The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1903-12-22
FAST TRAIN WRECKED
DISASTER ON THE FRISCO ROAD
IN WHICH NINE ARE KILLED
AND MANY INJURED.
ALL But ONE COACH DERAILEO
TRAIN WAS BEHIND AND WAS
RUNNING FULL SPEED AT
TIME OF ACCIDENT.

Kansas City. Dec. 22-The Meteor,
the fast train on the st Louis and
San Francisco railway, was wrecked
at Godfrey, fifteen miles south of Fort
Scott. Kan, during the morning. The
train ran into a switch and all except
the sleeper was derailed and turned
over. Nine persons were killed and
over twenty injured. The dead and
injured we're taken TO Fort Scott. The
dead are: George Hoyt, conductor.
Sapulpa. T. T.; B. A. De Wees. engi-
neer. Fort Scott; Theodore Bishard.
fireman, Fort Scott; James II. Twy-
man. colored. Fleming. Kan; Asa
Moreland. Lenexa. Kan; Lon Corbin,
Bessie, Okla; Joe Corbin, Bessie,
Okla; John Brubaker, news agent,
Kansas City; one unidentified man.
whose body was thrown sixty feet into
cornfield
Most of the injured were badly
burned as well as being MANNED.
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 the sleeper turned over and so
fast was the train running that the
engine and the forward baggage car
landed nearly sixty feet off the road
bed before they stopped The sleeper
remained upright and none of the pas
sengers in this car was injured.
The baggage car was completely
wrecked and the 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 mangled,
died on the relief train that carried
the dead and injured to Fort Scott.
Almost Every Passenger Injured.
Engineer n. A. De Wees of Fort
Scott. Conductor Hoyt, Sapulpa, l. T..
and Fireman Bishard, Fort Scott, We're
all instantly killed and Express Mes
senger John Bell of Kansas City was
seriously injured. Others of the crew
and almost every passenger on the
er, who escaped with a severe shake
up. we're injured, some of them seri-
ously
Ii was still dark when the wreck oc-
CURED and the utmost confusion fol
lowed Ii was some time before those
of the crew who had escaped injury
We're able. with the help of the pas
sengers who were unhurt, to aid the
injured. A wrecking crew carrying
physicians did not leave Fort Scott
for the scene until several hours after
the wreck occurred and it was IL
o'clock before the dead and injured
were brought to Fort Scott.
The responsibility for the wreck is
laid at the door Of brakeman of the
freight crew who failed to flag the
passenger train He has disappeared.
The engine on the freight had be-
come dead" and the crew was or
dered 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 tel
escoped the engine and landed in
corn field, while the smokers and the
two chair cars were piled in mass
on top of the engine. Most of the in
iured were in the chair cars, which
took fire soon after the wreck oc-
nnrrnb