Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-01-03
AWFUL. NEGLIGENCE.
Failure Of Telegraph Operator 10
Observe Orders
CAUSES A COLLISION
Rock Island Trains Come Together
and a Number Of Human Be-
iBgs Meet Their Doom In
Wreckage and Fire.


Topeka, Jan. 2--Rock Island passen
ger trains No. 2s and 30. running be-
tween Chicago and III Paso. collided
headon at voland. Kan. forty-five
miles west OF here. early today.
The southbound train LEFT Chicago
at $3.50 o'clock Tuesday morning and
went out OF Kansas City at 10 o'clock
that night. II was heavy train OF
ten cars. Train No. 80. northbound
left El Paso early Tuesday ana was
due at Chicago Wednesday night II
was running light
Most Of the killed are believed 70 be
Mexican iaborers. who were In the
sm0aing car in No. 20. The baggage
car telescoped the smoker and
crushed out the lives OF the occupants.
a majority OF whom were curled uD in
their seats asleep. The cars caught
on fire soon after they were struck and
FIVE cars OF No. 20 were consumed BY
the flames. Il Is likely that several
bodies were buraed 20 ashes, and Il
may b. n long time before a complete
list OF the number Of killed can be
learned.
Ohlciais OF the Rock Island az this
city estimated the number OF dead az
thirty and the number OF injured at
I forty. At 10 o'clock Wednesday ten
bodies had been taken from the ruins
] ~ The 49, -
those were Mexicans and one that OF a
white man.
Train No. 20 bore The bruat OF the
collision. The cars on No So we're
not seriously damaged and they were
made up into a train and sent on
south In place % the destroyed No. 20
The blame icr The collision seems to
rest on John aos. the telegraph op-
crater az VIOLA q who disappeared.
Orders had been issued for Nos. %
and 30 TO pass az Voland. These or
ders had been sent to the operator az
voland. who was instructed 10 hold
No. 20 az that point Il Is said he. for
some reason. failed 10 deliver the or
der 10 the crew OF No. 20, and the lat I
ter train went by. meeting No. 30 a
few miles vest OF Voland. Lynes' ]
whereabouts are unknown He feG /
before the wreck occurred after the 4
FIRST forecasting OF the impending col /
lision Five minutes before the trains 4
met he called up a dispatcher and 1
wired him as follows: NO % is gone
and | am gone also" Then he left his
key. Even with this dispatch In his
hand there was no possible way OF
preventing the wreck.
As far as officials OF the Rock Island
here knew at noon Wednesday all the
killed and seriously injured were pas
sengers on No. %. Few. II any. OF the
passengers on No. 30 were seriously
injured Both trains were heavy. hav-
ing ten cars each, including Pullmans
and tourists. chair cars and coaches.
smokers and baggage cars. No 20 was
known as the california Fast Mail"
II left Chicago crowded 90 the doors.
but the number Of travellers on 30 was
not large.
One report is that twenty-nine Mex.
leans In one coach OF the southbound
train we're burned 20 death.
Twenty-eight OF the injured. many
OF them Mexicans. were brought 10 To
peka. Twelve bodies were left al Alma
Just before the collision Engineer
and Fireman Brown OF No.
80 and Engineer Slater and Fireman
Sweeney OF No. 20 jumped. All four
escaped injury.
An interpreter Of the Mexicans was
questioned as he lay slowly burning
10 death under the wreckage. He said
there were twenty-five Mexicans In
heir party going from Kansas City 10
II Paso 10 work. Most OF these were
burned TO death. Soon after giving
his Information the interpreter him.
Ielf succumbed 10 the flames.