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

tie for signal to back UP. Brakeman
| Whitted had to run back to the train
to get out of the wind to relight his
lantern before he could give the sigma
to back onto the main line. After the
train passed the switch, the brakeman
closed it; the engineer wilistled and the
tratnmen, noting that the semaphore
signal hung down giving the train auth
orlty to proceed, went on as usual
The theory of the trainmen is that
! Operator LyneS was under the impress
| sion that his signal board was up, and
| did not look to see. After the train
had passed his station il was too late
for him to do anything to avert the
accident
! 1t was after he made the discovery
that the collision would occur that he
wired his tragic message to the dis
I patcher.
He Immediately left the station and
at Volland. Secret officers of the
Rock Island Immediately telephoned
to every farm house for miles in every
direction, where the farmers had
phones, TO look for the runaway oper-
ator.
AS the relief train returned through
Alma from the scene of the wreck.
word was received that farmers had
found the missing operator and that
he was being taken to Alma.
The relief train was held at Alma
for nearly an hour while Coroner
Reynolds of Wabaunsee county the
others, could decide whether to hold
the bodies at that place.
It seems they finally decided there
would not be fees enough and that
! the county would be at an expense in
view of The fact that five of the seven
dead bodies were those of Mexicans,
who very likely had no friends to pay
for taking care of them, so it was de-
cided by the authorities of Wabaunsee
county not to try to hold the bodies,
but to allow the railway officials to do
as the.r saw fit.
The train was held nearly an hour
to the great Inconvenience of the pas
sengers, injured and otherwise. while
this decision was being arrived at.
Thrilling Story of Eyewitness
John NJ. Alexander of Hannibal,
Mo-, was a passenger on No. 20, in
company with his son-in-law, j. H.
Sayre. They We're bound for STRAIT
ford, Texas. They We're riding in a
chair car next to the smoker and five
minutes before the, wreck occurred
Mr.. Sayre left his father-in-law to go
into the smoker and take a smoke.
Mr.. Alexander came back TO Topeka
on the special that brought in the in
jured and he fears that his son-in-law
met death or was seriously injured.
He was unable to find any trace of him
around the wreck.
Il was standing up in the aisle of
the car" said Mr.. SAlexander, when
the crash came. The impact of the
trains was so great that it made
noise like a clap OF thunder L was
thrown back over a seat but was not
hurt very much. i regained my feet
quickly. Our car was crowded and
there were many women and children
in it. As soon as the first shock was
over the women and children began to
scream and Immediately a cry of fire
was raised. l turned around and not
i've feet away from me was tongue
of fame licking ep She end of the car.
The confusion was frightful. There
were several mem in the. car and we
managed TO get all the women and
children, out through the other enc
and through windows. do not think
that anyone was seriously injured in
this car although many were bruised
and cut by particles of flying glass.
THE wreck presented ,frlghuul
scene when we got outside. 1t was
dark except for the light made by the
fire destroying the cars and the heat |
from this was so intense that we could |
not get near the cars to do anything
in the way of succoring those who |
might be in them and still alive
Il do not think, however, that any
one was killed except those r1dlng IN |
the smoker. So far as n neaau sE,aua u4Ie it;ii
ed although several of them were in
jured."
The relief train of DR.. L. H. Mum,
the company surgeon. arrived on IN 10.
peka this morning about 9:2O. Nearly
all the injured people of the wreck
were brought in and all the paSsen-
gers who ESCAPED the wreck accom-
panied the train. All the amDulahceS
m the city were in waiting and as soon
as could be done all the injured peo-
Dle were brought to the ambulances
and taken to Stormont hospital where
.hey are now being cared for None
If the dead were brought to Topeka
although some of those who were
1rought were very close to death.
The injured presented sad looking
scene Nearly all were covered with
blood and the cries that some of them
made were of the heartsickening
Most of the trainmen escaped ex-
,ept porter on train No. 20, whose
eg was cut off An express messen-
,ut his fate is not known. The con-
iuctor on 20 was badly bruised but
vas not seriously hurt Those of the
rainmen who escaped injury jumped
rom the train.
Most of the dead were Mexicans
Who were en- route for Ell Paso where
hey were to work for the Rock
sland company at that place. They
we're all seated in the smoker and were
learly all killed or injured. The chair
ar telescoped the smoker and most of
he Mexicans were hopelessly penned
n. The Mexicans were unable to
peak English and their interpreter
vas among the dead. The death Of
he interpreter is described by the eye
witnesses to the wreck to have been a
most pitiful scne. He was caught be-
ween some of the debris so that re-
ease was impossible but all the time
te was totally conscious. Efforts were
made to get him from his perilous
,osition but to no avail and the un- ,
ortunate man, like many of his coun- ;
rymen. was burned to death. There
-ere three Mexicans who were not :
il!ed and accom- panied the relief train ,
ack to Topeka. These men. how
yer, are in a serious condition and it ,
doubtful whether they will live. 1
Injured I5rought to Topeka.
One of the men who was injured | ]