The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-19

Continued from Page II
sporting men in the east saying that it
was reported that John l. Sullivan was
drowned in the Rock Island wreck at
Dover, Okla. The report is erroneous.
John L. Sullivan and his sparring part
ner and Frank Hail. his manager were
on the train but left it at Chickasha-
The party arrived here this morning
and will go to Shawnee tonight.
Dover. Okla. Sept. 19.-At daylight to-
day at the scene Of the Rock Island
definite facts concerning the casualties
than those given out last night were
available. Up to this morning the know1
dead numbere-- two. While number OF
persons are still missing it Is believed
that many will be heard from during
the day Two of the sixteen injured may
die.
Searchers with torches worked all
night to recover any possible victims
that might still be in the submerged
cars. Early today the search was re-
neWed here, while for a distance OF 70
miles down stream parties were on the
lookout for victims 1t was known that
several of those who escaped from the
wreckage had drifted down with the
swift current, some of them having
been seen,as far as Is miles distant from
Dover. From one point. bodies were re
ported as floating by but this was not
verified.
During the night the river fell almost
as rapidly as it had risen and early to-
day the work of removing the submefg-
ed cars from the stream was begun.
The Cimarron river is a treacherous
stream. When high as at this time, the
current is swift and there IS much
ouicksand. At irregular intervals along
the river the water sinks beneath the
sand A common saying among
frontiersmen in Oklahoma is: The
Cimarron always buries its dead" For
these reasons it Is not believed that the
exact number Of dead will be known for
several days yet.
The first reports of the finding Of
L. H. Coy, a travelling salesman, who
escaped from the train.
Most of the people, said Coy, had
been taken from the day coach when /
contact with the water, many appeared
as though dead when taken out"
Kinghsher. Ok, Sept. 1s.-The fol-
lowing is a list of those who have been
recovered and their injuries:
Mrs. j. L. Robinson, Enid. Ok.
Denver. badly bruised, head cut; c.
W. Brown. Comanche, 7. T., arm
wrenched; Mrs. c. E. Nushler, Dali
las. Tex, back slightly injured; Da-
vid Lang, Hillsboro, Tex, cut on head
DdCh anu dIIls - W DdCOIs L411l0s Oh
arm dislocated; 3-year-old child Of
Mrs Kate Sells, Payne, O., strangled
from effects of water, can not live;
Simon w. Byon, fireman. shoulder
dislocated, cut on head and neck; the
engineer, cut on head; W. H. Splitter,
Enid, arm sprained and fingers cut;
John Sullivan, Chicago; hand cut. leg
bruised; A. c. Baldwin and s. D.
Overton, mail clerks, badly bruised;
W. ". Johnson. express messenger,
Kansas City, slightly bruised; L. P.
Coy, Kansas City, salesman for Nell
son-Morris Packing company, hand
cut = - 3 a - - 3
Among those rescued is w. H. Bel
mere of Kansas City, No, a govern
ment employee, who has just been
river thirteen miles from the scene of
the wreck uninjured except from ex-
posure.
Local officials Of the Rock Island
this morning announced positively that
but one passenger coach, and that the
smoking car. in addition to the bag
gage and mail cars, went into the river
/ Officials of the road claim positively
that all passengers in the train have
been accounted for except two. and q
negro porter The railway telegraph
wires have been down and but neager
reports had been received this morning
1 by the railway officials except to verify
! the reports received late last evening
| in regard to the number of those who
were lost in the accident
Baseball Players Story.
| CLYDE Geist, 10 years old, who was
returning to his home here from
Geory. Okla. where he had been play
| ing baseball, was one survivor. The
escape of Geist was remarkable. His
name was believed at first to be Zeist.
In relating his experience he said:
81 was sitting in the front compart-
ment of the smoker in readiness to get
of the train at Dover. The only other
! person in this part Of the car was the
negro porter. There were possibly
partment Immediately after the en-
CINE passed into the bridge. I was
aroused by three short shrieks of the
whistle. I felt the train sinking be-
meath me but easily and without lurch-
ing. I ran to the front door. but by the
time I reached ii the train was in the
river and the water was about my
knees. The depth of the water pos
sibly was about twenty feet where the
bridge broke.
ITO save myself began to scramble
/ to climb on top Of the smoking car.
The porter was ahead of me. I had
great difficulty in lifting myself from
| the water and asked the porter. who
was now on the roof, to take my hand
and give me a lift. He answered that
he had to look out for himself and did
not aid me. That was the last I heard
him say. A few seconds later he was
swept into the water and carried away.
The smoking car had drifted down the
river possibly a hundred yards when I
i resolved to make a desperate effort to
swim. 1 believed I surely would drown
If stayed on the car.
7 plunged into the water and was
! whirled down stream like a cork. I tried
to touch bottom with one foot, but the
water was too deep and was compelled
to swim. I managed to pull off my coat
and then I tore off my cotton shirt A
heavy flannel baseball shirt was too
strong to be torn and could not remove
It nor could I get out of my shoes and
| trousers AS I was carried down the
river saw two men swimming ahfad OF
me. Both seemed greatly frightened and
] one was calling for. help. As passed