The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-01

BROKEN RAIL
Causes Wreck on Missouri Pa
cific Near Miller.
One Man Killed and Fourteen
Persons Injured.

Usage City, Feb. 1.-One person was
killed and fourteen injured in a Mis-
souri, Pacific wreck caused by a broken
rail Sunday morning near Miller. Kas.
The Colorado and Kansas limited train.
which left Denver Saturday afternoon
was derailed a few hundred feet west
of the station at Miller while running
at speed of forty miles an hour. The
engine and rear car, Pullman, did not
leave the track, but the baggage car,
mail car. smoker and chair car. which
constituted the balance of the train.
were ditched and badly shattered.
DEAD.
W. L. BROWN, Ransom, Kas;
crushed to death.
INJURED.
and cut.
Mrs. E. J. shouse, Shields, Kas: leg
broken and internal injuries
Frank Petrick, Timlxin, Kas.; bruise
on hands. back and legs, inhaled steam.
William L. Schubert, st. Louis; head
injured.
Miss Ora Lovelace, Altamont, Ia;
slight scalds on legs.
W. C. Doan, St Louis; body bruises
and sprained wrist.
Thomas A. Fulton, 14O4 Locust street,
Kansas City; back sprained
Frank Allbritton, negro, Chicago;
bruises.
H. j. Makate Chicago; neck and back
sprained-
W. S. Sanford, mail clerk, Kansas
City. Kas.: broken jaw.
T. p Gray, Denver; slight bruises.
j. D. Hays, White Plains, Ca; slight
bruises and cuts.
Alex Puntun, Munhall Pa; scalp
wounds
James Lewis. Pittsburg, Pa; slight
bruises.
Frank Petrick and Mail Clerk Sanford
were taken to Kansas CITY The
Shouses We're placed in the Sisters
| hospital under the care of DR. A L.
Fulton. Petrick left last night for Chi
cago, his original destination, and San
! ford was taken to the Missouri Pacific
hospital on West Tenth street Others
of the passengers were left at different
points on the Missouri Pacific between
Kansas City and Usage City
Mrs. Shouse. of Shields, Kan, is the
only one of the passengers seriously in
| Jured. At the time of the derailment
she was in the front end of the chair
car. She may lose her leg but her in
juries are not likely to prove fatal. The
other victims are not seriously hurt.
The body of w. L. Brown was found
in the wreckage of the smoking car. 1t
was badly crushed, indicating that
death must have been instantaneous.
There was no one on the train who
knew the man, his Identification being
ascertained through papers found upon
! him. The body was taken to OSa-
watomie. where it is being held subject
to instructions from relatives.
The derailment was caused by the
swapping of a rail. Whether or not the
rail had cracked before the engine of
the wrecked train struck it is not
known. 1t is the theory of railroad men
i that ten seconds before the engine
reached it, the rail was intact but that
the extreme coldness of the past week
had rendered it breakable. The fact
that the engine and tender passed over
it safely is the ground upon which the
| theory is based. That the Pullman
held the track is due to the setting of
the air brakes caused by the parting of
the train
The four cars which were derailed
plowed up the track and ground for a
distance less than the length of the
train The bodies of the cars slid from
the trucks and all landed a few feet in
the clear, ahead of the wheels. The
baggage and mail cars stopped without
turning over but the smoker and chair
car were rolled over on their Sides
None of the cars was telescoped-
No. 2 the train which was wrecked, is
the fastest Missouri Pacific arain in
operation between Kansas City and
i Denver To make schedule time it must
maintain an average speed of forty
miles an hour. The Inflated train was
in charge of Engineer c. A. Slocum and
Conductor W. D. Glass. The derailment
took place on a curve. While the dam
age to the equipment is great, it did not
amount to complete destruction. The
engine escaped entirely, and the Pull
man at the rear of the train was but
slightly damaged, so little in fact thai
the relief train hauled it to Osawa-
| tonne.
J. L. Miller, travelling engineer on the
i OsaWatonaie division, was in the engine
cab when the derailment happened. He
boarded the train at Council Grove, al
first taking a seat in the smoker. Twen-
ty minutes before the wreck Mr.. Miller
left the smoker, and his seat was ther
taken by Brown, the man who was
killed.