The Washington herald., 1911-10-02
[AF T AT OMAHA
z HOURS LATE
DUE TO WASH-OUT
Has Thrilling Experience on
Inundated Prairie.
PROGRAMME CANCELLED

Omaha, Oct. AFTER nosing its way
through flooded prairie stretches, Presi-
dent Taft's special train pulled into the
station here tonight at o'clock, twelve
hours beind its scheduled time.
President Taft was caught in the ter
rife cloudburst that broke upon Kan
sas. Missouri. and Nebraska during the
Rushville, a hamlet of 500 people. lying
out in the Kansas prairie unable to pro-
ceed because of washouts in the track
ahead.
In making its way out OF the water
covered fields the train at times had to
pass over Toadbed that had been hur-
riedly patched up by emergency work.
men rushed out by the Missouri Pacific
Railroad. In spots the water was up 10
the level of the tracks and the heavy
train. with President Taft's steel car at
the end. sank down into the roadbed un-
Ill it seemed as though the whole train
would crush the tracks apart and plunge
into the sea of flood.
Prairie Is Inundated.
1t WAS a thrilling, slow journey that
the President and his travelling party
prairie. The President. although alive to
the danger that threatened, maintained
a placid calm, and as he looked over the
water hat at times gushed over the
roadbed, remarked that travelling in the
wake of a storm did have its draw
hacks.
Omaha had expected the President at
o'clock in the morning, and long pro-
gramme of reception had been laid out
for him. The Omaha Club had pro-
posed having him as a breakfast guest,
and then, after an automobile tour
through the city and church service, the
President was to have spoken at peace
meeting in the afternoon at the Audito-
rum. Half a dozen handshaking parties
had been on the calendar, and the whole
town was waiting to make the Presi-
dents stay a TOusing one. All this was
knocked in the air by the clOudburst.
When the President found that he could
not reach Omaha until night, he sent
out kilograms from his special train call
ing all the engagements off.
Later on after the special had been
safely hauled through the flooded prairie
wastes, the Presid telegla aphed on to
Omaha that he would be able to take
dinner at the Omaha Club in the even
ing.
CIOudburst Over Train.
President Taft left sedalia at S o'clock
last night, with a scheduled run. as the
Missouri Pacific has it, of eleven hours
to Omaha. 1t was while the special was
passing through Atchison, Kans, to
make the run to Omaha up the east side
of the Missouri r R-ver that the cloud
burst came The train passed on
through the terrific storm. but had gone
back over the telegraph wire that the
storm had washed out great stretches
Of track ahead
Leading the special two miles ahead,
was pilot engiE. with a day coach
attached, and the pilot had come upon
a sunken rOadbed.
At the same time reports had come to
the train nt greater trouble beyond
President Taft was abed when the
storm broke. Supt. De Bernardo con-
suited with officials Of the Rock Island
road from a way station beyond Atchison
and was informed by them that the
special could probably be taken over that
road up to st. Joseph, Mo, and there
find its way to Omaha over the Wabash
or some other road forming a junction
at that point. So the train was hauled
back to Atchison and started up the
Rock Island road, on the west side of the
Missouri. After a run of two hours, the
pilot engine, two miles ahead, running
cautiously. suddenly reached a spot where
the tracks had fallen in. Water covered
the n, and the fields were inundated. The
pilot stopped. and this set the block sig
nal against the Presidents special.
ROadbed in Bad shape.
1t was learned that the road for 100
miles beyond was in bad shape, with
the rainstorm making things worse every
minute. II was then o'clock in the
morning, and lightning was flashing and
rain falling in torrents When the Pres
ident awoke at o'clock, expecting that
within an hour he would be in Omaha,
he was surprised to find the special
standing alongside a lot Of hogpens,
with the water-covered prairies stretch
ing out.
The train had halted at RushviIle. The |
railroad men were trying to find some |
way out of the difficulty, but their urgent |
kilograms drew the discouraging informa- |
ton that everywhere tracks had caved |
In. and that traffic over the Missouri Pa |
sifiC and the Rock Island was tied up
The President laughed when he was told |
that the train might possibly be held up
FOR twenty-four hours.
We'll, I have learned enough of life to |
know that when something happens that |
cannot be helped, the thing to do Is to |
Sit down and SMILE" he said.
willing to Take Chance.
Turning to Supt. De Bernardo, the Pres
dent added amiably: 81 am satisfied to |
lake chance with you"
Back Of the Presidents special, a mile |
away, there had been a washout half |
an hour after the train had passed |
along. This was fixed up so that by II |
o'clock the train could be taken back to |
Atchison. 1t was decided then to aban- |
don the Rock Island route and depend |
On the Missouri Pacific.
For two hours the train stood at the
station in Atchison, and finally word |
came that the tracks had been repaired |
all along the line. The train then pull
ed out.
A throng at the Omaha station cheer
ed the belated President as he stepped
70 his automobile to go to the Omaha
Club.
Mr.. Taft will make a speech here to-
morrow and then proceed on his days
,aunt through Nebraska, stopping on at |
Lincoln.
EWapv Wom.on