The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1902-09-18
Mack Barnhart Was Killed at
His Post.
MET A RUNAWAY TRAIN
And There Was No Time for
Backing. Two Others
Killed.

Crouched in his cab and cold in death,
Mack Barnhart, formerly of Dodge City
and one of the best men and engineers in
the employ of the Santa Fe company,
was found under the debris i'll the terrible
wreck which occurred last Saturday
morning near Struby, on the Santa Fe
this side of Denver. This awful accident
particularly affected the people of Dodge
City, as Mr.. Barnhart was for many
years a resident here and the ma jority of
the people of Dodge were his warm per-
sonal friends.
Mrs. Barnhart is a sister of p. III.
Young of this place and Mr.. and Mrs.
Young were on the way to Denver to visit
at the Barnhart home when the accident
occurred. At LaJ they learned of
it, and it was an awful shock to them.
John Rogers, one of the firemen killed
in the wreck, was also well known here
and was a noble fellow whose death Will
be deeply mourned by the railroad men
of Dodge City. Barnhart's train was
double header. Fireman Pettingill was
killed and engineer Archie Stewart was
badly injured.
The funeral of Mr.. Barnhart was held
from his late home in Denver on Tuesday
afternoon. few of his friends from
here were present and more would have
standing here regarding the time and
place of the funeral. Mr.. Barnhart be-
longed to the commandry here, and also
to the Workman lodge.
The wreck is described by the Denver
Post as follows:
Extra freight train No. 4S1 was en-
route to Denver and had reach ed Struby,
about three miles below Littleton, where
it intended to take siding and
allow COS, the fast mail and express, to
pass. The freight train consisted OF for
ty- nine cars, The road from Palmer
Lake to Denver is almost entirely down
grade and in approaching the switch at
Struby the momentum of the train was
such that it was impossible to stop the
cars at point above the switch and the
engine and few of the first cars ran
down the main track over the switch.
Engineer L. A. Sparlin tried to back the
train, but it was impossible, owing to its
length and to the heavy grade.
The crew then attempted to do what is
done by railroad crews every day in the
year. The engine was uncoupled and
started down the track to the lower end
of the switch, intending to back down to
the siding, pull part of the train onto the
siding. back the remainder above the
switch and then onto the siding. AS the
engine started down the track the middle
brakeman uncoupled sixteen cars from
the train 1t was intended to allow these
cars to run past the south entrance to the
siding and stop them on the main track.
The remainder of the train would then
be pulled onto the siding, after which
the sixteen cars cut off would be backed
up above the entrance of the siding and
then pushed on the switch.
AS Engineer Sparlln opened the throt-
the sixteen cars which had been cut off
started slowly after the engine. 1t was
the intention to stop them after they had
passed the southern switch. As the cut
of cars went slowly over the switch Con-
ductor w H. Denter of Pueblo swung
onto one of them. Waiting till the cut
of cars had passed the switch, Denter
then tried to set the brakes to stop the
cars. He was Mortified when he found
the emergency brakes would not work.
The cars went forward slowly, but with
each turn of the wheels momentum was
gathered which sent the ilI-fated cars at
faster speed down the track over which
No. COS was rushing in opposite df-
rcction. Denter knew this and was
working with almost superhuman
strength to stop the cars but the brakes
refused to work. He was powerless to
call aid and not until the cars passed the
lower or northern end of the switch did
the engine crew know that anything was
wrong.
ssN1y GodI stop those cars!,s was the
futile cry, but they had started on their
mission of death and nothing could stop
them. But Conductor Denter stuck to
his post and proved himself a hero equal
TO any. Finding that the emergency
brake on the first car refused to work, he