Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1899-03-25
FAST TRAIN IN 4 DITCH.
Disastrous Wreck on Rock Island
at Volland, Kan.
ONE DEAD, TWENTY-SIX HURTE

TOPEKA, Kan. March ia defect
i've switch caused a disastrous wreck
at Volland, a small station forty miles
west of Topeka on the Rock Island
early yesterday morning. The train
wrecked was the Texas fast express,
which left Kansas City at o'clock
| Thursday night.
One man was killed and twenty-six
were injured. The dead man was
William Freeman of Kansas City, the
baggageman, who was burned to death
in the baggage car. Several of the
injured are in a serious condition.
They are:
W. G. Means, mail clerk, Kansas
City; shoulder and back injured
Robert A Swartz. mail clerk, Kan
sas City; head and left leg and both
arms cut.
George Gilgress, mail clerk, Kansas
City; hurt in neck
James McSpadden, news agent, Kan
sas City; head and face badly cut, nose
smashed in AID hurt about body.
N. J. Cleming, Columbia, Mo-; side
| hurt and leg bruised
K. r Keen, Columbia, Mo-; cat on
head
Charles h. Penn. Ashland, Mo; cut
on hand
Miss Madge Farrer, Sterling, Kan;
back wrenched-
W. b. Philips, Watonga, Okla;
strained hip, cut in arm
John Searle, Timberlake, Okla: leg
and arm hurt.
7. a. Sturgeon, Weatherford, Okla;
! back strained
Mrs o. C. Alien, Caldwell, Kan, Ii
cut and ankle sprained.
George w. Lewis, Ell Reno, Okla;
! ankle sprained.
Il. L Hall, Topeka, Kan; legs
bruised.
Fred w. Casner. Hutchinson, Kan;
right side hurt.
b. Coin, Mapleton, Kan; leg
bruised
Mrs. j. b. Beilaud, Cooper, Okla,
breast hurt and leg bruised
C. F. Clark, Topeka, Kan; hip
sprained.
B. E. Bryant, Cloud Chip, Okla; cut
A. warneike, Fort Still, Okla; wrist
| sprained.
John Philip. Protection, Kan; hip
and back sprained-
n. Desnel. news agent, St Joseph,
knee, arm and neck slightly.
Calvin Green, Velpen, Ind: breast
and ribs.
F. a. MarshingaIl, Caldwell, Kan :;
scalp. shoulder and leg.
Ed Switzer, Garvey, Okla; head and
| stomach.
Mrs. Sarah Smith, Bethany, Mo, !;
Frustrated from shock.
The train left Topeka at HOS with
! forty-nine passengers on board. 1t
| passed through Alma on time, and had
reached a speed of thirty miles an
| hour by the time it came to Volland.
| As the wheels of the engine tank
| struck the west SWITCH at the station
| they suddenly flew the track, the tank
| breaking loose from the engine and
| dragging the combination baggage
| and mail car and the smoker down a
slight embankment. 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 pass
engers in the car rushed for the doors
and jumped down the embankment.
By the time the cars were emptied,
however, the baggage car was in
flames and before anyone noticed that
the messenger had not escaped it was
too late to give him aid Evidently he
had been pinned down by the falling
trunks and was burned to death be-
meath the heavy 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 1t, and
in a 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 a mass of blaclzened wreckage.