The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-07-25
MAoDeuED moss AT RENO.
Some Remarkable Scenes al Railroad
Stations.

otdtonas
"The manner in which the Rock
Island company Is handling the
crowds at El Reno is otetbng won
derful" said a Guthrie man who re-
turned this morning "The crush
/ there is something maddoning 20 the
ordinary mortal People do not act
/ like humans and appear to have but
three thoughts--to ge' 70 El Reno. to
register, and to- get away. The getting
away is the most voxatious part Yes
'terday, hours before the time for the
sections OF the special trains to start
from El Reno. there were no less than
400 people beyond the limit of the
coaches on hand, clamorng for more
cars, or anything on which to ride
/ The agents of the company started
to make up a freight train and get
the crowd on board but the news OF
that old trick had been spread broad
cast and It didn't work They knew
they would be hauled a few miles out
into the country and dropped until the
trains could pun out safely without
killing people. The mob refused to
take the freight, and finally, when
every available coach was hitched up
and the train started. there were no
less than 1000 people jammed in.
hanging on to the platforms. sitting
and lying on top Of the coaches on
the engine tender. and even lying on
the trucks of the cars
1T was a fearful and remarkable
picture 10 see this wild set of people.
Il would appear to the outsider that
there was but one train possible to
get out Of the town, and no one ap-
peared to know Why the people didn't
prefer TO wait for the next one It
was all good natured in the crowd so
far as was possible. with every one
looking out for himself and no one
being polite to any one else, but peo-
pie were helpful enough when any of
those on train-board lost any of their
possessions. saw, through a win
dow. an sged man attempt to get on
the front OF the arst car just as the
train began to move. His satchel was
pushed out of his hand and his coat
was pulled away from him by the
frantic men behind him. He tried to
get off to get his property, but it was
too late and he had been jammed into
the ear by the crowd. One man pick.
ed up the satchel and threw It into
the crowd at the next opening be.
tween the cars, and another picked up
the coat and showed it into the win
dow where | sat. Later the old man
came through the train and was
handed his property.
Men and women seem TO lose their
heads down there. There are lots of
trains being hauled in and out of FL
Reno, and with a little patience the
railroad company would handle them
all right, but every train which pulls
out gets out under just such Difficult
ties and it is only by more good for
tune that a couple Of hundred people
have not been killed in the rush. The
fact that the trains are so iammed that
people are in danger of being joggled
off forces the trainmen to hold their
speed down to 10 or 8 miles an hour
until the crowd begins to thin. This
means great work for the operating
department of the road and all trains
in each direction are proceeding with
the greatest caItion to prevent acci
dents. A few people have rolled from
the tops of coaches, | understand and
have been badly hurt, but as they have
no right mp there and are taking their
own chances, the company can not be
held liable, for it is next to impossible
to move trains without carrying them
It would take nothing less than a reg
lment Of soldiers with orders to kin,
TO get trains out in better shape.
After the trains get out OF IN
Reno il is nothing TO find the yards
and platform filed with small hand
5atchels and lunch baskets, People
In the jam have thair property twist
ed out of their hands. and then, lunch
baskets I'm crowds Ike these are like
anchors and are SO much IN the road
that people throw them away The
more valuable property is picked up
by the railroad employees and guards
are constantly watching out for jew
elry and property torn from people In
the mad rush of humanity
"All of the people are not travelling
over the Rock Island. but thousands