The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-07-19
HORROR
Of THE RAIL
Amid the Flames
and Scalding
Water.

KANSAS CITY Mo). July lo.--The
Chicago and Atoms vestlbuled limited
passenger train bound from Chicago to
Kansas city collided with fast live
stock train between Marshall and Nor
ton, Mo, shortly after 1880 o'clock this
morning seyenteen were killed and
thirty are in Kansas City hospitals.
The passenger train was travelling In
three sections on account OF the heavy
Epworth League business to San Fran
cisco. The wrecked train was the first
section and contained no Leaguers.
Conductor McAnna of the freight train.
east bound, had been ordered to meet
the second section of the passenger train
at Slater, the next station east of Norton,
but apparently overlooked the fact that
the first section, which was ffty-fve
minutes late. had not passed. T..e front
brakeman on the freight, who was about
four cars from the engine, says Conduc-
tor McAnna assumed the throttle himself
on leaving Marshall and was running the
engine when the collision occurred. The
trains met two miles west of Norton, on
curve surmounting a high embank-
ment.
The rains collided head-on. The en-
gines were pushed to either side of the
track the baggage and chair cars were
piled on top of the engines, the dining
car was tipped over, and the forward
cars of the train were telescoped I'm
mediately after the collision some of the
cars caught fire and the wreck was
blazing mass. The steam and scalding
water escaped from the engines, burn
Inc nf tlA rierbt tf,l llty
and envelopng the awful scene in a cloud
that made the rescue work difficult.
The engines were completely de-
molished that the fire under the boilers
was scattered in every direction, and,
falling on the woodwork of the over
turned cars, set fire to them quickly.
Freight cars We're piled on top of the
engines and several of them We're
burned. The mad believing of the cat
tie was mingled with the shreks of
men and women.
Many OF the passengers were impris-
oned in the cars while scalding steam
poured in upon them. They prayed
aloud and pleaded with the rescuers to
lend a helping hand. They were taken
out as rapidly as possible, but there
were not enough helpers to prevent the
awful burnings which many were sub
jected to.
The wreck occurred about two miles
west of Norton. Near the tracks there
stands a small clump of trees. Under
the shade of these trees the dead bodies
and the injured passengers We're placed,
but the shade gave little relief. The
heat from the burning train was added
TO by the terrible heat of the atmosphere.
which was blown across parched mead
ows and fields of curling corn into the
faces of those who writhed in pain and
gasped for fresh air.
For a space of several square rods the
ground was covered with pallets made
of quilts coats and garments of every
description. AS many of the bedclothes
as could be secured from the sleeping
cars We're used for this purpose. After
spending hours under the trees in the
almost unbearable heat 1t was neces-
sary for the injured to undergo a trip
to Kansas City and to endure rides in
ambulances over rough pavements.
The relief train arrived here few
minutes before 6 O'Clock tonight. and
when II came there followed one of the
most indescribably pitfu sights ever
witnessed by the surgeons and under
takers who assumed charge There were
black boxes and wicker cases for the
bodies of the dead. All of the ambu-
lances in the city We're there with pad
ded stretchers for the dying and the |
helplessly hurt. For an hour the work |
to the ambulances went on unlnterrupt-
edly.
ID. w. Hooker, one OF the dead, was on
his way TO San Francisco to attend the
Epworth League Convention, as were
some of the others, but most OF lue
Leaguers We're in the second and third
sections of the train following.
on the arrival at Kansas City of the
train bearing the wounded the suffer-
tn Fyt
Versity hospitals, where everything pos
sible was done for them. on the Jour
ney from Slater four OF the injured died
and their bodies were taken to an un-
dertaking establishment here
The injured suffered mostly from
scalds due 70 escaping steam from the
wrecked locomotives, tuere being no
broken limbs. Some OF the victims had
inhaled steam and were ia worse con-
dition than AT first indicated. soon after
their arrival here several OF the injured
died at the University Hospital and at
-. Joseph's Hospital Identification OF
the dead was dinlcult. because the cloth
ing had been removed 10 apply relief 10
the scalded surface,
The train which vas wrecked Was one
of the finest passenger trains in the
United States. The equipment was an
new, including the sleeping cars, coaches.
baggage car ana locomotive.
George >. Bosworth OF San Francisco,
Who was conducting "a party OF nye
EpMorth LehRuers 60 san Francisco
saysi "Iha train wac making a nua
sprint ana everybody Mas feeling pleas
ana ana happy when AN of "a sudden
there ~as an awful crash ana il seemed
a5 though tremendous nee had struck
me Ualu ln the face tu aH Instant tho
Aif NhH hlled Nlth cries Hhr screams,
CASE Nt'r fWHhhtd INTO tH'lutHrH ANA
sfenra o. farlsbi several rolled down ths
huge sWhai.fWfui sHd dfHppeHfsl sur
NfflN iH Hn lnHiant that splendid uRm
has itI#.f1 ~ mere mass ~ debris
STD IHWHH IH'hfH traNHnH. screaming
m IIhH H n4HHI.i hsHHa ~ ihu HfgHul
l#H hth"H lH l.u4r a. ils rffra ana
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hH. AtHI4 fI. HHHHf humHu fnfa ~
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