The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-12
THE WRECK AND "I3."
Correspondent Makes a Defense of
the Unlucky Number.

To the Editor of the State Journal:
Some people. who seem to have
morbid belief that there are fatalities
in certain numbers. as 13, for instance.
have discovered that the figures of the
numbers of each of the engines in the
Willard wreck, when added together,
equal Is. But why stop with the num-
alone to blame. The freight coming
east was to meet two trains, No. 8, the
FL Paso express. and No. Is. the Den
yer express, at willard. And, by the
way, it was No. 10 that was lucky this
time. and No. 3. well known lucky
number, that was unfortunate.
While adding figures. remember that
the first regular stop for No. 8 west of
Topeka is Mcfarland, and the time
1855, figures that add IL. But the train
was not on time. Lucky for it if it had
been. No. Is is billed to stop at Will
lard. time 12:55, IS again. Train order
No. 2, on the night of the accident. to
the conductor and engineer of extra
engine 1417 equals 49, was received by
them at Mcfarland at 1928 Q3 once
more): and orders were received by
conductor and engineer of train No. 3
at Topeka at 12:37 another 1870, and of
Grain No. Is at 1855 ewhoop 'em up,
13D. No. 3. with engine 1918 Q3 twice.
reached Topeka at 1910 90 2 and l. or
IL and l, are 80. received it's orders at
12:37. and left Topeka at 1916 with in
Z.0J
The agent at Willard at 12:46 Cnotice
the repetition) asked train dispatcher
for orders for extra engine 489 Outside
figures equal 49, The accident oc-
CURED at liz az and 1 used to be 49,,
just 26. or twice 49, minutes after Ieav-
ing Topeka. The train DISPATCHER at
1:39 knew to a dead certainty that
something was wrong, as neither of the
trains reported at the next station: the
news reached Willard at 1:48; and
Wrecking crew was ready to leave Her
ington at 1:57, having been previously
notified. And so this useless subject
might be pursued ad nauseam.
But look againi There were Is people
on the freight train, all escaped; 10
people killed in 10 seconds on the pas
senger, and the average age of the
young people was IS. The engineer
Benjamin, and conductor, Maggie, be-
tween them, carry 10 letters in their
names; Ghey will never run together
AGAIN. Willard and Topeka embrace 13
more letters: the undertakes, DeMoss
e Penwell, 10 more; and the coroner,
NJ. Silverthorne, another complement.
But the best of all is that Harvey
Parsons. the State Journal reporter,
with 10 letters in his name, crawled out
alive and unScathed from the midst of
dead people and splinters, in car No.
311; (13 backwards, and he had TO
crawl out backward) and not only did
much to alleviate the Sufferings of the
injured, but prepared the finest scoop
that has been seen in Topeka since the
flood of May 81 last, including picture
of the most remarkable case in the an
nails of railroading of two coaches, a
mans smoker and a ladies' chair car,
telescoped completely into one, almost
without shattering window in either
car.
All this has no significance except to
exonerate the poor engines which were
not alone in adding 10. We might find
condolences of similar character, if we
but look for them, for any number, in
any event, whether fortunate or dfsas-
trous.
Engineers and conductors may CLEAN
one moral from this, however. If the
figures of time at any station foot up
IS, let every effort be made to stick to
the time. Ill luck follows losing it.
A final advice to all railroad men:
Pay no attention to the summing of
the figures of your engine, car, num-
Der of cars in train, or time at station.
Leave that amusement to the idle
mathematician (word of 10 letters) who
has nothing else to do, like
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