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Medora <I>Powers</I> Lamsdale

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Medora Powers Lamsdale

Birth
Missouri, USA
Death
7 Aug 1891 (aged 37)
Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kansas, USA
Burial
Lansing, Leavenworth County, Kansas, USA Add to Map
Plot
Section 15. Lot 132
Memorial ID
View Source
Two women killed and a man and a boy badly hurt near Leavenworth--a sudden disaster on a crossing near Seneca.

Leavenworth, Aug. 8 - Robbie Bort, aged 13 and Mabel Bort, aged 15, the children of Mrs. George Lonsdale, who was killed last night at the Santa Fe crossing in the Salt Creek valley, were telegraphed the news of their mother's death this morning at Weston, Mo., where they were visiting. Mrs. Lonsdale's neck was broken and her death was probably painless.

Early in the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Lonsdale drove to the Union depot in this city with a light spring wagon to which was attached two horses. They met at the station Miss Susan Powers of Ellsworth, Kans., and her nephew, Ray Powers, aged 8. They had returned to the Salt Creek valley and were within a half a mile of the Lonsdale home when the accident occurred.

Lonsdale, who was driving, heard the whistle and the bell of the approaching train, but was ambitious to get over before it reached the crossing. The engine of the freight struck the horses and the front part of the wagon, killing the horses and Mrs. Lonsdale instantly and throwing Lonsdale high in the air. His shoulder was dislocated and he is otherwise hurt. Miss Powers's skull was crushed and an arm and a leg broken. She died about four hours after the accident. The boy was also badly hurt, but will live. The dead and injured were brought to Leavenworth on the train that struck them.

Miss Mildred Powers, a sister of Mrs. Lonsdale, who was at the Lonsdale home did not hear the news until the train had started back and she was driven in a carriage to the Santa Fe depot, where the surgeons were at work.

Mrs. Lonsdale, who was formerly Mrs. Bort, was married to Lonsdale five weeks ago.

Mrs. Lonsdale's funeral will probably take place from the home of her brother in North Leavenworth tomorrow. The corpse of Miss Powers will probably be taken to Ellsworth for burial.


The Leavenworth Times, Kansas, Sunday morning, August 9, 1891
The Santa Fe Accident. Testimony introduced at the Coroner's inquest.

The principal topic of conversation on the streets yesterday was the horrible accident on the Santa Fe road, the details of which appeared in The Times. Miss Sue Powers who was so frightfully mangled, died after being removed to the home of Henry Dolde. She never regained consciousness and her suffering was painful to witness.

Ray Powers, the injured lad, was somewhat improved yesterday and Dr. Van Tuyl says that while the chances are greatly against him, he may recover. His injuries are not necessarily fatal. He is still at the home of Henry Dolde.

George Lonsdale the husband, made no especial stir about the matter and yesterday morning, so it was reported, left for his farm in Salt Creek valley.

Judge White, acting-coroner in the absence of Coroner Quinn, and a jury composed of Wm. Miller, James Franks jr., Frank Phelan, F. W. Kellar, Herman Bruns and Will McGregor, viewed the body of Miss Powers early yesterday moning, after which the inquest over the two bodies was begun in Judge White's court room.

Engineer Thomas Fortune, who is an old citizen of Leavenworth and counts his friends by the score, was the first witness placed upon the stand. In response to the various questions put to him, he said:

"I am engineer on engine No. 730 and went north at 7:08 o'clock with train No. 145. We started out of here about three hours late. When crossing the Salt Creek valley wagon road at the big cut beyond the reservation, my engine struck the wagon and team. The team was thrown over on the right side of the track and the wagon on the left side.

"When we were within about twenty feet of the crossing my fireman cried, 'look out'. I turned and saw the heads of the horses just in front of the pilot. I applied the air brakes at once and then released them after we struck the wagon, then applied them again and whistled for brakes. I blew the whistle at the whistling post which is about 500 feet from the crossing. The whistle sounded four distinct notes. The fireman was ringing the bell all the while and kept ringing it until we struck the obstruction.

"After we saw the team and wagon it was utterly impossible to stop the train in time to prevent the accident; we were right upon them. After running the distance of six telegraph poles, we stopped the train and backed down to the crossing. The dead and injured were placed in the coach and we backed down to the depot."

Charles Metzger who was fireman on the train, corroborated the story told by the engineer with only this deviation: Metzer says he saw the team of horses coming down the hill at rapid pace and only about twenty-five feet from the railroad track. He was on the side of the engine next to the team and naturally would see it first. He thinks Lonsdale and the boy were on the front seat of the spring wagon, while the two ladies sat to the rear. Lonsdale was driving and Metzger thinks he was making every effort to cross the track ahead of the train.

