Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-10-13
e DEAD IN WRECK
Worlds Fair ExcurSiOniStS Mangled in
Collision on Missouri Pacific.
TRAINS CRASH IN The DARK.
Both Engines, One Drawing An Extra
Freight. the Other the Second Section
OF Passenger Train, Meet Ia Narrow
Cut On "Dead Mans Curve" Near War
rensburg, Mo.

Warrcnsburg, Mo. cciaD.-
Twenty eight persons were killed and
90 injured by a head-on collision OF
Missouri Pacific trains three miles cast
of Warrensburg. The trains were the
second section of a passenger train
from Wichita for St. Louis and all
extra freight train.
The passenger train, consisting OF
two day coaches, a Pullman and ca
boose, was loaded with Worlds Far
cxcursionists from Southeastern Kan
sas and Southwestern Missouri The
Wichita passenger train had been cut
in two at Pleasant Hill on account OF
the heavy load, and locomotive was
attached to the front car, without a
baggage car as a buffer.
The extra freight had been side
tracked at Montserrat for the first
section OF the Wichita train, which
carries signals that second section
was following. A local passenger
train passed, and the freight crew
took the local for the second section
OF the Wichita train and pulled out OF
the sidetrack. Three miles west the
freight met the second section.
The impact telescopcd the tender
OF the passenger locomotive and the
front car, which was full of passen-
gers, and it was here that the sacrifice
of life took place. The passenger con-
ductor, f. l.. Barnes. ran all the way
to Warrensburg to report the wreck
Every physician in Warrensburg and
hundreds OF residents fastened to the
wreck to assist the wounded.
Twenty persons were killed outright
and seven died within few hours.
The dead were placed on flat cars
and brought to WarrcnsburG.
The conductor OF the freight tram
saws while his train was at Montser-
rat and the local train passed Engineer
Horton believed it was the second
section OF the Wichita train, and
thinking the track clear, pulled out
on the main line.
T. c. Dressed, postmaster at Easton-
Vile, Kan, was taken out from under
heap OF seven bodies. suffering only
with a broken leg.
The collision occurred in what is
called Dead Mans Bend" Both en-
gineers and both firemen saw the dan
ger and jumped.
Travel to the Worlds Fair has been
50 heavy that all roads recently have
been sending out many OF their trans
in two or more sections, The wrecked
train was made up at Wichita Sunday
night, and as is the custom, 1t picked
up additional coaches alone the line.
The last coach taken up was at Pleas
ant Hill. Mo, at about 4 o'clock A..
NJ. All of the coaches were crowded.
Both trains were running at good
rate Of speed when the wreck occurred
Dawn had hardly begun to break, and
neither crew was aware OF the APP
proach Of the other train until they
were almost upon each other. The
impact was terrific The sleeping pas
sengerS were hurled in every direction.
The most Of the killed were in the for
ward coach, which was well crowded.
The wreck occurred in a narrow cut,
and this fact, with the darkness, added
TO the difficulty of the situation. The
greatest confusion ensued after the
crash and the gro; IS of the injured
were added to the escaping steam OF
the wrecked locomotives,
Relief trains carrying physicians
were sent out as quickly as possible
from nei9hboring towns.
|, was sometime before the dead and
injured could be eXtricated from the
debris. The dead were carried up the
track and laid in rows i'll an open
space until the relief train arrived,
while the injured were cared for as
well as could be.
The scene Of the wreck was on the
down grade, on either side of which
there was a steep rise. Both trains
had put on extra steam to carry them
up the opposite hill and when they
met at the curve at the lowest point
they were running fast
Arms and legs were dsmcmbered in
several cases.
SO tightly were the tender of the
passenger engine and the first coach
wedged together that it will take I'M
usual efforts to separate them.