The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-20
ROCK ISLAND TRAINS CRASH
California and Mexico Express COL
Iides With Cattle Train.
NEW YORK MAN HERO Of WRECK
Officials Place Responsibility For the
Horror Upon the Passenger Engineer,
and Allege Disobedience of Orders
Over 4 Score Are Injured-Accldent
Worst in History of Road.

-o"~~N-~~--~~
Over 4 Score Are Injured-AccIdent
Worst in History of Road.
Kansas City, Mo.-The Rock Islands
California and Mexico express. which
leaves Chicago every Monday night at
i1.30 for the West, colided head on at
Willard. Kan., fourteen miles west OF
Topeka, with 4 cattle train.
Seventeen persons were killed and
every person on the train was injured.
The train carried many persons for
Oklahoma who had taken advantage
of the homeseekers' excursion rates.
1t also contained through slecpcrS and
chair cars for San Francisco and Los
Angeles.
The wreck was one Of the most serl-
Gus that has happened on the ROCK
Island system in years. Between KAN
sas City and Topeka the Rock Island
uses the tracks Of the Union Pacific,
and as there are no general offices OF
either road in this city details of the
disaster were obtained with difficulty.
Occurring as it did at 4 small station
with few facilities for aid and in the
darkness. there was much delay in ex-
Treating the dead and injured and in
caring for the latter. The train was
composed Of Il combination baggage
and mail car. regular baggage car,
smoker, a tourist sleeper and stand
ard sleeper.
The wreck. according to the passen-
ger conductor, was caused by the
freight crew running off schedule. The
passenger train had the right Of way,
he declares, and the freight train
should have waited for it to pass at
Maple Hill. six miles ives. Of the scene
OF the collision. The wreck occurred
at curve.
The hero Of the wreck was Dr..
Bell, of New York City. young physi-
clan. himself crippled and walking on
crutches. DR.. Bell. although slightly
hurt as a result of the collision. was
the first man to leave the Pullman
sleeper, which was not damaged.
Struggling forward on his crutches, he
Immediately assumed charge Of the
rescue work. First. he ordered the
chair car and sleeper cleared. Then
after directing the removal Of the in.
jurcd to these cars, he allayed the pain
.of the injured as much as was possible
without medicine or instruments, band
aged broken legs and arms with strips
torn at his direction by others from
sheets and pillow slips. administered
stimulants for the injured until the re-
;,f eI n,,J, a
life Of the fireman by tying an artery
with the aid Of penknife and piece
OF string. After working until nearly
exhausted, DR.. Bell only gave way
when the physicians arrived from To-
peka with medicine and instruments.
Then he steadfastly refused to disclose
his name, and it was only partially
learned from his fellow-passengers.
The dead that were identified on the
morning after the wreck are: Gale Full.
ler. seven years old, Of Brockton, Iowa;
James Griffin. Of Claremont, Mo-; Mrs.
Mary Harvaille. of Chillicothe. Mo-;
Benjamin Harvaille. son of Mrs. Har.
vaille, thirteen years old; Tot Harvaille.
daughter of Mrs. Harvaille, three years
old; Mrs. J. H. Hill, of Greensburn,
Kan; Mrs. Mary Kaiser, Russian, ad.
dress unknown; Raymond A. Martin,
of Chillicothe. Mo-: w. S. Martin, of st.
Joseph, Mo-; Mrs. ". S. Martin. of st.
Joseph, Mo-: E. E. Myer. Of Buffalo, N.
Y: 4. R. Rankins. Of DeKalb. No.;
Grace Reed, of Chillicothe, Mo-; Leo
nora Reed, of Chllicothe: Mrs. Susan
Reed, sister of Mrs. Harvaille; William
]. Wells, of Jacksonville, Ill.
General Superintendent Gruber, OF
the Rock Island. makes this statement:
THE engineer of the passenger train
had orders to wait at Willard for the
special stock train He passed Oh, mis-.
taking a freight train on the siding at
that station for the stock train. This
caused the wreck. Nobody else is to
blame, so far as our information goes.
1.-The passenger conductor says that
the accident was caused by the freight
crew running off schedule. The express
had the right of way. he declares, and
the freight train should have waited
for it to pass at Maple Hill six miles
west of the scene of the collision