""Bridging the Generations"
The History of Old Randolph
1855 - 1960

The Train Wreck in 1915

There was a Union Pacific train wreck on October 16, 1915. The wreck occurred about 7:30 in the morning about a mile south of Randolph. There was two days of heavy rain which washed away the dirt supporting the bridge. When the train came across the bridge, it gave way. The train hung in the air for awhile suspended from the bridge and then it fell in.

There were about fifty people on board the Union Pacific train. Eleven lost their lives, including a baby less than a year old. The baby was lost and never found. The mother suffered a concussion and did not know her baby was lost until a couple of days later. Most of the passengers were teachers going to the Riley County Teachers Association meeting in Randolph.

The people of Randolph heard the wreck and ran to help. A man that was paralyzed from the waist down used his hands to save himself and another person. Only a few people came out without injuries. The only reason that everyone on board didn't die is because the engineer saw the bridge and stopped the engine by putting on the air brakes.

They could not salvage the train because when they pulled it out with the crane the train completely collapsed.

The top picture is of people pulling others from the water, the bottom picure is when they were pulling the derailed train from the water.