESS MESSENGER IS BURNED
william Freeman Loses His Life and 20
Other People Are Injured-itelisf
Trains with PhysIcaus Sent from
Topeka and Mcfarland.

Trains with Physiciaus Sent from
Topeka and Mcfarland.
Topeka, Kan, March 49, The Rocl
Island Texas passenger train wa
wrecked about one o'clock yesterday
morning at Volland station, two miles
west Of Alma, and one man was burned
to death and 26 other people injured
The man who was burned to death
was William Freeman, OF Kansas City
the express messenger He was about
40 years old and had been in the en-
ploy OF the United States Express
company for number OF years. The
list OF injured follows:
W. G. Means. Kansas City, mail clerk, Shout
der and back injured; r. A. Swarts, Kansas
City, mail clerk, head left ley and both arms
cut. ]. W. Gilgriss. Kansas City, mail clerk,
slightly cut In neck, NJ j. Clemings, Columbia,
Mo-, side hurt and leg bruised Carl X Keen,
Columbia, Mo, cut on head; Charles II Penn,
Ashland, Mo, cut on hand Miss Madge I'arrer,
Sterling, KAN back wrenched W II Phil
lips, Watonga, Ok, sprained nip cut In head;
John Scarle Timberlake, Ok leg and arm
hurt; 4 A. Spurgeon Weatherford Ok back
sprained Mrs @ G, Allen Caldwell. Kan, lip
hurt, ankle spralned; George W Lewis
I'll Reno, Ok, ankle sprqined; Il
L. Hall, North Topeka Kan, both
legs bruised Fred W. Casncr Hutchinson
Kan, right side and thumb hurt, H. Coyn
Mapleton, Kan leg sprained; Mrs j II hell.
Cooper, Ok breast hurt ana leg sprained G..
+, Clark, North Topeka KAN hin spralned;
b r. Bryant Cloud Chief Ok, cut on chin; A.
Warnelcke, Fort Sill Ok, left wrist spralned;
John Phillip, Protection Kan, hip hurt and
back sprainod James Mcspadden Rosedale,
Kan back sprained; N. Deanel St Joseph,
Mo-. news agent, knee. arm and neck hurt,
slight, r. II. Mashingall, Caldwell Kan. scalp.
thigh, shoulder and leg injured Mrs Sarah
Smith, Bethany, Mo- ncrvou, prostraton;
Calvin Green Velpen, Ind, hurt in breast and
ribs broken.
The train left Topeka OF 1905 with
40 passengers on board. 1T passed
through Alma on time, and had
reached sre,d OF 30 miles an hour by
the time 1t came to Volland As the
wheels Of the engine tank struck the
west switch at the station they sud
denly flew the track, the tank break
ing loose from the engine and dragging
the combination baggage and mail
car and the smoker down a slight EN-.
bankment The coach and chair car
tipped half way over, the Pullman
sleeper alone keeping the rails
Almost instantly fire broke out in
the baggage car, which had toppled
over on Its side. Men In the smoker
broke through the windows and pas.
sengers in the cars rushed for the
doors and jumped down the embank.
ment. BY the time the cars were
emptied however, the baggage car
was In flames and before anyone
noticed that the messenger had not
It was too late togive him aid.
Evidently he had been pinned down
by the falling trucks and was
burned to death beneath the heavy
load Of baggage. A few charred bones
were the only remains found in the
wreckage Of the baggage car
The fire spread quickly from the
baggage car TO the cars behind it and
In short time all were in flames
The Pullman was saved by being
pushed back few feet from the burn
Ing chair car Before the relief train
sent out from this city arrived at the
scene Of the accident the four cars
were mass OF blackened wreckage.
Volland is not night station, and
4 was half an hour after the accident
occurred before the word was received
NJ the Rock Island office in this city
Mr.. W. H. Stillwell, assistant general
Mr. W. Il Dauchy SUI
of construction, and Drs.
Mum and McGuire were at once ca lied
Ind left here shortly after two o'clock
IN q special relief train, A relief train
was also sent from McF'ar and and
vrecking trains from Harrington and
Horton. As soon as the physicians ar
lived the injured were cared for in the
pullman sleeper and the small room OF
he station house, By an early hour
he wreckage had been cleared away
md the track opened.
Conductor Thomas and Engineer
Riley, wth'engine 029, were In charge
# the train. The cause of the derail.
nent can only be surnised. The
wheels of the engine passed safely
'ver the switch aud the wheels of the
ank were the first to leave the track.
It's believed tn at the tange on one of
he wheels gave way as the tank
truck the switch When the tank
'roke loose from the engine it pulled
around across the track and there
remained. The engineer and fire.
nan were considerably shaken up,
,ut not In jured In the least.
.-----A--------
ma way TO ray an Old Debt.
Kansas Civ Mo March IL pwo |