Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-09-08

OohouSso' VI dSt LNpftSe iTdiu SduuSuy
Realizes that a Great Catastrophe is lmmi
nent but Cannot Signal the Ensineer-Noti
fiss the Passengers Of the Imminent Danger
and Probable Death that Awaits Them.
A most remarkable wreck was the
one that took place on the Chicago
Rock Island & Pacific railway at Mu'
nice, Kas., nine miles west of Kansas
City, on the 3lst of last month. The
west bound Rocky mountain flyer
which left the Union depot at $3.50
o'clock for Denver, and the second sec.
ton OF the east bound Southwest ex-
press, due at kansas City about Z
o'clock-both running at the rate ol
forty miles an hour-collided, and
though both engines were torn to
pieces, neither train left the track and
none of the crew or passengers on
either was hurt beyond slight sprain:
and bruises.
The most unusual feature of the
wreck, however, was the fact that the
conductor of the east.bound train
knew for several minutes before il
happened that his train was rushing
on to destruction. He made every eff
fort to stop it, but fate seemed to bt
against him, and bell cord, air ROPE
and brakes seemed charmed in an evi
spell. All he could do was to war;
his passengers at the last moment
just before the sudden crash came
Meantime his engineer was putting or
all possible steam to make the siding
at Munice.
Between Kansas City and Topeks
the Rock Island trains run over the
Union Pacific tracks. The long, leve,
stretch, broken by few and easy curves
is fine for speed. The schedule time ii
forty-five miles an hour and train:
often squirt at fifty or sixty miles ar
hour when the track is clear. All
west-bound trains have the right o.
way. and it is the duty of the engi
neers and conductors in charge of spe.
cials or extras to keep on the lookout
and side-track for regular trains. Sc
Engineer Scott, in charge of the
Rocky mountain flyer, pulled his
throttle wide open after leaving the
yards at Kansas City and spurted.
The second section OF the east.
bound train, in charge Of Conductor
w. H. Ransom, was more than one
hour behind the first section. 1t was
late and should have gone on a siding
at Edwardsville, about five miles west
of Munice, to let the flyer pass. En-.
gineer Quinlan either forgot or disre.
garded this aud the. little station
house at Edwardsville flew by like a
phantom. The train was a good hall
mile beyond when Conductor Ransom
realized the mistake.
He reached up and pulled the bell
rope. Those who saw him say his
face was pale and grave. He waited a
moment for the engineer to answer by
slowing up, but the train only seemed
to 60 faster.
Again he pulled the bell cord, this
time twice. which means to stop in
stantly. Again there was no response.
Another mile had been covered.
Then, his face growing paler, he
pulled the air cord. This should have
lessened the speed at once, but for
some reason it didn't. He gave it an
other strong pull without effect.
Then he rushed to one OF the wash
rooms, where an emergency valve is
located. The door was locked.
The passengers say his face looked
at this moment like the face of o
dead man. The blood had left it and
for moment he stared about him as
if in a trance. He pressed his lips to-
gether and with a mighty effort
wrenched the door again, but it
would not open. 1t was useless to
call to the one inside.
Just west of Muncie the road makes
a broad curve. As the train rounded
this bend, Ransom looked out of a
window. There, rushing on him at a
furious speed, he could see the big
engine of the flyer, belching
clouds of steam and smoke and not a
mile away. 1t was such q crisis as
comes into the lives of few men.
He turned and shouted frantic
warning to the passengers, some OF
whom had already seen the approach
ing train and we're rushing to and fro
in the aisle. One man ran to the car
door and flung himself from the train.
The conductor was too dazed to no.
tice that the speed was slackening a
little. With that instinct of meeting
death at the post of duty he threw
himself to the hand brake. He might
as we'll have toyed with his watch
chain.
There was a terrible jolt and the
train trembled like leaf as it came to
standstill. Above the shrieks ol
half-demented women and the crunch
ing sound of the two iron monsters
grinding into each other, the escaping
steam and the whistle of one OF the
engines sounded like the shouting o'
demons. Men were jumping out o1