The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-20
station Agent Stops Special Train
just in Time to Avert
Head-On Collision.
ENGINEER coNFUsEs ORDERS
Missouri National Guard Now il
Camp AT Lake Contrary
Largest Encampment in
History of State.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

nisEtBi-li SPECIAL.
| St Joseph, Mo-. July 1s.-when Battery a
of St. Louis arrived this forenoon at Lake
| Contrary. where the National Guard OF
Missouri will be in camp for week. 'he
| men hardly knew whether to hold thanks
giving services or prepare for the routine
of camp life.
plucky station agent at a small town
unknown to them. near Jefferson City. lad
saved them from a horrible catastrophe
and but for his determination and luck half
of them doubtless would have been killed.
The battery came to ST. Joseph over the
Missouri Pacific in special train which
Was running ahead of the fast mail train
to Kansas City. The engineer Of the spe-
cial had orders to meet another fast train,
but forgot or neglected to stop.
The station agent waved frantically at the
man in the cab. but to no effect. Then he
tried to grab one of the forward cars. but
was thrown OFF. He gathered himself Up
in time to catch the rear platform of the
last and stop the train by the emer>
Sency air brake. The special was hurriedly
set on a siding and had scarcely passed the
switch head when the fast mail went whiz-
zing by.
MODEST HERO
The brave station agent went back to his
work without telling any one his name and
none of the officers of the battery know
the name OF the station. but they know they
had a very narrow escape.
The battery arrived at noon. four hours
late. The delay was caused by a wait at
Kansas City for company of the Sixth
Battalion The officers and men were not
in the pink of condition. on account of the
hard trip.
Captain Frank NJ Rumbold said that his
in Kansas City. The battery has sixty men
and sixty-tive horses in camp. Their new
equipment is the pride of the militia,
well as the visitors.
The First Regiment. with 500 men. came
in at S o'clock over the Burlington. and
spent in preparing for the duties OF the
coming week. Routine camp life will not
be taken up until tomorrow morning. Many
members of the company spent the day at
the end of a shovel handle digging trenches
and pits and by night We're ready to swear
that the life of soldier was not all glory.
II was novel work to many of them.
CAMP NOT NAMED.
Lieutenant f L. Reardon was detailed
as regimental Quartermaster to act instead
of Captain W. S. Robinson, who was I'M
able TO accompany the regiment
Lieutenants Campbell Gray, Carl 1.
Houseman and l.. ]. Elbrecht We're detailed
as battalion Adjutants. The regimental
tINAouSu IIol lle
ton of which the First used to boast,
keeps things lively in the north end of the
camp, where the regiment is located.
There was a conference between Adju-
tant General Wood and his staff officers
this afternoon. when an attempt was made
to name the camp. but agreement could
not be reached and this matter was de-
ferred for future action.
The programme for tomorrow was
agreed TO. 1t consists. in addition to the
regular camp duties, of street parade a
o'clock in the afternoon. Three thousand
men Will be in line and Battery A will
have the position of honor. All the regi-
ments are here, the Second. the last to
come arriving this afternoon.
LARGE ENCAMPME;NT
The encampment is described by compe
tent officers as the largest in the history of
the National Guard of Missouri Thousands
of st. Joseph people visited the camp this
afternoon, and many of the officers who
are accompanied by their wives have quar-
tiers at some of the summer cottages at the
lake.
The staff officers who are in camp are:
attache regular army: Major A V. Adams.
Quartermnster; Major ]. A Tuttle Com
missary: Lieutenant Colonel ]. II. McCord.
Chief of Staff: Lieutenant Colonel ]. A De
D. C.; Lieuterant t. F. Vannatta a. Jr..
Eighth United States Cavalry Volunteers
4. d. C.: Captain Elmwood Evars Eighth
United States Cavalry. attache; Lieutenant
Colonel HALEY. Medical Director; TIajor +.
Chambers. a. d. c.. and Captain S. e.