The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-08

glne DolIer and nreDOX completely
! mangled many of the bodies Limbs
were torn from the bodies and many
were picked up and afterwards identi-
fed by the clothing.
Saw the Wreck.
Bob Turner, a colored farmer living
north of the curve where the wreck
took place, was an eye witness of the
doing some of the MONDAY chores,
said Mr.. Turner, when I saw the two
trains approaching. The work train
wasn't going very fast, but the extra
pretty good rate. There was an awful
crash when the collision took place,
and many of the dying means could be
heard"
Jess Haley, another colored farmer
living just east of the site of the
wreck, was another eye witness to the
collision and his story tallies with that
of Turner.
Ed Ash, the engineer on the extra
freight train which was running fast
in an interview with a State Journal
reporter shortly after the wreck, said:
1t was too late to save the train
when we saw the work train ap-
preaching, but we did all that we
could by trying to set the air brakes.
When it was too late to save any
thing Fireman Corey and myself
jumped and only in that way did we
save ourselves. 1 am in no position
to state who was at fault"
w. H Hamilton. road foreman of
engines on this division of the Santa
Fe was an early arrival at the scene of
the wreck. 1T is certainly a sad, sad
sight" said Mr.. Hamilton to a State
Journal reporter.
"Who is responsible for the wreck?"
was asked.
Il cannot say" said Mr.. Hamilton.
there is certainly some error some
place but this will only be determined
nv off oil
At 8 o'clock this afternoon the wreck
ing crew discovered the body of a
brakeman on train 167 in the wreckage.
1t is believed that the dead brake is z.
T. Bolte of Argentine He wore a Ma
sonic pin.
some of the train crew were Killed.
Charles Gray. the dead section fore
man. who was killed on the work
train, lived at Tenth and Paramour
streets, and leaves a wife and six chill
dren. He failed to jump in time to
avoid death. His remains were re-
moved from the wreck at o'clock this
afternoon and identified by J. B. Nc
Call, his father-in-law.
Saved Life By Jumping.
Jim Laird. a brother to the dead
section foreman was on the train, but
escaped uninjured- In telling about
his escape Mr.. Laird said, Had the
chances of a collision been realized
sooner, probably no one would have
been hurt. But we were just backing
around the curve, and we could not
see very far around it because of the
high corn. Not a person on the train
knew of the approach of the other
train One or two of the MexicanS
saw the engineer and fireman on the
extra oil train jump and gave shrill
shrek, and then jumped. They were
excited and as 1 looked I saw what
was coming just in time to jump and
save my life. My brother here didn't
know a thing about the danger and
was killed instantly
Almost as soon as the wreck had ta-
ken place, Chief Eaton. DR.. Keith and
the Santa Fe officials were notified and
within Is minutes automobiles were on
the ground and the Santa Fe relief
train consisting of an engine and one
passenger coach with a corps of hos
pital surgeons. The hospital authori-
ties took the injured Mexicans into the
car and brought them into the hospital,
leaving the dead victims on the ground,
where the spectators and officials all
lent aid in rescuing the bodies from the
wreck.
John Mole, a section foreman of VAL
ley Falls, who was in the caboOSe of
the work train, but jumped, escaping
serious injury, says of the wreck: 1.-The
first thing can remember was the men
jumping from the caboose. I knew
right away what was the matter and
next thing 1 knew I was standing by
the fence along the right of way where
1 landed just in time to hear the crash,
the escaping steam and the groans and
cries of the dying and injured
The cars, which had been filled
with dirt and clay, received the
bodies almost concealing them from
view. In many instances only an arm
or a foot could be seen while huge
balls of the mud leaked blood.
The engineer of the oil train staid
with his engine, but the fireman
jumped. When the death dealing
monster had come to a stop the en-
gineer was seen to come climbing
down out of his cab to see the havoc
done.
c. E. Green of Atchison was also
in the caboose. Standing near the
double doors of the side. he was for
tunate in CHANGING to glance up the
track behind to see the rapidly ap-
preaching train. He was one of the
first to leap for life and so escaped
without injury.
Wrecker on Scene.
The wrecker reached the scene of
disaster at o'clock. The big engine,
which had remained upright on top
of the eighth fiat car 1t had hurdled,
was still standing but leaning toward
the left as it settled. 1t was feared
the great weight would soon cause it
to topple over and the crowd which
had assembled around the scene was
constantly pushed back by the police
and others to prevent further loss of