Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1888 — A RAILROAD WRECK. [ARTICLE]

A RAILROAD WRECK.

A railroad wreck, followed in ten minutes by another wreck, oceured Thursday at a point five miles from Kansas City, where the Hannibal and Wabash roads run parallel. The accident happened about 3 o’clock and resulted in the death of seven men and the injury of three others, one of whom will die. A terrible rain had washed away a bridge over a rat ine and the first accident occnred when an east-bound Hock Island freight trayi was thrown into the ditch. Y. Royston, a brakeinan, <tf Edgerton Junction, Kansas, was on top of one of the cars that went down into the debris. He was crushed beyond recognition. Immediately afterward Edward C. Armstrong, a brakeman, was sent ahead to flag the Hannibal freight. He mistook the tracks and was walking along the Wabash road when a Wabash freight train dashed around a curve and instantly killed him. The Wabash train met the same fate as the Rock Island, as the two bridges were only two feet apart and were connected. The heavy car plunged down on the wreck of the firs C-train. Two dead bodies were taken out soon afterwards. Neither of the men could be tramps. - i Engineer Ben McClellan, of the Wabash train, was badly hurt in jumping, and Ben Norris, a negro youth, was so badly hurt that he was expected to die. John Snyder, the Rock Island fireman, jalstysufferecLslighl-in.juries. It willbe some time before the tracks can be cleared. Meanwhile both roads will use other tracke.