The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-09-21
THREE HURT m A COLLISION
BAD WRECK IN GOODILaND YARD
MONDAY.
Fireman Ray Rice Receive
Serious Injuries

AS a result Of a switch being left
open on the main line in the west part
Of the GOOdland yards Monday, Engi-
neers George Sherman and william
Mcclellan are laid up with bruises and
broken limbs and Fireman Raw Rice
rational but part OF the time, is suf-
fering from a serious cash in the back
OF the head, internal injuries and
scalding about the shoulders. A
I switch engine, badly wrecked. forced
into the air between a big passenger
locomotive and the train Of loaded
freight cars il was pulling and the
total destruction OF two box cars and
the fore half OF baggage coach, and
other less injury to rolling stock, oc-
cured by a head-On collision Of east
bound passenger No. 40 with the rear
train Of loaded cars at 2:15 Monday
afternoon
The accident happened on track No.
3, south OF the main line and about
400 feet from the open switch. The
passenger train, in charge OF Con-
ductOr E H Young, with engine 1915,
Engineer William Mcclellan. was COM
Ing into GOOdland on time and had
run up TO the first switch on the main
line, which, being open, shot the train
on to track No. 3 through a series Of
short curves.
On this track a switch engine, Oc-
cupied by Engineer George Sherman
and Fireman Ray Rice, coupled head
on was backing up with a train OF
loaded cars Both trains were NOV
ing in opposite directions, and the 400
feet or less was covered in a moment.
Engineer Mcclellan. seeing the dan
ger, applied the air and reversed his
engine, and jumped before the crash
came His fireman, =. ". Pratt, also
jumped just after the first impact and
escaped with very slight injuries.
But Engineer Sherman and Fire
man Rice had no warning, and the
tank and cab Of their engine was
crushed in almost In an instant. The
large passenger locomotive pushed on
by a heavy train OF coaches, hoisted
the tender high into the air and strip
ped the goat Of its cab as a mere
incidental in the rush Of the opposing
forces. Sherman was picked up in
conscious condition from under the
roof OF the cab Later, he was found
to have suffered a compound fracture
Of the bones OF his left leg between the
ankle and the knee. He was bruised
and received a number Of slight
gashes over his body.
Fireman Rice was thrown down
with some debris Of the cab on the
left side OF the engine, and lay in an
unconscious condition. He was in an
extremely dangerous position, as hot
water from a puncture OF the engine
boiler kept trickling upon his Shout
ders- The two men that picked him
up thought he was dead, but as they
drew him out Of the wreckage and
and began to moan.
Both men were carried to the depot
where Drs. Smith and Gulick bound
up their injuries, and they were taken
Engineer Mcclellan fractured a bone
above the wrist in jumping, but made
no other complaint He walked up
town and had a temporary Splint put
barber shop for a shave and after
ward started for his room in the
ClaXtOn house feeling pretty well IN
der the circumstances. But the next
morning he couldn't move in bed, as
his back was terribly Stim and sore.
All three Of the injured men are do
ing nicely. Rice was the worst hurt
and he was not thoroughly conscious
the following day, but the latest re-
ports on Wednesday morning were IA
vOrable.
A brakeman blythe name Of Oliver
was on the rear Of the freight train,
and the impact threw him into the air
and he fell near track No. ,. He was
dazed for a moment but was not
otherwise injured.
A few Of the passengers Of train
40 were shook up and slightly hurt
One passenger, thrown forward in the
smoking car, struck his nose on the
seat ahead, and from appearances he
must have struck hard
The 1915 did not leave the track,
although its front end is stove in. The
baggage car following was badly
wrecked and thrown on the south Of
the track. The large number Of peo-
pie that went down to see the wreck
would doubtless pronounce the switch
engine not much more than a heap
Of scrap iron. The driving wheels 4
and trucks and possibly the boiler
are all that can be made Use Of in re
building. Railroad men said that this
wreck would be considered a bad one
on the main line. Two freight cars
loaded with lumber next to the en-
CINE were knocked to pieces and much |
Of the lumber spiintered and broken |
The responsibility for the accident !
has not been reported, but it would |
seem that il would rest on the yard