The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-08
CHANT DEATH SONG
Sixty-Three Indians in Spe-
CiaI CaPWrecked.
FLEE TO THE PRAIRIE
Three Killed Outright and
Many Are Injured.

Haywood, Ills, April 7.-Sixty-three IN
dams ma special car enroute to Wash
ington to see President Roosevelt were
smashed into a mail train two miles west
of here today during a fog. Three OF the
Indians were instantly killed, three were
fatally and twenty others more or less
seriously hurt The Indians who were
not pinned in the wreck fed in panic
across the prairie.
The trains which collided were the Ore
gon express and the fast mail of the
Chicago and Northwestern railway. The
express train was run into by the mail
train Both trains We're east bound.
Physicians were promptly hurried TO the
scene As soon as possible the injured
were taken to haywood and Chicago. All
the victims OF the wreck were Indians.
The coach containing the Indians was
q light day car 1t was completely wreck
ed The rear end of the coach ahead
WAS also damaged. After the collision
the passengers in teh other coaches OF
thu two trains hurried TO the rescue and
beneath the wreckage. Chief White Horse,
in charge of the Indians on the train,
WIS fatally injured The bodies of the
Indians who had been killed outright
We're laid on the prairie beside the track,
Chief White Horse being carried with
them He said he knew that death was
near and requested that he be placed
near his dead companions. The chief
was pTopped up and sat stoically while
physicians worked over his injuries. He
smoked a pipe quietly and showed no
signs of the pain he must have been suf-
fering one by one the other injured In
dams were slowly taken from the splin-
tered car and placed upon the ground
near their dying chief and dead comrades.
The physicians hurried from one to an
other Of the injured. administering to the
wants of all while arrangements were
being made to take them to the nearest
hospital.
Persons who We're on the train said
that the collision unqUestionably was the
result of the dense fog which today
stretched from Lake Michigan many miles
westward. / naddition to the fog clouds
of escaping steam enveloped the wreck
and added to the difficulty Of rescue.
A moment after the crash there was not
q sound from the i'll fated coach. Then,
one by one, those surviving the crash
regained in part their senses and began
shouting for air. \ terrifying series of
wild yeHs from the Indians were heard
by the passengers, jumping from each
side of the cars ahead All the men pas
sengers and many f the women on board
the two trains FASTENED to the aid of the
injured Indians The fact that one side
of the rear car fell off with the impact
undoubtedly saved the lives Of many In
dams who were thrown out onto the
prairie.
The Indians were from the reservation /
near Rushvlle. Nebraska. and their jour
ney east was primarily for show purposes /
at New York. 1t was a pitiable sight 10 =.
see the Indians lying on the ground clad /
I'm their native costumes with their red /
blankets dyed deeper by the blood of their 1
friends. The men were of splendid phys
ique and tho exhibition of calm nerve on
the part Of White Horse was a good ex-
ample of that of the other members of /
the Indian party
The dead:
KILL HEAD, skull crushed.
PHILLIP TRONTAIL. Jr body crushed
THOMAS COMELAST. body crushed.
The injured
Big Chief White Horse body crushed
and legs broken: Will die
Luther Standing Bear. crushed about
body and head; viii die
Annie Gooseface. crushed about body;
will die
Mrs Thomas Comelast wife Of one of
the killed. CUT about head and shoulders
Thommie Comelast six years old. son
Of the dead man. head bumped and be.
lieved 10 have been made temporarily
insane from fright.
Sammy Lonebear. head cut and body
bruised
Abraham Goodinow. cut about head
Blind Eagle cut about head by flying
glass
Little Elk. head cut and bruised
Charge the Enemy. head cut and body
bruised.
Head Chief Hieh Bear at the head of
the delegation Of Sioux. severely crushed
about the body
William Sitting Bull. son of Chief Sit
ting Bun. = years ole. seriously injured.
After the bodies Of the dead had been
removed from the wreckage and placed in
n row on the prairie beside the tracks an
Incident probably unparalleled urailroai
record. took place. The uninjured among
the Indians gathered about and led by
Chief lroutaf solemnly chanted the In
dian death song