The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1903-12-26
TEN Lives LOST,
twenty INJURED
Results of the Wrecking of the St
Louis & San Francisco's "Me-
te0r," North Bound.
DERAILED BY An OPEN SWITCH;
ALL EXCEPT SLEEPER CaPSIzED.
The Dss: Include the Engineer,
Fireman and Conductor-SearIy
Everyone on the Train Except
Those In the sleeper More or Less
Seriously Injured.

Kansas City Mo. Dec 22.--The Me-
teor the fast train on the st. Louis *
San Francisco railroad. which left Fort
Worth Sunday afternoon for Kansas
City, was wrecked at Godfrey, Is miles
south OF Fort Scott, Kas, early Mon
day morning. The train ran into
switch and all except the sleeper was
derailed and turned over. Nine persons
were killed and over 20 injured The
dead AID injured were taken to Fort
Scott. and arrived In that city at IL
o'clock.
The dead:
George Hoyt, conductor; Sapulpa,
1T.
b. A. Devices, engineer; Fort Scott
Theorode Bshard, fireman; Fort
Scott
Jas. II. Twyman (colored), Fleming.
Kas.
Asa Moreland, Lenexa, Kas.
Lon Corbin, Bessie, Okla.
Joe Corbin. Bessie, okla
John Brubaker, news agent; Kansss
City
One unidentified man, whose body
was found 90 feet distant In corn
field.
Express Messenger Bell died later.
making the total number OF dead ten.
Fatally injured
Sheridan Kanable, Hooperstown.
Okla
Is. +. Garroway, Jonesboro, Ark.
Seriously injured. Mrs e. G. Call.
Hobart. Okla, Henry Mckinley, Sny-
der. okla; Thos Kent, Mountain View.
Okla. J. w. GULL. ottumwa. Ia; Henry
M, Mcdonnell, Lodi. o.. l.. Howard
Lee, Oklahoma City, okla; Joseph IL
Donohue, Franklin. H.; Walter Gods
by. Kansas City; John Bell. express
messenger, Kansas City; j. d. Bryant.
Davenport, Ia; W. r. Farmer, Black
well, Okla; Elmer Corbin. Bessie.
Okla; Jacob Roesseler. Parker. Okla;
c. ]. Donovan. Snyder. Okla; J. w.
Adamson, mail clerk Kansas City; II.
Il. Darlington, mail clerk. Kansas City.
Fifteen others were hurt slightly.
Most of the injured we're badly burned.
as well as being maimed
Responsibility For the Wreck.
The responsibility for the wreck Ia
laid at the door OF a brakeman OF the
freight crew who failed to flag the
passenger train. He has disappeared.
The engine on the freight had become
dead" pnd the crew was ordered to
remain on the main track and turn tho
switch for the passenger. then about
due, the brakeman being ordered to
flag the Meteor This he neglected To
do
The wrecked Train.
The wrecked train was one OF the
finest and fastest In the service. II
was made up Of two baggage and one
mail car, a smoker, two chair cars and
a sleeper. When the train reached Cod
frey Il was behind and running at full
speed to make up time The crew OF
n freight train that had preceded the
Meteor left the switch open and tho
passenger train Jumped tho track and
rolled down a slight enbnnkment All
save the sleeper turned over and 80
fast was the train running that the en-
CINE and tho forward baggage car
landed nearly 20 feet on the roadbed
before II stopped. The sleeper rs-
manned upright and none OF tho pas
sengsrs In this ear were Injured
Bssgass Cars Complete wrecks.
Tho baggage cars wers completely
wrecked and tho smoker was badly
damaged Five Of those killed were In
the forward end OF the smoker and
four Of them were killed instantly. A
news agent who was badly manglsd
died on the relief train that carried
the dead and Injured 10 For, Scott.
Three Trainmen ki,ted.
Engineer u, A, Devices. OF Fort Scott.
Conductor Roy. OF Topekak. and Fire
man Blshard. Of Fort scott, were all
Instantly killed. and Express Messen"
ger John Bell, OF Kansas Cny. was Sc
riously injured Others OF the crew
and almost every passenger on tho en-
tire train, except those IN the sleeper.
who escaped with severe shake-up.
were injured. some Of thcm seriously
Occurred In the Dark meas.
II was still dark when tho wreck oc-
cured, and the utmost confusion fol-
lowed IL was some time before those
OF the crew who had escaped Injury
were able, with the help OF tho passcns
gers who were unhuft, TO aId the In
jured,
A wrccklng train carrying physicians
did not leave Fort Scott Tor tho wreck
for several hours after the accident oc-
cured, and II was II o'clock before
the dead and Injured were brought to
Fort Scott,
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