The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-27
A TELEse0PED TRAIN.
A CONSTRUCTION Train Dashes into an
Express With Fatal Results.
Criminal Carelessness.

Y es'erday morning at about : o'clock
another fatal accident occurred on the
southwestern branch of the Chicago.
Rock Island & Pacific, caused by crimi>
nal carelessness on the part of an employ
Of the road. Less than two miles below
Davenport the road curves around high
bluff which entirely shuts out all view at
200 yards distance in either direction
Shortly after leaving Muscatine, at $50
Yesterday morning, the Kansas City ex-
press, Conductor Williams in charge,
was stopped on account of the dropping
of the ash pan of the locomotive The
rules of the company require that when
stop is made, flagman shall be sent
back by the conductor to stop any train
that may be following 1t is the duty of
the rear brakeman to attend to this For
some reason this man did not go back
Qhe conductor says that he ordered him
to gol so the train following could have
no knowledge of the presence of the ex>
press in front until almost upon it.
The express had been standing twenty
minutes when the construction train
came around the curve. thinking the track
was clear and making good time. As
cnNp ac JPnr;pnor Tabp nuape eoor tl,o
express he whistled down brakes and re
versed the engine. but the momentum was
too great and he SAW that there was - be
collision. He stuck by his engine to the
last minute, and Just as they were about
to strike he started to save himself if pos
sible. But he was too late, AMI was
crushed between the tender ami cab
The fireman, son OF Mr. Owens, was
more fortunate; he just escaped being
crushed in the same manner as his father
but received severe bruises. TIE
engine OF the construction train plunged
into the coach in front and smashed In
about quarter Of the car, bat strangely
that end was not very full. and the only
personal damage received was som,
slight bruises and jars.
When the construction train cam,
around the curve the engineer of the ex
press was under his engine fixing the asl
| pan. The fireman saw the other engine
bearing down upon them ana told the en-
gineer 10 get out of the way, bat being
unhetrd he gave one jump and grabbing
the engineer hauled him out by maii
force Just as the collision came and tn,
express WAS pushed aloas several yard,
by the shock. Had it not been for IL
presence of mind of the fireman the eu
giueer would surely have becu killed. a
engineer OF another railroad. who wa
on the train made the remark that b
had been railroaiing forty years and h
had never seen in all his experience :
careless piece OF business as this. En-
gineer Owens was taken back to Musca
tine. where he died He had cat in III
lett groin ten inches long and tAree inche
wide. On the left hip, close 10 til
spine was a cut tour inches long. III
tissues we're palpitied all over the boac
of the hip, below the end Of the spine
Mr. Owens was IS years Of ege, an
leaves a family at Oskaloosa. His lii
profession has bsen engineering.
; The Muscatine Jouraa of last nigh
says
The blame seems to lie between Con
dnet0r Williams and his fiaSmsn tn
p,aee of waiting was a most hazarior
one. II Is scarcely a question of Ii
duty OF The conductor at so dangerous
point, of not only ordering The haagins
; but OF seeing that his order was protnp,l
and thoroughly executed. A large crow
of towns people walked and rode ~ t
the scene of the wreck and the eXpresslo
was universal on observing The contiguit
OF the spot 10 the bend, that snmcb1l
had been guilty OF criminal carrlsssncs.