Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-01-04
rhRry.rHREg KILLED.
This ~ he Death List Of the Collision
AZ Rock Island Trains

Topeka, Jan. s.-Two white men. q
negro train porter and thirty Mexican
laborers lost their lives. and fifty-five
peHhs were injured when two pas
~ : trains on the Chicago, Rock
Sland and Pacific railroad collided
head-on four miles west OF Holland.
Kan. Wednesday morning.
All the dead except one were on
train No. 20. AS far as definitely
known only two Americans were kill
ed. one tramp riding on the blind bag.
gage OF No. 30 and one man in the
smoking car with the Mexicans. There
were thirty-oae Mexicans in the car.
All except seven were burned TO
death. the officials say. Seven were
put on the relief train and two died
shortly after the train left McFar.
land.
The injuries were caused more by
the emergency brakes than by the
wreck itself. according TO the passen-
gers. The engineer Of No. 20 set the
brakes, and almost every passenger
was thrown out OF his seat or berth.
Immediately came the collision. The
Mexicans were pinioned under the
seats. and tue doors were jammed so
they could not get out In the chair
car, also. many passengers were held
down by the seats.
The train caught fire from the gas
tanks. The passengers In the rear car
escaped in their night clothes and
dressed In the med beside the tracks.
Then came cries for help from the
Mexicans and the persons pinioned
In the chair car. Every man and
nearly ever woman on the train hel
ed rescue the unfortunates. Seven
Mexicans were rescued from the smoa.
er, and then the flames drove the res
cuers back.
The injured were removed from the
chair cars with less difficulty. and
apparently all were rescued How
ever. some OF the passengers declared
a woman and little girl were burned
to death In the chair car.
+. NJ. Sigourney OF Iowa said: Il
saw that woman and her baby. The
flames were al around her, but she
seemed pinioned down and could not
get out, and none OF us were able TO
reach her. Half n dozen men tried o
fight their way into the car, but could
not get through the flames. and we
had 10 stand there and see the woman
and her baby burned TO death"
John Lynes. the telegraph operator
nj Volland. who fled after letting No.
% get by him. was arrested at Alma,
ten miles away. There, after making
a statement TO the clerk OF the dis
trict court. was placed in jail. Lynes,
who Is but nineteen years old, said
II had been awake all night and
was perfectly sober About or
O'Clock this morning the dispatcher
gave me four or five orders. One
was for second No. 20 TO meet No.
80 at volland instead OF Alta Vista
No. 29 also to meet No. II at Volland
az the same time. No. 20 headed into
the east switch and headed down the
main line. I thought II was going to
stop at the depot TO take water as
trains have been doing. but Instead
Il went by about six 10 ten miles an
hour. Both boards were at danger
from the way the lever stood In the
office. | cleared No. Ia by pulling
down the right hand board for that
train. as I had no orders for No. IL.
leaving the westbound board at dan
GER as my lever was in proper place
In the office. but No. 20 did not stop,
and ran out with my lantern, but
with two swings across the track IL
went out. then ran TO the pump
house. grabbed the pumpman's Ian
tern. aved a few times ana II also
went out. | also called the pumper.
telling him what had happened.
went back 20 the depot and told the
dispatcher that No. 20 was by and
we waited TO see II they were going
10 come back. told the dispatcher
that | as going to Topeka. and was
trying TO get there