The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-08
CAUSED BY CYCLONE
Frisco Passenger Blown From
Track Near 0sWego.
TWO TRAMPS INJURED
Wichita Passengers Tell of
Their Experiences.

The Frisco train which should have ar
rived here at 6:90 yesterday morning was
struck by q tornado and badly wrecked.
The accident occurred about a mile and q
half this side Of Oswego and happened at
40 a N II is probable that this is the
first time in the history Of railroads that
a train ever coHided with a tornado. The
entire train. with the exception of the
engine, was derailed
The storm came from the northeast
AT the point where the wreck occurred
the track runs almost due east and west
The train was running at about speed
Of twenty-five miles an hour. The most
| remarkable thing about the whole affair
was that scarcely anyone was hurt Two
tramps were injured One was on
The front platform next the engine and
had his arm broken. The other was rid
ing the trucks of the chair car and suf-
fered severe injuries about the head and
IS not expected TO live. William Yetter,
the express messenger, was slightly in
Jured, one ankle being sprained besides
several bruises. Two other express mes
sengers were on the front platform, in
tending to put the tramp of az the next
station The first car. in which they
were working, was loaded 70 the roof
with berries. and il they had been inside
they would undoubtedly have been crush
ed 70 death
The front part Of the train was wreck
cd ia
which was loaded with berries, was turn
ed over on its side and was entirely clear
Of the track. The second car was loaded
with express packages and baggage. The
car was lifted off its trucks and left az
nearly right angles with the track, the
rear end out and the front end AT some
distance from the track The next car
was q combination mail and smoker It
was left in much the same position as the
baggage car, except that the front end
was away from the track and the rear
end resting on the rails.
The front end Of the chair car was
jammed into the end OF the mail car,
while the rear end was left on the trucks.
The front trucks had been jerked loose
and were left in about the middle OF the
left standing on its trucks.
The path Of the storm was only a few
hundred feet wide, as four or five teIe-
graph poles were al that were blown
OWN There had been quite a wind
blowing for some time, but it was not IN
usually high. Three or four minutes be-
fore the storm struck, the air became
suddenly filed with dust. Chas. Melon
aid. the mail clerk, said yesterday that he
had his car closed and that all at once
the air seemed filed with dust He had
scarcely noticed this before the storm
struck and he felt his car lifted and VIC
Lently twisted around He said that the
wind made the most horrible roar and
that he knew Of nothing 70 which it
could be compared This noise lasted for
several minutes after the storm hal
passed and he at first supposed that it
was steam escaping from the engine. The
tornado was Immediately followed by
downpour Of rain with vivid flashes Of
lightning. And the wind was also blow
ing hard from the northeast. The engi-
neer said that q had been raining and
lightning for some time previous TO the
storm and that the first thing unusual
he noticed was dull rear and then a
binding cloud OF dust. The engine made
a violent lurch to the left and then right
ed Itself. He supposed that they had
passed over a low joint and he did not
realize that anything was wrong until
the emergency brakes were set. caused
by the breaking Of the train. AS the rails
were wet. the engine slid for some dis
lance before stopping
Mr. B. L. Eaton was one Of the pas
sengers in the sleeper He said that he
felt the Jar that IS the first warning Of
all wrecks and that those inside knew
that the wind was blowing from the roar.
And it seemed that the sleeper was picked
up enough 50 that It went OF the track.
As soon as the officials could learn
where the wreck was, relief train was
sent out The passengers and mail and
baggage We're transferred and the train
arrived IA Wichita at 1.23 yesterday after
noon.
L seems that the tornado at Oswego
was not the only one in the eastern part
Of the state. \ dispatch from Topeka
says:
During q severe wind storm al ar
early hour this morning the village Of
Faulkner. seven miles n1rtheas: os Che
tapa. was almost entirely demolished. |
The storm destroyed the school house, a
church, North Bros ray and storage
barn and several dwellings, burning one
and damaging many others. The build
ings were scattered over the adjacent
country. Several farm houses n The
county were unroofed or blown from theIr
and much damage was done
20 crops. No easua aides are reported"