Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-01-24
Carload Of Powder Standing on Go
ing Explcdss ~ Passenger
Cars Were Passing.
WRECKiGE soon MFLxMES
thirty Or 40 killed. rfaGk psssrtyvd
for 1000 Feet-Dead picked W
In Adjoining FieId-oauss
Nct Known.

ty-two charred and muhlated bodies
have been taken from the smculderlng
ruins Of the passenger train No. 5
on the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago
6 St Louis tBig Four). which was
destroyed by the explosion Of car.
load Of powder as It passed freight
train at Sanford, nine miles west Of
here Saturday night The number Of
injured will reach at least IS.
The entire train was blown from
the track, the coaches demolished,
the engine hurled 80 feet. The pas
sengers either were blown to pieces,
cremated or rescued In more or lesA
injured condition.
The injured, some Of whom are fat
ally hurt. IRE at the hospitals In Terro
Haute, and Rsris, ILL.,, and at Sanford.
The full extent Of the disaster was
revealed at daylight but the death list
VIII not be complete until workmen
have finished clearing the debris.
According to trainmen on the freight
the powder was exploded by the con-
eussion made by the passenger train
which was slowing down for the sta
ton at Sandford Another theory 10
that gas escaping from oil Pipe line
nearby entered the powder car and a
spark from the passins engine ienit-
ed the gas. Others express the be-
lief that the disaster was due to o
tramp or intoxicated man firing d
shot into the car.
Cars were smashed 10 pieces by the
force Of the expios:ou Huge masses
O. iron were foun1 hundred of fcet
from the track The tank of the pas
senger engine WAS hurie nearly one
hundred feet, landing In gravel
road. Two PASSENGER coaches and
one baggage coach were consumed by
fire.
Tie freight train in which was the
car uf powder was demolished. San
farl was badly shocked. Windows
were shattered, dishes and furnituro
broken and doors torn from their
hinges.
The night was dark and heavy rains
have rendered the streets Of San
ford almost Impossible. AS the pas
senger engifs went by the powder
car standing on an adjoining track
the explosion came without warning
The entire train was blown from the
tracks and crushed into the mud Q
mere mass OF debris, pinning under
1t 40 human beings. Fire broke out
and before the eyes Of citizens and
rescuers, who rushed to the rescue
saw many burned to death before aid
could be rendered them.
In the darkness, by the light Of the
burning coaches the people of San
ford did their best for the stricken
Cries of the injured and the crack
ling Of the flames together with the
odor of burning human flesh greeted
the rescuers who worked frantically
but soon were forced back by the ter
rible heat.
When the fire drove the rescuers
away they waited till the fire died
down and then started to drag out the
charred bodies. Men searched nearby
fields and found pieces Of human
flesh and wearing apparel.
-Four badly rnutilated bodies were
found In the woods several hundred
feet from the tracks.
One thousand feet Of the track was
torn up and a great hole shows
where the powder car stood. Thii
car was being hauled from Concord
Junction, Mass, to East Alton, Ill.
and contained $50 kegs Of powder,
Engineers WEIGH and Fireman Jar
red Of Matoon, H., who were II
| CuhTbG VI LhO paboCheNt ShbihC "Ois
hurled nearly y hundred feet through
The air and fell in q muddy field.
The explosion and fire destroyed
teleEraphIc communication. and san
ford did their best for the stricken
hours. The first news 70 reach hsrN
from the wreck came b. those who
walked the distance to secure help
Relief trains with physicians ant
| supplies were started out at once.
In the center pieces Of the box cal
we're driven into the ground. Al
around was a heap Of wreckage.
Big -Four officials who Sunday wen
directing the care Of the injured stat
ed that the dead might number be
tween 80 and 40. OF these, 10 hav'
been identified. -Four unidentified
bodies have been taken from tn
s:o,k and according to Z. w. Theirs
locai freight agent, ether arms, leg
and remnants OF bodies inoieate tei
nr iEelve more viotim1
/ III. III. u.u. =.