The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-28
At Least Two People Killed, Both
Women, and the Body of One
Burned with the Debris.
OTHER PERSONS BADLY HURT
SCHMIDLAPP FAMILY, OF CINCIN-
NATI. AMONG THE VICTIMS.
We1l-KnOwn Multi-Mfllfonaire and
Daughter Injured, Wife Killed
and Her Mother Injured.

KANSAS CITY. Feb. 27.-The blizzard
prevailing throughout western Missouri
was the direct cause Of train wreck to-
night on the main line of the Missouri Pa
cific road in which at least two persons
and possibly others were killed and several
others were badly hurt. The fast st. Louis
day express, due to arrive at Kansas City
at 5:45 this evening, was delayed by a
freight train which stuck in snowdrift
two miles south Of Independence, Mo-,
twelve miles out of Kansas City. The st.
Louis local passenger train. running forty
minutes behind the fast express, came on
through the binding snowstorm and
crashed into the express train ahead, the
engineer having failed in the driving snow
to see the danger signal which the first
train had sent back. Such was the force
of the collision that the parlor car that
was in the rear of the first train was
literally cut in two. When Engineer Frank
Raymond and his fireman escaped from the
wreck they crawled out through the win
dows of the parlor car.
Fire added to the horrors of the wreck.
Goals from the furnace of the shattered en-
gine having fallen among the debris Of the
splintered coach. and soon the whole wreck
lieved were burned. A list of the dead and
injured so far as known follows:
The Dead
MRS. ]. G. SCHMIDLAPP. Cincinnati,
instantly killed; body recovered.
UNKNOWN WOMAN, body found in
wreck.
The Injured
]. G. SCHMIDLAPP, Cincinnati. will re-
cover.
MISS SCHMIDLAPP. Cincinnati, scalded.
will lose sight of both eyes.
MRS. ]. BALKE, Cincinnati, mother of
Mrs. Schmidlapp, badly scalded, eye sight
lost. but may recover.
w. r. VAUGHN, Cincinnati, newspaper
reporter. scalded and right arm crushed,
amputation necessary.
l.. F. SHELDON, Sedalia. assistant
superintendent telegraph Of Missouri Pa
cific. painfully scalded.
FRANK McAFEE. brakeman. st. Louis.
badly bruised
MRS. ELIZABETH PETERS. Kansas
City. scalded.
MRS. ELIZABETH LEE. Cincinnati.
scalded.
All Of the injured have been brought to
University Hospital in Kansas City.
William RoSt farmer near whoSa MA 20
the wreck occurred, and who was one of
the very first to render any assistance to
the imperiled passengers, is quite sure that
at least three women were burned in the
wreck When he reached the car flames
were cracking through the splintered
woodwork Of the car at one end, while at
the other end cloud of blistering steam
was belching from the locomotive. which
had ripped the coach open from end to
end. On every side were men and women
crying for assistance. Mr.. Rost's first act
was to pull from the wreck a woman
whose legs were sticking out through a
broken window She was not badly hurt
BY the time this had been accomplished
other passengers from the forward coaches
had come back and helped out all of those
in the burning car who could be reached.
Mr.. Rost states that he saw the body of
one woman jammed in the roof of the
burning coach and that 1t was not reached
by the rescuers.
The body Of another woman was burned
in full view of the passengers who gath
cred about the wreck Mr. Rost and others
reached into the burning debris and tried
to drag her out, but she was pinioned un-
der heavy wreckage. Mr.. Rost says the
young woman was apparently dead as he
reached her hand and there was no re-
sponse to his efforts at rescue. He de-
scribes the woman as about twenty-five
years Of age. She wore dark dress and
a leather chatelaine hung from her waist
Mr. Rost believes that he saw the body of
still third woman wedged between the
timbers Of the burning coach, but before
he could get closer the fire and smoke and
steam obscured his view.
The locomotive Of the first train was dis
patched to Independence for surgeons. and
after returning with these came on to Kan
sas City with the passengers from the two
trains. The parlor car of the express train
was the only coach wrecked.
4