Lewis Young a teamster who works at the Fort, was on the ground immediately after the accident. He says the horses were thrown on the west side of the track, while the two women and most of the wagon were on the east side and about fifteen or twenty feet below the wagon road, having been carried by the force of the collision.

Conductor John George testified that he was busy in the rear coach at the time of the accident and did not know anything unusual had happened until after the train had topped. He says he did not hear the whistle or bell before the crossing was reached, as he was giving his attention to something else.

All witnesses examined agreed upon the one point, that the train at the time was not running more than eighteen miles an hour. The train consisted of seven freight cars and a passenger coach.

The inquest was continued until Monday morning at 10 o'clock. Mr. Lonsdale and some other important witnesses will appear at that time.

About noon yesterday Marshall Rothenberger received a telegram from Mrs. Josie Powers at Denver, Co., which read as follows and explains itself:
"Telegraph immediately condition of my son Ray Powers and Miss Sue Powers, who were injured yesterday in accident in which Mrs. Lonsdale was killed; about Henry Dolde's residence."

It is inferred that Mrs. Powers read an account of the accident in the morning papers, which was sent out by Associated Press. Marshall Rothenberger at once telegraphed Mrs. Powers in reply that Miss Powers had died of her injuries and Ray was doing well under the circumstances, but would probably do much better under the care of his mother were she here. Mrs. Powers is probably on the road to this city.

The families to which the two dead women and the suffering boy belong seem to be so badly mixed up and scattered to the four winds that it is next to impossible to find anyone who can come anywhere near tracing the main branches of the family tree. Two of Mrs. Lonsdale's children were at Weston, Mo., and hearing of the death of their mother drove over here yesterday morning.

Lonsdale, who the dead woman married about three months ago, is said to be a discharged soldier. For some time before his marriage to Mrs. Bort he was employed as a farm hand about the place.

At 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon the remains of Mrs. Lonsdale were interred in Mount Muncie cemetery. They were accompanied to the grave by a large number of sorrowing friends. The remains of Miss Sue Powers will be taken to Ellsworth, her home, for burial. They will probably leave here this morning.
Two women killed and a man and a boy badly hurt near Leavenworth--a sudden disaster on a crossing near Seneca.

Leavenworth, Aug. 8 - Robbie Bort, aged 13 and Mabel Bort, aged 15, the children of Mrs. George Lonsdale, who was killed last night at the Santa Fe crossing in the Salt Creek valley, were telegraphed the news of their mother's death this morning at Weston, Mo., where they were visiting. Mrs. Lonsdale's neck was broken and her death was probably painless.

Early in the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Lonsdale drove to the Union depot in this city with a light spring wagon to which was attached two horses. They met at the station Miss Susan Powers of Ellsworth, Kans., and her nephew, Ray Powers, aged 8. They had returned to the Salt Creek valley and were within a half a mile of the Lonsdale home when the accident occurred.

Lonsdale, who was driving, heard the whistle and the bell of the approaching train, but was ambitious to get over before it reached the crossing. The engine of the freight struck the horses and the front part of the wagon, killing the horses and Mrs. Lonsdale instantly and throwing Lonsdale high in the air. His shoulder was dislocated and he is otherwise hurt. Miss Powers's skull was crushed and an arm and a leg broken. She died about four hours after the accident. The boy was also badly hurt, but will live. The dead and injured were brought to Leavenworth on the train that struck them.

Miss Mildred Powers, a sister of Mrs. Lonsdale, who was at the Lonsdale home did not hear the news until the train had started back and she was driven in a carriage to the Santa Fe depot, where the surgeons were at work.

Mrs. Lonsdale, who was formerly Mrs. Bort, was married to Lonsdale five weeks ago.

Mrs. Lonsdale's funeral will probably take place from the home of her brother in North Leavenworth tomorrow. The corpse of Miss Powers will probably be taken to Ellsworth for burial.


The Leavenworth Times, Kansas, Sunday morning, August 9, 1891
The Santa Fe Accident. Testimony introduced at the Coroner's inquest.

The principal topic of conversation on the streets yesterday was the horrible accident on the Santa Fe road, the details of which appeared in The Times. Miss Sue Powers who was so frightfully mangled, died after being removed to the home of Henry Dolde. She never regained consciousness and her suffering was painful to witness.

Ray Powers, the injured lad, was somewhat improved yesterday and Dr. Van Tuyl says that while the chances are greatly against him, he may recover. His injuries are not necessarily fatal. He is still at the home of Henry Dolde.

