Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-02
Awful Collision Between Two
Passenger Trains on Rock
Island in Kansas
MANY BODIES BURNED IN DEBRIS
Thirty or More Among the injured,
Many Being Seriously Hurt-Number
Of Victims Were Mexicans - In
jursd Were Taken to Topeka for
Treatment.

Topeka, Kas.. Jan. 2.-Between
twenty-five and thirty passengers.
mostly Mexicans were killed and as
many more seriously injured in a
headend collision early today five miles
west of Alta Vista, between passenger
train No. 90, outh-bound, and No. 80,
north bound, on the Chicago, Rock Is
land & Pacific railway. The wrecked
trains run between Ell Paso and Chi
cago. Most of 1.-THE casualties were on
the south bound train. The cars went
into the ditch and several of them
s caught fre Many bodies of the vic
tins were consumed by the flames. The
injured are being brought to Topeka
on relief train. Early reports state
4 the collision was caused by careless
ness OF the agent at voland.
Many Bodies Consumed.
Most OF the killed are believed to be
Mexican laborers. who We're in the
smoking car on No. %. The baggage
car telescoped the smoker and crashed
down thru the roof Of the latter car,
crushing out the lives OF the occupants,
a majority Of whom were curled up
in the seats asleep. The cars caught
IRE soon after they struck, and five
cars in train No. % were consumed by
the flames. It is likely that several
bodies were burned to ashes. 1t may
be a long time before complete list
Of the number killed can be learned.
Oniciais Of the Rock Island In this city
estimate the number of dead at thirty,
and. the injured at forty. Ten bodies
have been taken from the ruins of the
smoking car. Nine bodies were those
'sof Mexicans and one that Of white
I man. The cars on No. 80 were not
seriously damaged. They were made
up into q train and sent on south in
place of the destroyed No. 20.
Operator to Blame.
The blame for the collision seems
to rest upon John Lynes, the telegraph
operator at voland, who has disap-
peared. It is stated he for some rea-
son failed to deliver an order to the
crew OF No. 20 and the latter train
went by voland, meeting No. 80 few
miles west. Lynes whereabouts are
unknown. He fed before the wreck
occurred after first forecasting the Inn
pending collision. Five minutes be-
fore the train met he called up the
dispatcher and wired him as follows:
no 80 has gone and have gone
Also then left the key.
Even with this dispatch In hand
there was no possible way Of prevent
ing the wreck Both trains were heavy
ones having ten cars each, including
Pullman sleepers and tourists, chair
cars and coaches, smokers and baggage
cars.
NO. 20 is known as the "California
fast mail" It.. left Chicago at $50
Tuesday morning. No. 80 is the oppo-
site train and known as the "Chica-
go fast mall It left Ell Paso Monday
night. No. 90 was crowded to the doors
with passengers, but the number of
travellers on No. 80 was not large.
Operator Lynes Captured.
Ill
were rushed to the scene from every
available point. Superintendent o.
Rourke, Of the Kansas division, hur-
ried with special train from Her
rington, carrying all the. physicians he
could gather there and picking others
up at stations along the line. A spe-
cial train was sent from Topeka with
DR.. Mum and DR.. Hogeboom. Tele-
grams were sent ahead to various
places between here and volland where
other physicians were picked up.
A special train bearing twenty -eight
injured, many Of them Mexicans,
reached Topeka about 10 o'clock.
Twelve bodies were left at Alma.
The injured presented a >pitiable
sight. Nearly all of them were COW
cred with blood from various injuries,
and many were suffering intense pain.
Operator John Lynes has been cap
tured and is being brought to Jail at
Topeka.
Interpreter Dying, Tells Story.
The engineers and firemen of the col
.liding trains jumped just before the
crash came and all four escaped in
Jury. The only trainman known to be
seriously hurt was the porter on train
No. 20, whose leg was cut OF. The ex-
press messenger on train No. 80 is re-
i,-,.- ,' -','e-' The conductor on 20
= badly bruised. .A..s 81