The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1922-04-20

In head-on collision between
Trains No. 81 and 312 at an early
hour Wednesday morning, Engineer
Chas. Wiedmann of Train No. 311
and Engineer Peter Frick Of Train
No. 312, lost their lives, and Fire
men Tommy Shook and Bill Miller
were considerably injured.
The crew of Train No. 81 was
composed of Engineer Weidmann,
Fireman Shook, Conductor Keene,
Rear Brakeman Smith, and Baggage
man Treger. The crew of Train 312
was composed of Engineer Frick,
Fireman Miller, Conductor Vail, Rear
Brakeman Marlowe and Baggageman
Mattox.
1t is likely that both enginemen
were killed instantly, as both stayed
at their posts until the crash came.
Weidmann was leaning out of the
cab window with one hand on the
air and the impact threw him from
the cab, breaking his neck and other
wise injuring him. Frick was evil
IDENTIFY caught between the boiler and
the tender and his body was terri
bly, mangled.
Both firemen jumped when they
realized that a collision was inevi-
table, and each sustained painful in
juries,
There were few passengers on
either train and there were no other
fatalities among the train crews or
passengers. The baggagemen of both
trains had miraculous escapes from
death Baggageman Mattox of Train
313 was asleep and says he was
awakened by the cream cans and ice
cream tubs rushing past him. Then
the drawbar of the tender passed
him with a crash. He was thrown
to the floor of the car, but aside
from some bruises he was not hurt.
The baggage car in which he was
riding was terribly wrecked, probably
q fourth of the forward end of the
car being smashed almost to kind
ling, and it is impossible to figure
how he came through it so luckily.
Baggageman Treger Of Train S11
had left the car to go to the smoker
and had just closed the door when the
crash came. He was uninjured.
The conductors and brakemen of
both. trains were in the coaches and
escaped.
There were four passengers on No.
312, all men, and so far as we have
been able to learn, none were injured,
anything like seriously, at least.
The passengers on No. 912 were not
so fortunate, as several were hurt
more or less seriously. Mr. and Mrs,
Geo. Frye and son, F. M. Frye, were
among the passengers. Mrs. Frye
was returning from Missouri, where
she had attended the funeral of her
mother. She was badly cut and
bruised about the head, and in con-
fined to her bed and the extent OF
her injuries cannot be determined as
yet. Mr.. Frye had gone to the smok-
er and was standing in the aisle fac
ing the rear of the car. When the
impact came he was thrown to the
floor, lighting on his hapds and knees
but was not hurt. F. M. escaped
without injury.
The mother of Mrs. Sam Ellis was
also injured, just how badly, is not
known as yet. She was on her way
to the bedside of Mrs. Ellis, who died
few hours after her mother arrived
here. It is reported that man was
injured, but we have been unable to
learn his name. 1t is said that he was
on his way to New Mexico.
Both locomotives were terribly bat
tered up, The tenders of both were
telescoped into the baggage cars
wrecking the cars. The pilots were
thrown from both locomotives and the
smoke stack of No. 312 is missing.
All the instruments were broken from
the boiler and both will have to &c
to the factories for rebuilding.