Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1900-03-22

WI thO OuhSokO1 AoCh Aetauu aud
Pacific road, at a point not far from
the eastern border Of Kansas, one OF
the most remarkable wrecks 10 the
history of western railroads. The
west-bound Rocky Mountain tiier, O
fast mail train that left the Union
Depot in Kansas City shortly after six
o'clock, and second section Of the
Limited Express from the southwest,
due In Kansas City about seven
O'Clock, collided near the little station
of Muncle, nine miles west Of ths
city.
When they came together boti
trains were running ct the rate ol
nearly forty miles an hour, anc
though the two engines were torn tc
pieces and the tenders demolished
neither train left the track, and none
of the passengers or crew on either
was hurt beyond slight sprains ant
bruises.
Old railroad men said the case wal
without q parallel, and when asked to
explain why the trains were not hurl-
ed from the track by the force of the
collision, said that perhaps because
the tram from the southwest was the
lighter of the two, 1t had "giyen'
when the shock came. Beyond thiI
they thought the escape Of the train
men and passengers was nothing
short OF q miracle.
The most unusual feature Of the
wreck, however, was that Conductor
Ransom of the Limited knew for 1--WE
minutes before it happened that hi
train was rushing on to destruction
Conscious that the half hundred
lives in his care were doomed to a
frightful fate, he made every effort
to stop the flying train, but to nc
avail. Bell cord, air rope and brakes
seemed charmed in an evil spell. BE
was helpless, and into that little
space of minutes was crowded such
mental agony as few men saffer in
lifetime. A century of tofsnent was
lived in those three hundred Sec
ondsl
Between Kansas City and Topeka
the Rock Island trains run over the
Union Pacific tracks. The long and
almost level stretch OF sixty seven
miles, broken by few and easy curves,
is Ideal for speed. The schedule rate
fer the run is forty-five miles an hour,
but many an engineer has spurred bis
iron steed from city to city In seventy
minutes, when tho occasion demand
cd.
When the Rock Island was racing
with the Union Pacific for the Colo.
rado mail contracte two years age
there was g speed gauge on one Of
the cars, and It is said that on the
stretch OF straight track between
these places the dial registered eighty
miles an hour every night that Geo.
Scott was on the engine. And George
Scott was on the engine of the hieE
this time.
It was indeed q fine summer eveH-
ing, with no wind to head, and as
the fiier slowly threaded Its way
through the network Of moving
freight and passenger trains in the
yards, Scott turned to bis fireman and
said, with the enthusiasnn OF boy:
"Ws could race tornado tonight
and come out ahead, Frank. The CIR
hasn't felt so good for many q day.
"The girl" was his pet name for the
big ten wheeler, that ranked with the
largest locomotives on the plains. He
knew her as he knew himself. Every
inch of her steel body had felt his
rough, caressing touch at some time,
and she answered the least move ol
hand on the throttle as trained ami
NAL obeys its master.
When the boundaries Of the yards
were reached, and the last rays Of the
setting sun, rejecting on the polished
rails, make them look like two ropei
Of gold stretched across the burned
grass OF the prairie, he made ths
move and, like horse that suddenly
feels the sting Of its riders whip, the
monster thing fairly leaped forward
putting and snorting. Faster and faster
revolved the six immense drive
wheels. The rocks and bushes swepI
by In a brown haze.
Hummlng tune, Scott settled him
self on the leather cushion, turning
from his outlook now and then tC
watch the fireman heaving great pileI
of coal into "the girl's" flaming
mouth. To one less accustomed,
few miles In that cab would havs beer
terrifying. To the rudy faced mai
whose big right hand grasped th'
throttle bar, IL was the rarest pleasure
Of living. He knew every foot Of thu
road, and now, with track as cleal
as his conscience, for he thought th'
Limited was waiting = Is II shoult
have besn-he was as free from carr
as child of seven. He pulled the bal
another notch. Quivering like al
anxious beast and eleaving the still
warm air with sound as Of might,
wind, into the red west sped the flier
Meantime the second section OF th'
Limited was speeding eastward acros
the same prairie. She was behinG