The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-21
Show Tt to Have Been Worse
Than First Reported.
IA TRAINMEN INJURED.
Passengers Escaped With Ex-
cepti0n of Three Hurt.
Three Engines Smashed and
Five Cars Destroyed.


trainmen were killed, three passengers
and fourteen t1ainmen We're injured,
when Santa Fe limited trains, east and
west bound, Nos. 4 and 3, respectively,
crashed together while running at full
speed near Franconia, Ariz. Train No.
was drawn by two engines, while the
west bound train had but one loco
motive. The three engines were crushed
and blown to pieces by an explosion
which followed the collision. Both
trains We're made up of vestibule cars
of the heaviest and most improved pat
tern, and while they stood the terrific
shock we'll and protected the passengers
to a great extent, several of the cars
took fire at once and burned up. The
dining cars, one on each train, one Pull
man and two composite cars were de-
stroyed. Following is the list of the
casualties:
THE DEAD.
P. NJ. Elligott, engineer train No. 4.
Fl. F. Goldsmith, fireman train No. g..
F. E. Barnhardt, barber train No. B.
Walter DavOrage, waiter train No. 3.
w. L. Case, fireman train No. f.
| A. H. Armitage, fireman train No. 4.
Sam Brown, waiter train No. 3.
Bodies of latter three missing.
THE INJURED.
Joe Morse, conductor train No. 4, bad
ly cut and Sca1Ged.
r. r. Higgins, conductor train No. 3,
badly cut and scalded.
J. r. Williams, engineer train No. 3,
cut and bruised
L.W. Fair, waiter train No 8, bruised;
3210 State street, Chicago.
H. W. Webb, porter train No. 4, scald-
ed; 3531 Dearborn street, Chicago.
Otto Barse, chief cook train No. 8,
chest badly injured; 1892 Fifth avenue,
Tony Larson, second cook train No. 3,
head and legs badly burned; 154 South
Clark street Chicago
Monte Morton, waiter train No. 8,
badly cut about head, body and legs;
1856 Twenty-seventh street. Chicago
Harry Letcher, porter train No. 3,
badly hurt, cut and bruised; BIB State
street, Chicago.
f. Williams, waiter train No A. slight
ly scalded; 531 State street, Chicago
Thomas H Owen, waiter train No. 4,
hands, face and feet cut and scalded;
2705 La Sale street, Chicago.
]. H. Arnold, waiter train No. A.
slightly scalded; 1868 Twenty-seyenth
street, Chicago.
]. w. Bryant, waiter train No. T. hand
place. Chicago
PASSENGERS INJURED.
p. J. Steenson, dislocated shoulder
left ankle and left wrist strained and
bruised; Pasadena, Cal.
w. L. Franklin, Slightly bruised; San
Francisco.
Mrs. II. H Gibben slightly injured;
Oakland Cal
The collision is said to have been due
to disregarding of orders on the part
of the crew of the westbound limited,
though full particulars this point
are yet lacking. From all accounts
however, it is gathered that the east
bound train had orders to take the sid
ing at Franconia and await the passage
of the westbOund flyer, which was run
ming two hours late and trying to make
up time. The eaStbound train failed to
reach the siding, and, as the WeStbOund
train did not wait for it, the two trains
came together without warning and
with an awful crash. The boiler of the
westbound train is said to have ex-
ploded Immediately after the crash,
scalding to death those of the engine
crew who had not been killed outright.
The bodies of Case and Armitage, fire
men, train No 4, and Sam Brown, wait
er, train No. 3. missing and it is
believed they were cremated in the con-
f1agration that followed the collision.
A scene of awful confusion followed
the crash The massive engines piled
up in an indescribable mass of broken
and twisted steel. while the scalding
tseam hung in a dense suffocating
cloud over the debris, amidst which the
agonizing cries of the injured and dy-
ing enginemen could be heard. The
heavy PullmanS and composite cars
jammed the dining and baggage cars
upon the heated pile of debris, carrying
death to the dining car crews and set
ting the cars aflre.
From the meagre details of the scenes
gathered from the passengers it is
learned that the sleeping cars with one
or two exceptions suffered slightly and
a result the passengers were afforded
comparative immunity from injury So
far as learned only three passengers
suffered injuries of a severe character,
the terrible results of the wreck being
confined almost entirely to the train
crews and the employees of the dining
car service
AS soon as the news of the wreck
reached The Needles, which is the divis-
ion headquarters of the west end, a re-
lief train was made up, and attended
by number of physicians from that
point, was hurried to the scene. AS
quickly possible the injured were
placed aboard and started west for Los
Angeles
At Santa Fe headquarters in Los
Angeles it was stated that the blame
had not been definitely fixed but from
all appearances it rests with the crew
of the westbound train Had they stop
ped at F'rancOnia and allowed the east
bound train to reach there, as the or
ders are said to have read, there would
have been wreck For some reason
yet to be learned, however. they came
on at full speed. The weStb bound limit
ed carried a full passenger list from
eastern Cities but it appears none was
injured.
$4,000 LETTERS BURNED.
Los Angeles. Cal, Nov 21-In the
disastrous wreck that occurred yester-
day on the Santa Fe near The Needles,
the entire mail carried by both trains
was burned. At least 10000 letters
destroyed. No registered mail was lost,
none being carried on the limited trains.
OF the thirteen victims of the disaster
taken to the hospital, all will probably