The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-05
Four PullmanS DeraiIed and
Passengers Shaken Up.
OTHERS PASS SAFELY
Day Coaches and Smoker Do
Not Leave Track.
Conductor Mcneil Is Injured
But Not Seriously.
Superintendent Mcclellan Does
Good Work Opening Road.

Train No. 9. the Colorado Flyer of the
Santa F'e and the fastest passenger train
of the road. met with a serious accident
at Wakarusa station twelve miles west
of Topeka at l o'clock this morning.
The train was about two hours late and
was running faster than the ordinary
rate of speed when the engine struck q
defective rail and broke it In several
places All the cars except the four
sleepers went over safely but though
they went off the track there were no
Serious injuries
The train was just inside of the Wa
karusa yards when the accident occur
red The rail which proved defective
and broke causing the wreck was just
in front of the Wakarusa depot. The
rail was said by one of the passengers
TO have been broken in a least ten diff
ferent places.
Three standard Pullman cars and one
tourist sleeper left the track. II was
fortunate that the front cars did not
leave the track but that the derailed cars
consisted only of the sleepers- BY tne
time the train was stopped and the
emergency brakes applied the engine OF
the train was crossing the little steer
bridge over Wakarusa creek.
The first two Pullman cars to leave
the track were left in a rather zlgZag
Pullman was left in a peculiar position
and would have been turned over entire
ly had ii not fallen against semaphore
and interlocking plant which helped TO
stayit in an almost upright position. The
tourist car which was the last one on the
train was left in a position at rlgnt
angles with the direction of the track
The rack was left in a bad condition.
being torn up for a distance of more
than a hundred yards. There were sew
eral passengers on the train who board
ed the train at Topeka about twenty
minutes before the wreck and were Just
retiring in their berths on the sleepers
as the wreck occurred. The first fntima-
tion that the Pullman passengers had
of anv accident was when the sleepers
left the tracks and proceeded for about
a block humping along the ties
Conductors Slightly Hurt
The injuries to the passengers were
slight. Conductor Mcneil. who was in
charge of the train was probably the
most seriously injured person on the
train His leg was wrenched and sew
eral other bruises about the body were
received. The Pullman conductor
whose name could not be learned. was
on one of the deraiIed sleeperS and sus-
tanned several bad bruises. Engineer
Seeley Herrick of Argentine was in
charge of the engine. but did not know
anything was going wrong until tho
emergency brakes were applied A rev
of the passengers were somewhat
serious injuries. Most of them were
more seriously injured by being scared
than anything else.
As soon as the news of the wreck
reached Topeka the wrecker from here
was sent to the scene of the accident
A relief train consisting of two coaches
and a switch engine was also sent out.
J. D. NJ. Hamilton. general claims at
tOruev of the Santa Fe. accompanied
the train The wrecker at Argentine
was also summoned and arrived in time
TO be of assistance in clearing the
track. A corps of physicians from the
hospital went with the RELIEF train
from this point but there was little for
them to do except to attend to minor
injuries
a special train also arrived at the
scene of the wreck from Emporia with
Division Superintendent c. T McLel-
Ian and Trainmaster Lloyd Stanley. |
who took charge of the situation and |
worked until morning getting the |
train on the track and clearing up the |
track The wreck was all cleared up |
by z O'Clock this morning and the |
track was open and repaired by that |
Train No. II which is a local train
passing through Topeka shortly after |
No. was stopped at Wakarusa ana
DELAYED for several hours The pas
sengers of the train who were injured, |
alth ough their injuries were all slight ]
were brought back to Topeka on NO
II and were given their breakfasts at /
of the Santa Fe. BY o'clock the
track was cleared and No. II again re-
sumed her trip. The early morning
trains from the west were detoured
from the main line over the cutoff at
EmpOria and went to Kansas City over
this route.
The wreck is one of the luckiest for
the passengers which has occurred on
railroad in this part of the country
for some time. With the speed which
the train was maintaining it is little
wonder that some of the cars were not
thrown from the right of way into the
ditch on the east side of the track.
MANY people on the train are probably
Indebted to the semaphore and inter-
locking plant which kept at least one
of the coaches from turning over
About the only damage to the road on
account of the wreck amounts to a de-
Law in time and slight repairing of
the track at WakaruSa-
Story of a Passenger.
One of the passengers on train No
. who had lust taken the train at To-
neka for Colorado. was interviewed by
q state Journal reporter upon his re-
turn to Topeka this morning. IT had
lust retired to my BERTH" he said, "and
had not yet gone TO bed when felt
something strange happening. The
sTsf thing noticed out Of the ordinary
was a rumbIing noise which seemed to
come from up ahead some place. In a
very few moments I felt a sudden jar
and then I realized that the train was
off the track. We rode for some dis
ance along the ties and the continuous
humping was not as pleasant as other
hings that / know Of / was glad