The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-21
Finest Train in the Service De-
rallied Near Fort Scott.
Dashes Into an Open Switch
Killing Ten Passengers.
90 SERIOUSLY INJURED
One of the Dead Is Tossed Far
Out in a COrnfield.
Engine and Baggage Car Landed
Sixty Feet from Track.
SLEEPER ALONE INTACT
All of the Cars in Kindling Wood
Save the Sleeper.
Crew OF Freight Train Ahead
Forgot to Close Switch.
The Passenger Behind Time
and Running at Full Speed.
Engine and Baggage Car Landed
Sixty Feet from Track.
SLEEPER ALONE INTACT
All of the Cars In KindIing Wood
Save the Sleeper.
Crew OF Freight Train Ahead
Forgot to Close Switch.
The Passenger Behind Time
and Running at Full Speed.


GEORGE HOYT. conductor. sapuloa.
/ T.
B. A. DEVICES. engineer, Ft. Scott.
THEODORE BISHARD, fireman, F't.
Scott.
JAMES H. TwINHAM. colored.
Fleming. Kas.
ASA MORELAND. Lenexa, Kas.
LON CORBIN. Bessie, Okla.
JOE CORBIN, Bessie. Okla
JOHN BRUBAKER, news agent.
Kansas City.
One unidentified, whose body was
thrown go feet into a cornfield-
Fatally Injured.
Sheridan Kanable, Hoopertown. Okla.
B. F. Garroway, Jonesboro. Ark
Seriously Injured.
Mrs. E. E. Call, Hobart. Okla.
Henry Mckinley, Snyder, Okli..
Thomas Kent, Mountain View, Okla.
]. w GULL. Ottumwa. Ia.
Henry Mcdonnell. Leodi, o.
/. Howard Lee, Oklahoma City. Okla.
Joseph w Donanue, Franklin. Ill.
Walter Gadsby Kansas City
John Bell, express messenger, Kan
sas City.
J. D. Bryant, Davenport Ia.
w. r. Farmer, Blackwell, Okla.
Elmer Corbin, Bessie, Okla.
Jacob Roeszler, Parker, Okla
c. ]. Donovan, Oklahoma
]. w. Adamson, mail clerk, Kansas
CITY. ~
H B. Darlington, mail clerk, Kansas
City.
Fifteen others We're hurt slightly.
Ft Scott, Kan.,Dee 2.-The Meteor, fast
train on the St. Louis and San Francisco
railway. which left Fort Worth yesterday
afternoon for Kansas City, was wrecked
at Godfrey, fifteen miles south of here,
early this morning. The train ran
into a switch and all except the sleeper
was derailed and turned over. Nine per
sons were killed and over 20 injured. The
dead and injured were brought to this city
at II o'clock.
The wrecked train was one of the
finest and fastest in the service. 1t
was made I'D of two baggage and one
mail car, a smoker two chair cars and
a sleeper. When the train reached
Godfrey it was behind and running at
full speed to make up time. The crew
of a freight train that had preceded
the Meteor left the switch open and
the passenger train jumped the track
and rolled down a slight embankment.
All save tho sleeper turned over and
so fast was the train running that the
y
landed nearly 60 feet off the roadbed
before they stopped.
The sleeper remained upright and
none of the passengers in this car was
injured The baggage cars were com
pletely wrecked and the smoker was
badly damaged. Five of the dead were
In the forward end of the smoker and
four Of them were killed instantly. A
news agent, who was badly mangled,
died on the relief train that carried the
dead and injured to this city. Engi-
neer B. A. Devices of Fort Scott, Con-
duetor Hoyt. of Sapulpa, and Fireman
Bishard of Fort Scott were all instantly
killed and Express Messenger John Bell
of Kansas City was seriously injured
others of the crew and almost every
person on the entire train, except those
in the sleeper. who escaped with Sc
we're shaking up, were injured, some of
them seriously.
Most of the injured were badly
burned as we'll as being manned.
The responsibility for the wreck is
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" and the crew was ordered to
remain on the main track. and turn the
switch for the passenger then about
due, the brakeman being ordered to
flag the Meteor. This he neglected to
do.
In the crash the baggage car tele-
scoped the engine and landed in a corn
fell. while the smoker and the two
chair cars were piled in a mass on top
OF the engine. Most of the injured
We're In the chair car, which took fire
soon after the wreck occurred
1t was still dark when the wreck oc-
CURED and the utmost confusion fol-
lowed. 1t was some time before those
ot the crew Who had escaped injury were
aple, with the help of the passengers
who were unhurt to aid the injured.
A Wreckirfg crew carrying physicians
old not leave here for the sce.,a
until several hours after the wreck oc-
CURED and it was II o'clock before the
dead and Injured were brought to this