The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1901-09-13


on the Rock Island between Clayton
and Jennings, 80 miles east of Good
land, last Saturday afternoon about
2;36 o'clock, resulting in the death Of
Earl Thorson, rear brakeman, and the
serious injury Of Engineer @. E. Biddi-
son and Fireman L. E Brinker, all of
this city.
The accident was caused by wash
out which undermined the track. The
engine, Oil, was a total wreck, nine
freight cars were entirely demolished
and five others badly damaged.
The train was the first section of the
westbound fast freight known as No.
81, composed of Is cars, and left Phil
lipsburg about I2:15. The crew con-
sisted Of Engineer Biddison, Fireman
Brinker, with Conductor A. Radcliffe
and Brakemen Earl Thorson and B. NJ.
Tucker.
After a six-minUte stop at Clayton
the train proceeded on its way and
when % miles westo of that station and
about five miles east of Jennings, the
train encountered washout. The
locomotive began plunging into the
holes as the track sank away. The
engine was derailed and plunged out
on the right of way north of the track
and turned over on its right side.
The men In the cab were taken unaw-
ares, not the slightest danger was ex-
pected from the source in which it
came.
Engineer Biddison was thrown viO-
lently forward and somehow got out
through the cab window before the en-
gins turned completely over, and craw-
led out along the wire fence along the
track. He seemed to be dazed at first
and was bleeding from many wounds.
His Jaw bone at the median line was
broken and terrible cash was cut on
one side of the face. A scalded hand
and other bruises were the only other
injuries.
Fireman Brinker had turned around
for q shovel of coal when the shock
came. He was thrown violently upon
the deck Of the engine, his arm pinion-
ed by the apron, and the coal from the
tender buried him and held him pris-
oner. He was cut badly about the head
and face by the coal but otherwise was
unhurt
Brakeman Tucker was in the cab at
the time seated on the fireman's box
After the first shock he put his arm
out of the framework of the window
and hung on for dear life, and as the
engine was turning over he climbed on
top of the cab. He escaped without a
scratch and set to work at once to ex-
tricate the fireman, who was gotten out
just as the cab caught fire. Brinker
lost suit of clothes and SO in money
which was in the seat box.
Conductor Radcliffe was in the ca
boose and escaped without injury but
received a severe shaking up. Accord
ing to report he had sent Brakeman
Thorson forward with information to
the engineer that the operator at Clay
ton reported heavy rain ahead. Thor
son had got forward as far as the third
car from the engine when the crash
came and he was hurled underneath
the wrecked cars and instantly killed.
a small IRON rod from car was thrust
entirely through the poor brakeman's
head. he was not much disfigured,
however, and broken arm and bruises
we're about the only other marks upon
the body.
It seems-that eastbound local freight
No. % had proceeded q few miles east
of Jennings when it was tagged by a
section man on account of a washout
This was about 80 minutes before the
wreck of train 81. No. % then backed
up to Jennings, having exhausted its
train time. East of the washout dis
covered by the section men there was
second and a third washout The one
that 81 ran into was from a mile to a
mile and half east of the one discov-
cred BY the track men. The track had
been undermined on 8 slight curve but
was still in place and there vas moth
ing to show the trainmen that there
was any danger from that source. The
washout embraced about 60 feet Of
track and the train was running about
30 miles per hour when it struck the
fatal stretch of roadbed.
The car next to the engine loaded
with lumber crossed the gap and stay
ed on the grade, although the deck was
torn of. The next car contained meat
and the two following were loaded with
merchandise, the balance of the train
being made np Of empty stock cars. The
meat and merchandise we're streWn
around the Ereckage and nine cars
we're piled up within the space Of 20
feet. Into this heap Of destruction is
where the body OF Earl Thorson was
f0und It was taken to Norton IN