The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-04
HIT WITH A CRASH
Two Locomotives Collide for
Amusement of Public.
People Didn't Care for That Sort
Of Entertainment.
FACE A BIG DEFICIT.
Commercial Club Must Make Up
About $500.
Public Spirited Business Men
Make Up Deficit.
FACE A BIG DEFICIT.


Two big locomotives. firmly locked
together in a death embrace, and
debt of about $500 on the Commercial
club is all that remains of the '.bene-
ft' collision for the entertainment
fund of the Commercial club at the
fair grounds Thursday night
From the size of the crowd it was
evident that people in Topeka consid-
cred Z 5 cents a second too high a price
to pay for amusement Some of the
people who bought tickets early got in
for S5 cents each; other paid SO cents,
and those who wanted to occupy seats
on the "bleachers'' were taxed 25
cents apiece more.
There were probably 1900 people
inside the grounds, but the committee
reports that the receipts were only
$780, The cost of the two engines was
S1,75O, and 1t cost $3.50 more to get
them to Topeka In addition to the
$400 receipts, it is estimated that the
engines can be sold for 81, 600 as scrap.
This leaves a deficit of $500.
Ten minutes before the two engines
crashed together, the managers of the
show decided to call the entertain
ment off, on account of the small
patronage. However 1t would have
involved a loss of $500 even had the
collision not taken place, so the men
who were guaranteeing the expenses
agreed to dig down into their pockets
and make up the additional shortage
involved in smashing the engines. The
men who agreed to make up the deficit
were T. J. Anderson, E. H. Crosby, w.
W. Mills, J. W. Robinson, H. A. Auer-
BACH G. B. Hamilton. c. L. Wood,
James Chapelle, Charles Wolff and
Geo. w. Crane.
1t having been decided to go ahead
with the performance, engine No. 27O
was backed to the end of the track at
the west side of the grounds by George
Sehrrnan. Engine No. $751; which was
the larger and heavier of the two,
backed down on the fair grounds spur
to Van Buren, street. VIII Sherman
was in charge of No. 361. Amos
Beeler stood on the fair grounds load
ing platform. When both engines had
reached their positions, he fred a
pistol and waved a flag to No. 361.
which had the longer distance to run
to bring the collision at the right place,
inside the grounds. Then he gave a
signal to No. 270. Both engines came
chugging and putting into sight, No.
361 hitting clip which railroad men
estimated at 3 8 miles, while No. 270
was going about a 20 mile gait.
At 7:45 the crash occurred. The
engines met just west of the loading
platform. 1t was a thrilling moment
as the big steel monsters came rushing
into each other. There was a terrific
crash, blaze of fire from the fur
HcCCSs anu AilGH h roar O1 Sl6dtil anu
the whole scene was swallowed up IN
a white cloud as the water rushed into
the fire boxes. and the boilers belched
forth their contents.
For about five seconds the big
crowd was silent, watching the spec
tacle. Then people began to yell and
rush toward the engines, which were
still enveloped in steam, and believing
at each other like mad bulls. The
pe&ice made vain effort to keep the
crowd back, fearing that an explosion
might take place. The crowd outside
the grounds which was larger than
the crowd inside came pouring
through the gates, and in a very few
minutes the engines were surrounded
by a dense throng and people were
climbing up on top to inspect the
damage. All about the scene of the
crash the ground was soaked with
the water which poured out of the
boilers.
Engine No. ISL. which was heavier.
and moving faster, sustained the least
damage. Had the engineer remained
in the cab of No. 361 he would prob
ably have come out alive, as the tank
of the tender did not telescope the
cab.
No. 27O. however. was badly
smashed to pieces. The tank had slid
forward, splitting the cab wide open
The front ends of the two engines
were telescoped into each other until
the smokestacks were only about a
foot apart. The boiler of No. 270 was
reared up into the air considerably.
The collision was set for p M, in
order to give the Santa Fe employees a
chance to attend, and a great many
of them took advantage of the oppor-
tunity Several photographers had
their cameras lined up to take a pic
ture of the crash but it was too dark
when the thing finally occurred to en-
81, IL.
sides the collision took place about 200
feet west of the place expected, and
the cameras were not aimed in the
right direction.
The Parker band furnished some
good music preliminary to the collision
and a good many of the spectators
took in the pike festival after the col
lision was over