The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-02-01
STRUCK BY 4 TRAIN
Marx Powers Is Thrown High
Into the Air.
He Is A DEAF SMUTE
Injuries Received are Internal
and Probably Fatal

Mark K. Powell. a deaf mute, Is years
old and single. was struck at $3.50 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon by the north bound
Santa Fe express at Harry street and
hurled distance Of nearly thirty feet
sustaining serious internal injuries which
VIII probably result in the death Of the
injured man
The engine was in charge Of Engineer
johnson. In telling Of the details Mr.
Johnson stated that ne had seen a man
walking along the track some distance
ahead Of the engine. but naturally sup
posed that he would be warned by the
rumble Of the heavy train. After having
approached closer and seeing that the
man had not noticed The train, the
whistle was blown to give warning. stil
the man walked down the track and the
whistle was blown again. BY this time
Mr. Johnson supposed that something
was wrong and Immediately reversed the
throttle. The brakes refused 20 work
for q time and the train by IT'S own mo
mentum was carried on toward the man
walking calmly along the track. The per-
sons on the train could do nothing. The
whistle was kept blowing lncessantly.
The train neared the man, the engineer
trying ali the while o. get the brakes 10
work The train kept moving along at
a good rate Of speed and struck Powers
just as he became aware Of the approacn
OF it, IL was too late for him % jump
and the heavy engine struck him, throw
ing him high into the air. lie wenl up
and turned ever several times before
he struck the ground. The urain men
watched the man go into the air and
each one formed the conclusion chat lie
would be extinct before they could reach
him. The train was stopped and the
men found Powers unconscious. He
was placed on the train and brought to
this city. Later an ambulance removed
the injured man to the city hospital. The
mans face and body were severely bruis-
cd but the first examination denoted
that they were no bones broken which
is considered almost miraculous aftetr
the terrible FAN. Ii was estimated that
be was thrown thirty feet OF more from
the track Late last night Powers was
very restless and suffering much from
internal injuries The attendants have
not much hope for his life. notwithstand- /
ing -he fact that there are no bodily in
juries noticeable.
DR. Purdue. resident surgeon for the /
Santa Fe. called on the injured man last /
night at the hospital and VIII attend to
his wants there. Powers has relatives (
living IN this city with whom he had .
been visiting during the past few days F..
he is an uncle Of Mrs. Fred Bell, wife .
Of the postomce janitor About noon +
yesterday he called at the postofice and 4
left note for Mr. Bell informing him
that he was about TO visit some deaf +
mute friends at Derby. He IS man of /
rather eccentric way, and as on former .
occasions it is thought that he had start +
cd to walk TO Derby but for some reason I
OF ether concluded To return before he
had gone very far. and was walking in .
the center Of the track when the engine /
struck him. Powers makes his home with +
married sister. Mrs James Lucas at
Bainvlle, about twelve miles south Of .
wichita He has been a deaf mute since /
he was three years old, but despite this (
fact has had an excellent education He /
and his mother came to this state from .
small town at La sale county. Illinois. (
after the death Of his father. When his /
mother died. he was Left an income suf- /
dcient for his wants and has been living f
from this ever since. Those who heard .
of the accident and manner i'm which it
occurred are surprised that the man was
not killed outright.
The train crew said that when they
went to pick him up they expected TO (
hnd every bone in his body had been (
crushed because Of the distance he was /
thrown