Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-10-29


or twenty miles an hour. Wien
within He's than a rails ieagth 0l the
I east end of tise side track. MIR. Tally
discovered that the switch MAS open.
I He shut off steam and reached for the
whistle lever hut did not get hold q
/ il till the engine began 10 20 over.
and then came the crash, and all Was
/ over in moment. The engine turned
1 bottom side UP and was completely
stripped Of everything about IL; Tire
fire, ss-aIding steam ard water poured
oct all around the three men in the
ruins. Mr. Tully succeeded IN get
ting cut al once escaping with had
! ly sca.ded hand. Ills fireman. Mr..
1 Weane, Uas not 80 fortunate. in 20
| ing over with the engine, the furnace
( door coming open he was caught III
some manner Is il, and il was some
| FIVE minutes before he was rescued.
and not until he was very severely
burned by the not door, the fire from
the furnace and the escaping steam.
Iis hip IS badly burned. and other
smaller spots Oh various parts Of his
body were biistered hy the escaping
team and water. Morris o. Neil the
brakeman vino was occupying part Of
the firenan's seat when the engine
went over was caught in such man
uer that he WIS not released for over
two hours. lie was literally roasted
alive. and although everything that
medical skill, willing hands and kind
hearts could do for him, was done,
he died on "Wednesday evening at
half past 8 O'Clock, at the Depot
House in Otiunwa. Those who
witnessed IL say that his cries for
help were more than the st0ate5t
hearts could stand without shedding
tears. Immediately after the acct
dent occurred the people about the
station were aroused. and young
man dispatched 10 Chillicothe, mile
distant, for physician. Two physir
clans were soon on the ground and
did all they could to alleviate the
snfferiugs Of the unfortunate victims.
Dispatches were also sent To krOkuk
stating what had occurred and that
there was man under the engine.
supt. Griggs made preparation
To send aid tn the sufferers, and or
dpred physicians sent out on Especial
train from Ottunwa while he start
ed for the scene Of the disaster him
self, taking DR.. Hughes of heOHuk
with him. The injured men were
made as comfortable as possible and
removed to Ottumwa. Mr.. Tally re-
turned to his home in PetIa on the
afternoon train Wednesday. Mr.
Weane's mother went down on the
"Wednesday night train and Will re-
main with him till he Is able to be
removed To his home here.
About thirty-fve minutes before
the accident occurred, the Central train
which uses the X. & ID. NJ. Rays
track from Eddyville to Ottumwa,
han side-tracked at COmstock5 f5r|
the X. sd. NJ. train west. and the
agent ut COmstOck's set up the switch
and locked il after the Central train
pulled out. This - corroborated by
the conductor of the Central train,
who saw him do it. 1t is strongly
suspected that the switch was open
ed by some one who took this
method Of getting revenge out Of the
Company, as we understand switch
KEY was stolen from, the station a
short time ago. This Is the third acct
dent Of the same nature that has Oc-
cured at that place. One year ago
Hank McMnrray met with similar
accident wrecking fourteen ears, and
two year ago by another accident of
the same kind several cars were
wrecked. Every circumstance con-
liected with all these accidents at
that particular point goes to show
that somebody is bent on doing the
Company mischief besides periling
the lives OF innocent men in charge
of the trains. A man SO base as to
open a switch on q railroad and send
innocent men to destruction is capa-
bic Of any crime. He is q cOWardly
wretch who will thus peril the lives
of human beings for the sake Of de-
stroying the property of railroad
company. The blood Of poor Norris
O'Neil Is on the hands Of the villain
who opened the switch at Comstocks
last Tuesday night, and there is no
punishment too severe for him.
Mr.. O'Neil WAS II young man of
about 20 OF q years of age, and was
highly respected by his comrades.
His mother and sister reside in
Eddyville, where his father died a
short time ago.
Those who saw the wreck say that
it was the most complete sinash-up
of engien and ears they ever beheld.
Ii Is truly marvellous how men ever
escape with their lives in such terri
Bile accidents.
.