A small carved granite marker honors the sacrifice of Brit Craft, who "died so others could live." It sits in a small landscaped corner of the railroad equipment static display outside of the historic ATSF depot in downtown Atchison KS, where he was based.
The actual disaster site near the historic Waconda Springs was inundated and destroyed by the construction of Lake Waconda in 1968. The closest you can get to the site is to visit the Waconda Springs historic marker off of US 24 between Glen Elder and Cawker City KS. That marker makes no mention of the disaster. See the waymark here: (
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We have uploaded 2 maps in the gallery: One of the ATSF RR through Mitchell Co. KS in 1899, and a second showing our best guess of the site location based on the newspaper articles we reproduced below.
Brit Craft was a fireman on the very first train that ran on the ATSF Railroad, a 7-mile publicity excursion run from Topeka to Wakarusa KS on 26 Apr 1869. (Source: "Santa Fe Railway" by Steve Glischinsky, page 12 (
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Twelve years later he would make a fateful decision that would cost him his life, but save the lives of all his passengers and some of his crew.
As Craft was driving his locomotive along the line, he saw that the bridge ahead was on fire. Instead of racing the entire train over the bridge trying to outrun the fire, he braked. The locomotive continued onto the bridge, which collapsed under its weight. The engine with Craft and his fireman fell into the river, but the passenger cars were saved. They rolled to a stop safely avoiding going over the bridge.
Craft and his firemen were not so lucky. They were horribly scalded, but not killed, when the locomotive's boiler vented the hot steam that drove the wheels.
From the Atchison Globe Newspaper, this article about the character of Britt Craft and the tragedy of his demise is reproduced from an Atchison tourism site: (
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"August 3, 1882
A fatal accident happened to the Central Branch mail train while coming east at 6 o’clock this morning, between Cawker City and Glen Elder, at bridge No. 111, on the river bottom near the Great Spirit Spring.
The bridge, which is a small one of seven bents, was found to be on fire, and as there is a curve and a cut just before it is reached, the engineer could not see it in time to prevent an accident. The engine dashed into it, and fell into the dry creek below, the mail and express cars following it, leaving the passenger coaches safe on the track.
Conductor Dennison, followed by his crew, ran at once to the wreck, and succeeded in putting out the fire, which otherwise would have found its way into the disabled engine and cares. While this was being done, the persons in the wreck were being taken out. Charles McGee, the fireman, was so badly scalded by the escaping steam that he died in a few minutes. Bert Craft, the engineer, was also scalded, and the latest report is that he cannot recover. Dan Mahaffey, the express messenger, was bruised a little, but not seriously, and Harry Wentworth, mail agent, had his ankle sprained. Dell Winegar, baggageman, was not hurt at all.
Craft was immediately taken to Glen Elder, and physicians summoned, who found that he was horribly scalded internally and externally, and one of his arms crushed. Mahaffey was also taken to Glen Elder.
The same engine and train passed over the bridge at 8:15 last night, at which time it was all right, and how it caught fire is a mystery.
An unhappy circumstance in connection with the death of McGee is that he was a substitute. Joe Groome, Graft’s regular fireman, having been laid off yesterday to raise money for a Pacific engineer whose wife has been sick for several months, and who has been unable to work. It was Groome’s first day off in a good many months, and he is feeling very thankful.
Bert Craft was regarded as the crack engineer of the road, as he is usually detailed to haul the superintendent’s specials, the pay car, etc., and was very popular with all classes. When Mr. Talmadge, the general manager, comes on to the road he always asks that Bert Craft’s engineer pull him, and Mr. Craft has been with him through Texas several times. He went with the Central Branch company a little more than four years ago, having quit the Santa Fe during the memorable strike about that time, and has been steadily at work ever since.
The writer, who has frequently been the guest of the general officers on their trips over the road, often rode with Craft on his engine, and knew him well. Yesterday morning, while his train was at the union depot waiting to start on the fatal trip, we talked with him as he was toiling around. His wife and children were at Arrington Springs, and he said he was going out to see them next Saturday afternoon and spend Sunday there. He was known far and wide as a very careful and competent man, and it was his engine which took the prize at the union depot opening, although the wrecked engine is not the same one.
McGee is a single man, about 27 years old, and has lived in Atchison about two years. For several months past he has been firing on a Pacific yard engine, and has only made a few trips. He has lived with W.L. Patterson since coming to Atchison, and before his connection with the railroad worked for him.
August 4, 1882
Bert Craft died at Glen Elder a little after noon. The delayed train, carrying both the dead men, and the wounded, will arrive in Atchison between 7 and 8 o’clock this evening. Mrs. Craft, who is at Arrington Springs, was sent for this morning, and will probably meet the train at Muscotah, She is an invalid, and it is feared the announcement of her husband’s death will be a serious shock." [end]