Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-13
Nebraska
FATAL WRECK NEAR LINCOLN
Two Persons Killed and Nine others
Are Seriously Injured.
TWO TRAINS MEET ON CURVE
Conductor of Passenger Train Admits
that He Forgot His Orders
Injured Are Taken TO
Lincoln.
TWO TRAINS MEET ON CURVE
From a staff correspondent

Neh., sept. E.-ObptCial AeA0
gram.)-Burlington passenger train No, 81
collided with stock train No. rs at Burn
ham, three miles west Of Lincoln at n;lS'
slightly before noon. resulting in the death
Of two men and injury to q dozen. In
addition several head OF stock were killed
The passenger train, in charge OF Con-
ductor +. j.. UplinEer and Engineer II.
f. Gillespie, had been given orders to side
track at Burnham and walt for the extra
stock train TO pass. The crew failed to
obey orders, and just at a curve at the
Burnham b~rickyards the trains crashed
into each other. The crews Of both en-
gines leaped before the crash and the only
one injured was e. @. BisneIl, a nephew
Of superintendent Bignell. who was the
engineer of the stock train.
F. J. Uplinger made the statement after
the wreck that he had forgotten that he had
orders to stop at Burnham. The injured
were cared for by the people OF Burnham,
who opened their homes and took them in
until an engine could be sent down from
Lincoln and bring them to the hospitals
here. The dead were removed TO the
morgue. Coroner Matthews was on the
ground early and will hold an inquest to-
morrow to place the blame for the wreck.
Until after the inquest Superintendent Big
nell said he would make no statement.
The dead:
w. L. RoHRER, Fails City; carpenter.
WILLIAM GRIFFIN, colored cook, SUI
perintendent's car; Wymore.
The injured:
w. F. SPAIN, Beatrice; leg broken,
S. Seaman, Beatrice; back sprained.
Ben Witchey, Mansfield, o.; shoulder
broken.
A. P. Watson, Albany, Tex; bruised and
hAn III he adv Ont
II. G. Warner, Lincoln; mail clerk; body
J., j. Powell, Blrchard; chest and leg
j. r. Powell, son Of ]. j. Powell; Shout
der and leg bruised.
William Kemptkes, leg bruised.
E. @. Bignell, engineer stock train
shoulder bruised.
Mrs. Louis Feldman. Berwick. Kan;
bruised, though able to continue her Jour
ney on the Rock Island.
Dead and Injured at Lincoln.
The dead and seriously injured were
brought to Lincoln, eight Of the latter be-
ing taken to a hospital. Mail Clerk Warner
was able to go to his home. With the X
ception of Mr.. Seaman, who 10 ap aged
man, physicians believe there is no cause
for concern for those hurt.
Both trains were moving rapidly when
the collision came. The passenger engine
is one of the old style, light type, while
that on the stock train was OF heavy con
struction. When the crash came the lighter
machine was almost smashed to pieces, the
tender was jammed into the combination
express and baggage car, which In turn
teiescoped the smoker. 1t was in this car
the fatalities and worst injuries occurred.
All the cars remained on the rails, but II
was necessary 10 remove the dead and In
jured through the windows. Bohrer died
while the work Of rescue was going on.
The collision was the result Of a mis-
understanding of trainmen. Passenger
Conductor F. J. Uplinger had orders &c
taking the siding at Burnham to allow tn:
stock train to pass, AS the usual meeting
place Of trains is at the village of Berks
a few miles farther south, he forgot his
orders. Just before the crash came one Of
the brakemen was asked II 1t was not In.
tended to stop at Burnham,
You're right" he exclaimed, and made
a rush to give the signal. Just then the
grinding Of the emergency brakes was fell
and the engines met. Engineers and fire
men on both engines jumped, Bignell alone
being hurt. 1t is claimed the passenger
train was running at nearly forty miles
an hour when the collision came.
s. Seaman, the most seriously hurt Of thu
injured, is a leading business mar of Be
atrice.
Two or three cars OF the stock train wer'
badly wrecked and a number OF head o.
cattle and hogs killed. The wreck wai
cleared UP and traffic made possible early
in the afternoon.
Mail Clerk is Merry.
Mail Clerk Warner Of Lincoln, who wa
badly bruised, was the rear OF his ca
when the crash game and thus ESCAPED
death by a narrow margin. He refused Il
leave his car until a substitute had beer
sent out from Lincoln to relieve him. A. P
Watson Of Texas, who was badly cut II
the hand by broken glass, losing a fingel
or two, n whose body was severely
bruised, sat on the grass unconcerned and
asked for a cigarette while the work of res
cue progressed. Engineer Blgnell OF thu
stock train was the only m OF thu
engine crew on either train to be injured
The rest all jumped. Bignell received !
bruise on the shoulder. He Is a nephew o.
Superintendent Bignell.
An unusually sad feature connected will
the death Of w. L. Rohrer is the fact tina
he was to have been married to Miss Nellie
Thompson, 1871 Il street, Lincoln, within
two weeks. Rohrer had been to Lincoln t.
call on Miss Thompson and they had mad
arrangements for the wedding and he wal
~enroute home. In his pocket he had q re