The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1899-03-24
MANY PERSONS HURT
A Rock Island Train Leaves the
Track Near Volland, Kan.
EaEEaEeman Freeman Pinned Down and
Burned to Death-The Train Caught
Fire and Four Coaches
Were Destroyed


Topeka, Kan, March IS-The Rock
Island Texas passenger train was
wrecked about one o'clock yesterday
morning at VoIland 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
20 years old and had been in the en-
ploy of the United States Express
company for a number Of years The
list OF injured follows:
". G. Means, Kansas City. mail clerk. shOul-
der and back injured; R A Swarts. Kansas
City. mail clerk. head. left leg and both arms
cut. }. ". Gugriss. Kansas City, mil clerk,
slightly cut in meek n J. Clemiu Is. C0lum bia,
No. side hurt and leg bruised Carl K Keen,
Columbia No, cut On headi Charles II Penn
ashland No. cut on hand; Miss Madge Farrer,
Sterlinr, Kan back Wrenched- W II Phil
lips. WatonEa. OK, sp-aiasd nip cut in head;
John Searle. TimberlalSe. Ok. leg and arm
hurt. T A Spurgeon. WeatherfOrd. TX. bacS
spraiued. Mrs o c. Allen Caldwell. Kan, lip
hurt, ankle sprained; George W Lewis,
L. Hal. S0rth Topeka. kan. both
legs bruised; Fred ". Casnor. Hutchinson,
Kan. right side and thumb hurt; H Gown
Haplet0n. Kan. leg sprainsd; Mrs J Il 3 ell
Cooper. Ok. breast hurt and leg spr1iued Q.
F. Clark North Topeka Kan. hi0 sprainel;
B = Bryant. Cloud Chief OK. cut OF chin. A
Warneicke, Fort sill Ok . left wrist sprainsd;
John Phillip Protection Kan, hip hGrs and
back spraiasd. James McSpaddeu- Rosedals
Kan. back spraiuei- y Dsanel s. Joseph
No. news agent knee arm and neck hurt
slight r H MasaiuaaU. Caldwell. Kan, scalp,
thigh. should and leg injured, Mrs Sarah
Smith. Bethany. No. nervous prostration;
Caivin Green Velreu Ind hurt in breast and
ribs broken.
The train left Topeka at 1905 with
40 passengers on board. l. passed
through Alma on time, and had
reached a speed OF 50 miles an hour by
the time IL came TO VOl.an3 As the
wheels of the engine tank struck the
west switch at the station they sud
denly few the track, the tank break
ing l yOse from the engine and dragging
the combination baggage and mail
car and the smoker down a slight EN-
bankment The coach and chair cal
tipped half way over, the Pullmlu
sleeper alone keeping the rails
Almost instantly fire broke out il
the baggage car, which had tOppleG
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 embanIo
ment. BY the time the cars were
emptied, however, the baggage car
was IN flames and before anyone
noticed that the messenger had moi
escaped Il was too late 10 give 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 10 the cars behind it and
in a short time all were in flames.
The Pullman was saved by being
pushed back a 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 blackeneG wreckage.