The Washington herald., 1907-01-03
FORTY DIE IN WRECK
Twenty-ti yeHurt in Railroad
Collision in Kansas.
SIGNAL OPERATOR BLAMED
Forecasts the Impending Disaster
and Then FIees, hut Is Later Ar
rested-Victfms Were Nearly All
Mexican Laborers-Cars Catch Fire
and Passengers Burn 60 Death.

Topkea, Kans. Jan. about forty
passengers. mostly Mexcans. We're killed
and twenty-five seriously injured in a
head-on collision at $50 clock this morn
ing. three miles west of Alma. between
passenger trains No. %. southbound, and
No. 80 northbound. on the Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific Railroad.
The wrecked trains were running be-
tween FL Paso and Chicago.
Most Of the killed and injured were on
the southbound train.
The cars went into the ditch. and sew
eral of them caught Ere.
Bodies Consumed in Fire.
Many Of the bodies Of the victims were
consumed by the flames.
The injured were brought to Topeka on
a relief train.
Most Of the dead were Mexican labor
ers. who were in the smoking car on No
o. They We're en- route TO FL Paso.
The baggage car telescoped the smoker
and crashed down through the roof Of
the latter car, crushing out the lives Of
the occupants, the majority of whom were
curled up in the seats and asleep.
Train No. % bore the brunt of the col
lIsion. The cars on No. 30 were not
seriously damaged, and they were made
up into a train and sent on south IN place
OF the destroyed No ..
signal Operator Blamed.
Blame for the collision seems to rest on
John Lynes. nineteen years old, the tele-
graph operator at Volland. Orders had
been issued for No. p and No. 30 to
pass al VOllaud. These orders had been
sent to the operator at Volland. who was
instructed to hold No. g at that point
For some reason he failed TO deliver the
order 10 No. %. and the latter train went
by. meeting No. 90 within few miles OF
Volland
Lynes fed before the wreck occurred.
after first forecasting the impending co p
lisiOn- Five minutes before the trains
met he wired the dispatcher as follows:
No % has gone, and / have gone also"
Then he left his key.
Even with this dispatch in hand there
was no possible way OF preventing the
wreck
Lynes was captured later and taken 10
the Jail at Topeka.
Both Heavy Trains.
Both trains were heavy ones. having
ten cars each. including Pullman sleepers
and tourists chair cars and coaches,
smokers and baggage cars. No. % is
known as the California Fast Mail" It
left Chicago at $50 o'clock on Tuesday
morning No 30 is the opposite train, and
Is known as the Chicago Fast Mail" It
left Fl PasO on Monday night and was
due in Chicago tonight.
No. p was crowded TO the doors with
passengers, but the number Of traveicss
on No 81 was not large.
Relief trains and all possible succor was
rushed 10 the scene from every available
point.
Train Crew Escapes.
Just before the collision Engineer Nc
Mahon and Fireman Brown. Of No. 80
and Engineer Slater and Fireman Swee-
ney, Of No. %, jumped. All four escaped
injury
An interpreter for the Mexicans was
questioned as he lay slowly burning TO
death u-ider the wreckage He said there
were twenty-five MeXicans in their party
going from Kansas City 70 Fl Paso 10
work. The most Of these were burning
to death. Soon after giving this informa-
ton the INTERPRETER himself Succumbed.