The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-02

nd. Scene of This Mornings Wreck.
rates to the southwest were in effec
yesterday. As matter of fact, al.
| though NO. 20 in the was the regular
train of that number, it was runnfna
as second section on the time of thai
| train. The first section running or
NO: 2s's regular time was a special
| Train OF homeseekers. This preceded
the Ill fated train by about a half hour
and there is a chance that Operator
Lynes forgot all about the fact that
mere was a second section to the train
oAlei the nrst one went safely through.
Relief Trains Sent Out.
When the word was received at the
| Rock Island division points that the
wreck had occurred, and this was soon
! a1ter II happened, relief trains and all
possible succor were hurried from
| VERY available point. Superintendent
y Kourke of the Kansas division hIlr-
rfed with a special train from Herring
ton. carrying all the doctors he could
gather there and picking them up at
| very station. A special train was hur-
ried from Topeka. On it were DR..
MUM and DR.. Hogeboom Teleerams
were sent ahead to various places be-
| tween here and Volland where physi-
hurried on.
rms special was made UP from the
regular equipment which is used on the
81 Joe train which was standing in
front of the station. An engine was
nooked on to it and it was under wav
Tor the scene of tte wreck within an
hour or so after word had been re-
ceived that it occurred
The wreck occurred on q curve and
ooth trains were running at their usual
rate of speed. which is about as fast
as any of the Rock Island trains run
At the hour it happened darkness pre-
vailed as the day does not break until
about six O'Clock. Even if 1t had not
occurred on a curve it is doubtless IL
the engineers of the i'll fated trains
would have seen their engines ap-
preaching before it was too late to stop
them. But happening as it did on a
curve they likely had no intimation of
the impending disaster until was Oh
them.
Twisted OF His Leg.
Alfred Link, negro porter on No.
29, whose home is in this city had a
horrifying experience which may re-
suit in the loss of his life. 1t was
necessary for rescuers to twist his left
leg off at the knee in order to tear him
from the burning wreckage.
Link happened to be in the smoking
car at the time of the wreck and was
the last man taken from it by the
rescuers before they were driven away
from the car by the flames.
Link s legs were caught between the
seats when the collision Jared hem
loose. He crawled around and got one
leg free and stuck his head out of the
window just about the time the flames
began to reach his clothing. He cried
to the rescuers that the flames were
already consuming his right mashed
foot. His knee was at the top of the
jam of the seats.
William H. Cameron, a news agent.
and S. c. Cathey, Pullman porter.
were the first to reach him. They
took his body in their arms and twist
ed his leg off at the knee, leaving his
lower limb and foot to be consumed
medical attention and was brought to
Topeka on the relief train and taken
to Stormont hospital. His condition |
is precarious.
Conductor Tells Story.
A thrilling story of the wreck was |
told by William Gaines, the conductor
of No. %, whose home is in Kansas |
City Mo-. and who was in the i'll fated |
and managed to get out with |
no more serious injury
than a broken shoulder blade: He
was bruised about the face and had a |
cut on the left hand.
The train was just pulling clear of
the Volland yards" he said, ''and was
going about thirty miles an hour. I
dropped into the front seat of the |
smoker and started to doze. There |
were thirty-two Mexicans sitting in
the seats back of me, also the porter, |
AL Link, a Mexican interpreter. a
and FIVE paid fares. remember this
well because glanced over the car to
be sure that no one had got on at Vol
and.
'I was aroused from my doze by
shutting off of the air. 1 was thrown
forward in the seat and instinctively
and instantly threw UP the window. I
put my head out and saw the head
light of No. 80 about fifty feet in
front of our engine. 1 jumped head
irst out of the window and struck on
NY shoulder. When I was able to
rise and look back, / saw the flames
Gaping fifty feet high in the air. God
knows what happened to the other
people in the car
Mr.. Gaines was able to sit up and
90 in hack to Stormont hospital.
Lynes on Duty Short Time.
John Lynes. the operator at Volland
had been located at that station but
-wo or three days.
Train % went onto a siding at Vol
and to meet eastbound No. IA. accord
ng to orders received at Mcfarland.
Operator Lynes received orders from
he dispatchers to hold No. 29 as it was
% also meet No. 90 at that point The
operator failed to hold the train ac-
,ording to orders. After No. IA passed
Volland, Nc. % backed up to get onto
he main line. Brakeman Whitted ran I.
lhead of the train to open the switch.
As he ran in the darkness and rain he 1
tun1bled and fell striking his lantern
IN the ground, thereby putting out the