September 7, 2017
This is “Our Past Is Present” from
the Geary County Historical Society.
In
1904, the Knights Templar was a group of people who were committed to carrying
out charitable works and historical research to protect Christian sites in the
Holy Land through diplomatic rather than military means. It is now recognized
as a non-governmental organization with special consultation status to the
United Nations. Some members of the Knights Templar were on their way home to
Providence Rhode Island, after attending a meeting in San Francisco in
September 1904, when their two special Pullman cars were in a train wreck six
miles west of Junction City. The Knights
were brought into town and given accommodation at the Bartell House on
Washington Street. The local Knights
Templar and the Ladies of the Eastern Star did everything in their power to make
the strangers comfortable. There were 49
Knights and ladies in the group involved in the train wreck. Six of the Knights were seriously injured in
the wreck and ten or twelve more had painful, but less serious injuries. The others were shaken and had sustained
scratches and bruises. Most of the
injured were in the rear car that rolled down a 15 foot embankment turning
three quarters of the way over before stopping at the river’s edge. A special
Union Pacific train was sent out to bring back the injured, which were taken to
the hotel in wagons. Many local
physicians worked through the night to tend to the injured. Doctors from Fort Riley also came to town to
assist as needed.
That is today’s story on “Our Past Is
Present” from the Geary County Historical Society. Thanks for listening.
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