The Topeka state journal., 1902-05-07
SMASHED.
Two Trains Collide in Topeka
With Fatal Results.
AL McCandless and John Parks
Are Killed.
SIX OTHERS ARE HURT.
Victims All StOckmen Who We're
in CabOose
Wreck Was Caused by the Dense
Fog.
TRAINMEN UNINJURED.
Engineer Zimmerman and Fire
man Marshall Unhurt.
Engine Went Entirely Through
the CabOOse.

Al McCandless. of Natoma, Kas.. and
John Parks. of Manhattan, were killed
in a rear-end collision of two Union
Pacific freight trains at the west end
of the Union Pacific yards in North
Topeka this morning at $3.50 O'Clock.
Six other men in the caboose of the
train which was struck were more or
less injured. Some of them may die
The cause of the wreck was a dense
fog which existed at the time of the
wreck.
Engineer II. W. Zimmerman and Fire
man J. J. Marshall Of Kansas City. who
were on the engine which did the deadly
work, both escaped uninjured. They
stayed in the engine cab and did not get
out until their engine stopped. For
some time after the wreck they were
missing. and it was reported that they
had run away for fear of arrest, but
they both were found shortly before
noon. and made full statements of the
affair to the railroad officials. Conduc-
tor Reese. who was in charge Of the
train also made statement.
All of the men killed and injured are
stockmen, and were in the caboose-
None of the trainmen were hurt.
The names Of the injured men are as
follows:
H. W. Kueker Niles. Kas.; head bad
bruised, nose cut.
J. E Fields. Hoxie. Kas.; badly
bruised
John Buzzard. Belvue. Kan. bruised.
John Ham marlund, st. Marys; left leg
slightly bruised.
Ed Armour. Chapman: internally in
jured
Joseph Hirst, Cheyenne; skull fractur-
ed, may die.
Al McCandless was not killed out
right. His legs were both cut off and
he was taken to Stormont hospital,
where he died about an hour after the
accident.
John Parks body was buried under
the wreckage and was not recovered till
9 o'clock this morning. The body was
not badly mutilated. but his neck was
broken.
The name of the dead man taken from
under the wrecked engine at 9 o'clock
this morning was not learned until the
body was removed to DeMOss & Pen
wells morgue where Coroner HOge-
boom examined the dead mans pock-
cts and found letters and transpOrta-
tion papers bearing the name Of John
AIRS ana LAE dQuIGSS Oh Alduudltall
his transportation was from Manhat-
tan to Kansas City, and stated that he
was in charge of stock shipped by that
train. He was a young man abut p
or p years Of age.
The wreck occurred about four
blocks west of the Rock Island Union
Pacific junction. Train No IA. the reg
ular freight from the west, due in To-
pela at I o'clock was an hour and 45
minutes late. 1t had just drawn up
and stopped at the junction. The train
crew We're up near the front of the
train looking after a hot box In the
caboose were eight stockmen. The
train consisted of 10 cars of stock from
various points in the west, mostly en-
route to Kansas City. several cars of
merchandise and the caboose.
An extra freight Of empties was fol-
lowing the regular train 1t was in
charge Of Engineer Zimmerman of
Armstrong and Conductor Reese. While
No. IA was standing still on the main
track the extra came up in the rear
and crashed into the caboose. It is be-
heved that the extra was not running
fast as the cabOose and one freight