The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-05-16
TRAINS COLLIDE
TWO ARE KILLED
The katy Flyer and a Freight
Meet at Full Speed Near
Muskogee, Okla.
PASSENGERS ARE INJURED
Accident Claims Lives Of Engineer Of
Freight Train and Express Mes
senger Of Flysr-Wreck
Caught Fire.

Muskogee Okla, May 16.-The
southbound Katy Flyer No. 5 and
northbound through freight No. 412
came together in a head-on collision
three miles north of this city just
after noon yesterday. The engineer
on the freight, James Lanahan, of
Parsons, Kas., and Express Messen-
ger Billy West were killed outright
and Engineer Hotchkiss of Parsons
had his left leg broken and many
passengers were injured, but none
thought to be serious.
The wreck Immediately caught
fire, but was extinguished before
much damage was done. The dead:
Engineer James Lanahan, Par
sons Kas., body mashed to pulp.
Express Messenger Billy West,
heart torn out.
The injured Engineer Hotchkiss,
left leg broken and three ribs frac-
tured
Melton Robson, porter, eye hurt
and shoulder mashed.
Unknown boy hurt.
w B. Newton, Denison, Texas,
arm broken and injured internally.
Texas, face and hands cut and injur-
ed internally.
Mrs. ]. ]. Dial, Sulphur Springs,
Texas, head cut
DR.. l.. E. Kelton, Corsicana, Tex,
left eye injured and other wounds
w. 0. Jones, Del Rio, Texas, in
jured.
B. FELL, Mead, Okla, injured.
Harry Van Eaton, Dallas, side
hurt, cut across head.
Johnnie Granada, cut and bruised
Gustave Granada, cut and bruised
about the head
Wislowshy, Polish bay, badly
cut, and unknown Polish woman
cut and bruised
pliny Soper, arm bruised
Many other passengers wer'
Scratched more or less. The injured
were rushed to this city on relia
trains over the Katy and Muskogee
Oklahoma and Gulf roads, where
they received medical attention.
The freight crew, it is alleged hat
ordels to meet another train a
Wagner, and another order wa;
out running the Flyer forty minute
late. 1t is said that either the freigh
crew had too many orders and over
looked ''hold' order to await tn
passage of the Flyer or they wer
under the impression that the Flye
had arrived.
"he Fly CT is due in Muskogee a
u 04 o'clock The freight crew wa
in charge of Conductor Daight an
Engineer Lanahan.
When the trains met the freigh
was going down hill under ever
ounce of steam the engine Gre
could force on and the passenge
was coming. up the hill at its usus
high rate of speed.
THAT more fatalities did not OF
eur is nothing short of a miracle,
said one of the employees of the Kf
ty.
From Parsons to Denison stan(
ing orders are out that every trai
and every switch engine must be
the clear ten minutes ahead of tn
arrival of the Flyer, 1t never stoI
speed even coming through the yarG
and it is impossible to stop the trai
in a very short distance"
Engineer Hotchkiss of the Flye
was one of the oldest employees o
the Katy road, and was considere
one of the safest and most carefl
engineers of the system. He has bee
in many wrecks and has always sta.
ed at his post as he did yesterda.
never leaving the train until tn
brakes were set, and with the cras
he was seen to jump. Many of tt
passengers riding in the sleeper
were bruised up, but not seriousl
among them being Pliny Soper, wh
was returning from Washington.