The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-01-07
Thirty Killed Outright and
Many We're Injured in a
Hpad-on Collision
FAST PASSENGER WRECKED
Completely Telescopes by q
Freight Trein Blame for the
Catastrophe Not Located

Topeka. Kans, Jan. 6.--The Ell Paso
flyer on the Rock Island road, west
bound. which left Topeka at midnight.
ten minutes late crashed into freight
head-on, near willard, fifteen miles
west of here.
The following graphic story of the
wreck was sent by II. c. Parsons,
reporter of the Topeka State Journal,
who was a passenger on the ira n
to his paper. Two people on the seat
In front of Pa sons were killed, but he
escaped uninjured. The story was
copyrighted by the Topeka State Jour-
nal and sold to the Associated Press.
The wreck is one or the most disas-
trous and fatal ever Witnessed in the
vicinity of Topeka. 1t occurred two
miles west of willard, Kansas, on ths
Rock Island railroad. At least thirty
persons were instantly killed, several
fatally and large number slightly in
jufed, TWO passenger cars demolished,
4. two locomotives totally destroyed and
four carloads Of stock torn TO pc es
and dead animals strewn along the
right Of way. This horrible catas-
trophe was the result OF a head on
collision between the Ell Paso train,
due to leave Topeka at ll:55 p. M. and
a cattle train.
Both trains were running at a speed
Of from fifteen to twenty-five miles an
hour. The freight was long one.
When the engines met they were weld
ed together by the impact. The en-
gineer and fireman on the freight es-
capped without injury by jumping. The
fireman on the passenger was serious.
~ injured. but the engineer escaped,
TT was in the third car of the pas
senger of the first coach. preceded by a
smoker and baggage car, that the
greatest slaughter of passengers took
place The shock drove the smoker
which was occupied by two or three
men, completely over and through the
car behind II. which was crowded with
passengers, some standing in the aisle
when the shock came. The passengers
in the car where the numerous deaths
occurred did not feel any se.ious
shock. They were first warned by the
total darkness following the sudden
setting of the air brakes. Then mass
of splntered wood and iron crowded
down upon them. No one was tnrown
out of his seat by the blow. Out OF
possibly one hundred people in the car
about thirty escaped without injury
They got out hurriedly by the rea-
door which was still unobstructed. No
one in the font of the car escaped
They were crushed down between tht
seats by the smoker. Only three liv~
ing people were taken out by the res
cueis. who chopped holes in the side,
top and bottom of the wrecked ca $ In
a frenzied attempt to rescue man
a small girl and mid ile-aged woman.
who we4e moaning and begging for
aid. The rest of the passengers in the
fcrwaid half wee all dead.
one man was taken out by a rear
door within FIVE minutes after the coli
lision, and died almost instantly flom
internal injuries. A woman died al
most Immediately while trying TO tel.
a passenger her name.
A little girl named Bonnie Martin
about eleven years of age, was pinned
down between the two cars, heavy
stove resting on one foot. Her cles
attracted the rescuers, and men, many
of them bleeding flom wounds ABOUT
the face and arms. worked manfully
to get her out. 1t took two hours OF
steady work TO relieve her. When sne
was taken out she addressed doctor
who was bending over her as Papa.
The physician did not have the
heart to tell her that she was an or
phan, her father ana mother having
been killed.
MIR. Martin was killed instantly, and
MIS- Martin d.ed ten minutes after
being taken out of the wreck. The
child was suffering with broken an
kle. where the heavy stove fell on her
and severe scalp contusions She was
put to sleep by a hypodermic injection
to relieve her pain.
A dozen or more Topeka physicians
came out to the scene of the wreck
or. the relief train which was sen
from Topeka as soon as a brakeman
could run to Willard and notify head
quarters of the wreck.
The physicians went to relieving tbs
injured and made no attempt to re-
move the crushed and disfigured bod
les from the debris
After daylight this morning the worl