Another Catastrophe.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8741, 15 February 1907, Page 2

Another Catastrophe.

A despatch from Topeka, Kansas, January 2nd, says;—, Tv/p white men and a negro train popter and about 30 Mexican labor-, ers lost their lives and 55 wero injured when two passer.ferf trains on the Chicago Hock IslaicJ/ and Pacific line collided head a, j four miles west of Yolband, Kair ,

at 5.10 this morning. The ij number of the dead will never be known, as a number of were completely cremated in the flames and their charred bones were crushed tp ashes in the removal of wreckage. The trains met on a sharp curve with fearful impact. Fire spread with great rapidity. A nineteen-year-old telegraph operator at Voiland is responsibly for the wreck, He failed to stop train No. 29 at his station afteg being ordered to hold it there until No. 30 had passed. The boy quickly realised his blunder and tried in vain, to signal the train. to the central office:—“Train NoJ 29 has gone and so have I,” } He. tried to dee, but was'captured 1 , ■A curious • feature of the disastw was the fact that’ relief trains were ordered out before the collision: actually occurred. Operators all; along the line knew what was immin-1 eut) but had no means of signalling the train, \