Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-01-04
MANY PEOPLE BURN .
1 I TO DEATH IN WRECK
Twenty Nine Reported to Have
Been Roasted Alive.
DEsa.s OF WRECK IN FLAMES


Railroad Agent at voIsnd. Kan. (,
who Fled But Was Captured.
Topeka, Kans. Jan. 3.-Between
twenty five and thirty passengers.
mosxiy Mexlcans, we're killed and as
many more seriously injured In
head-on collision at 1850 O'Clock on
"Wednesday morning. 5 miles west OF
<aAita Vista. between passenger trains
A No. g, south bound and No. 30
north bound on the Chicago, Rock
. island and Pacific railway.
The wrecked trains run between FL
<Fsso and Chicago.
Most OF the killed and injured were
BON the south bound train. The cars
[went into the ditch and several OF
<1hem caught FIRE. Many bodies OF
|fhs victims were consumed by the
f4smes. The injured are being brought
70 Topeka on a relief train.
The early reports stated that the
tcollislon was caused by the careless
tness OF the agent at Voland.
Most Of the killed are believed TO
I De Mexican laborers WHO were In the
enoking car on No. 2g, The bag
rage car telescoped the smoker and
[1rashed down through the roof OF
me latter car. crushing out the lives
10 the occupants. the majority OF
<~hom were curled up in the seats
asleep.
II The cars took fire soon after they
4fruck, and fivt OF the cars OF No,
les we're consumed by the flames. 1t
Les likely that several bodies were
burned TO ashes and II may be a long
time before a complete list of the
k&nmber killed can be learned.
Oficials OF the Rock IslsRd in this
|<ity estimated the number of dead at
thirty and the number OF injured at
|zorty.
At that hour ten bodies had been
<aken from the ruins Of the smoking
cars. Nine Of the bodies were those
of Mexicans and one was that Of
white man.
Train No. 20 bore the brunt OF the.
fc,oliislon. The cars on No. 80 were
4 not seriously damaged and they were
made up into a train and went on
<ouih In place Of the destroyed No.
|ss.
Blame for the collision seems 10
[rest on John Lynes. the telegraph
pperator ut Voland. who has disap-
Deared. Orders had been issued for
No. 20 and No. 30 to pass at Voland.
These orders had been sent 10 the
operator at Voland, who was in
structed to hold No. 29 at that point.
u Is said he for some reason. failed
NO deliver the order TO the crew OF
no. 70 and the latter train went by.
meeting No. 80 a few miles west OF
Xoland.
N Lynes' whereabouts Is unknown.
He fed before the wreck occurred at
Yer first iorecasting the impending
collision. Five minutes before the
trains met he called up the dts
hatcher and wired him as follows:
mo. % has gone and have gone
Falso."
Then he left his key and fed but
/ was captured shortly before noon.
Even with the dispatch In hand
<here was no possible way of prevent
tng the wreck. As far as the Of
fcials Of the Rock Island here know
90 this time. all of the killed and
seriously Injured were passengers on
no. %. Few. II any passengers on
No. 30 we're seriously injured
Both trains were heavy, having ~
ears each. including Pullmans AMI
Tourists. chair cars aud coaches. the
smokers and baggage cars. No. %
a. known as the California Fast
Mail" II left Chicago Tuesda. in
shs morning and vas crowded 20 the
very doors with passengers. but the
number of travellers on NoFurnhure
rol - hrse. pty.
.....& - -