The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-01-11
IA KANSAS WRECK
Two Rock Island Passenger Trains
Met Head-on Between Vol
land and Alta Vista.
SO DEAD and IS INJURED
The Cars Caught Fire and Injured
and Imprisoned Passengers We've
Consumed in the Wreckage
Operator Blamed.

Topeka, Kan, Jan. 3,-TWo white
men, negro train porter and about
80 Mexican laborers lost their lives
and SIS persons were injured when
two passenger train on the Chicago
Rock Island & Pacific railroad col
lided head-on four miles west of Vol
land, Kan, at $50 o'clock Wednesday
morning.
The trains were Nos. 20 and 30,
running between Chicago and 10
Paso They met on a sharp curve
with fearful impact. Adding to the
horror of the collision, fire from the
lamps in the cars and from the DO
comotives was communicated to the
splintered wrecilage and spread rap
idly, consuming five of the forward
cars of train No. 20, westbound, and
burning a number of the passengers.
All but threh of those who persisted
are thought to have been Mexican
laboprs, who were on thetf way
from Colunl bus JunctiDa Ohio, to
Mexico.
The officials of the company place
the blame on John Lyrics, the 10 year
old telegraph operator, at Volland,
who failed to stop tram No 20 at his
station after receiving orders to hola
it there until No, 50 had passed.
BY the light of the flaming wreck.
age, passengers who were uninjnred
worked heroically to save those who
were pinned fast beneath the mass of
sp1iKtered timbers and twisted iron
work. The lack OF tools 10 work with
in rhopping away the sides OF the
cars was a great hindrance TO the
early rescue work.
IN an hour and half from the time
of the wreck the first relief train,
from Mcfarland, Kan, bringing sur
geons and helpers, reached TIE scene.
IN the meantime the rescue work
was being pushed by volunteers,
while surgeons for miles around
promptly responded to the calls for
their services. Another relief train
from Topeka ana two wrecking
trains soon arrived and all of the
dead and injured that had been taken
from the wreck were brought to this
city, wrere the injured were placed
in hospitals. TWO injured Mexicans
6died on the way to Topeka and Link,
the negro porter, died at Stormont
hospital shortly after being taken
there. When Link was rescued it
was necessary to tear his leg from his
badly to extricate him from the wreck
age
Five minutes before the trains
crashed together the operators for
hundreds of miles along the line of
the Rock Island system knew that
the collision was certain, as Lynes
had wired from Volfand that he had
let No. 80 pass, but there was no
earthly means OF preventing the dis
aster.
John Lynes, the operator at Vol
land, who is now in Jail at Alma tells
the following story Of the cause Of
the Rock Island wreck. He says he
was sent message to have train No
IA pass No. 20 at VoIland, No. 30 to
take the siding. This they did. I'm
mediately after No. W passed No. 90
backed down the main line and pass
ed the station at terrific speed. He
tried to flag the train with two Ian
terms but both went out He claims
he had no orders TO hold No. 80 for
No. 80 until No. % got on the main
line and then it was 100 late. Lynes
fled to the country but afterwards
gave himself up.
The exact number of dead will prob.
ably never be known, as the bodies off
a number of MexicaHs were complete.
ly destroyed by the flames and the
charred bones crushed to ashes by
the removal of the wrenleage.
Jack Slater of Harrington, Kan, the
engineer Of train No. 29, saw the
other trains headlight as the engine
came apoundfti4e curve and jumped af-
ter applying the brakes and escaped
practically uninjured. HIS train had
been broumght almost to stop before
the crash came.
Conductor William Grilea uf train
No. p was sleeping in a seat In the
smoker when he felt the emergency
brake applied. Dfvining the cause
he hurled himself through a window
and escaped with broken collar hume.