George Lonsdale the husband, made no especial stir about the matter and yesterday morning, so it was reported, left for his farm in Salt Creek valley.

Judge White, acting-coroner in the absence of Coroner Quinn, and a jury composed of Wm. Miller, James Franks jr., Frank Phelan, F. W. Kellar, Herman Bruns and Will McGregor, viewed the body of Miss Powers early yesterday moning, after which the inquest over the two bodies was begun in Judge White's court room.

Engineer Thomas Fortune, who is an old citizen of Leavenworth and counts his friends by the score, was the first witness placed upon the stand. In response to the various questions put to him, he said:

"I am engineer on engine No. 730 and went north at 7:08 o'clock with train No. 145. We started out of here about three hours late. When crossing the Salt Creek valley wagon road at the big cut beyond the reservation, my engine struck the wagon and team. The team was thrown over on the right side of the track and the wagon on the left side.

"When we were within about twenty feet of the crossing my fireman cried, 'look out'. I turned and saw the heads of the horses just in front of the pilot. I applied the air brakes at once and then released them after we struck the wagon, then applied them again and whistled for brakes. I blew the whistle at the whistling post which is about 500 feet from the crossing. The whistle sounded four distinct notes. The fireman was ringing the bell all the while and kept ringing it until we struck the obstruction.

"After we saw the team and wagon it was utterly impossible to stop the train in time to prevent the accident; we were right upon them. After running the distance of six telegraph poles, we stopped the train and backed down to the crossing. The dead and injured were placed in the coach and we backed down to the depot."

Charles Metzger who was fireman on the train, corroborated the story told by the engineer with only this deviation: Metzer says he saw the team of horses coming down the hill at rapid pace and only about twenty-five feet from the railroad track. He was on the side of the engine next to the team and naturally would see it first. He thinks Lonsdale and the boy were on the front seat of the spring wagon, while the two ladies sat to the rear. Lonsdale was driving and Metzger thinks he was making every effort to cross the track ahead of the train.

Lewis Young a teamster who works at the Fort, was on the ground immediately after the accident. He says the horses were thrown on the west side of the track, while the two women and most of the wagon were on the east side and about fifteen or twenty feet below the wagon road, having been carried by the force of the collision.

Conductor John George testified that he was busy in the rear coach at the time of the accident and did not know anything unusual had happened until after the train had topped. He says he did not hear the whistle or bell before the crossing was reached, as he was giving his attention to something else.

All witnesses examined agreed upon the one point, that the train at the time was not running more than eighteen miles an hour. The train consisted of seven freight cars and a passenger coach.

The inquest was continued until Monday morning at 10 o'clock. Mr. Lonsdale and some other important witnesses will appear at that time.

About noon yesterday Marshall Rothenberger received a telegram from Mrs. Josie Powers at Denver, Co., which read as follows and explains itself:
"Telegraph immediately condition of my son Ray Powers and Miss Sue Powers, who were injured yesterday in accident in which Mrs. Lonsdale was killed; about Henry Dolde's residence."

It is inferred that Mrs. Powers read an account of the accident in the morning papers, which was sent out by Associated Press. Marshall Rothenberger at once telegraphed Mrs. Powers in reply that Miss Powers had died of her injuries and Ray was doing well under the circumstances, but would probably do much better under the care of his mother were she here. Mrs. Powers is probably on the road to this city.

The families to which the two dead women and the suffering boy belong seem to be so badly mixed up and scattered to the four winds that it is next to impossible to find anyone who can come anywhere near tracing the main branches of the family tree. Two of Mrs. Lonsdale's children were at Weston, Mo., and hearing of the death of their mother drove over here yesterday morning.

Lonsdale, who the dead woman married about three months ago, is said to be a discharged soldier. For some time before his marriage to Mrs. Bort he was employed as a farm hand about the place.

At 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon the remains of Mrs. Lonsdale were interred in Mount Muncie cemetery. They were accompanied to the grave by a large number of sorrowing friends. The remains of Miss Sue Powers will be taken to Ellsworth, her home, for burial. They will probably leave here this morning.


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  • Created by: jeffd
  • Added: Aug 12, 2014
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134262413/medora-lamsdale: accessed ), memorial page for Medora Powers Lamsdale (8 Jan 1854–7 Aug 1891), Find a Grave Memorial ID 134262413, citing Mount Muncie Cemetery, Lansing, Leavenworth County, Kansas, USA; Maintained by jeffd (contributor 48400447).