Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-04
THE M'ALooN INQUEST
Looks AS If Dispatcher May Be t.
Blame.
[From Wednesdays Daily.]

[From Wednesdays Daily.]
The coroner's jury which was en-
paneled yesterday at Creston for the
purpose of fixing the blame on those
who are responsible for the death of
Engineer McAloon, of this city, Fire
man Sprowl, of Creston, and a tramp
who was also killed. did not fix the
blame on anybody. The train
and engine men connected
with the trains which were
in the accident were examined as wit
nesses. Superintendent Duggan, of the
West End division, was in attendance
and explained the meaning of the diff
ferent orders. Jake Fleming, conduc-
tor; d. w. Brofton and G. w. Tyler,
brakemen, and Neil Swanson, fireman
on second ~, and Geo. Hawker, engi-
naer, James Driscoll, conductor, Chas.
Owens and w. S. Calvin, brakemen on
the extra, and G. w. Collier, operator at
East Creston, and John Allison, dis
patcher, were examined before the
jury.
The preponderance of evidence went
to show that first ~ had orders to
meet the extra west at Alton and pull
ed down to the east end of the yard
out of sight of the second section COM
ing in. The extra west had orders to
meet first 70 at Alton and was pull
ing in slowly when second 70 came in
sight coming around the curve, sup
posedly on lie side track till within a
few car lengths then they came to-
gether. That second 70 should have
had orders against the extra, but had
none. That the operators at East
Creston and Alton neither received
any orders concerning second u. That
when the dead engineer McAloon, pull
| ed past the depot at Alton the white
| light was out and he had no signal to
/ stop, but that the operator seeing the
| train go by, threw out the green light
| but not until half of the train had
| passed the depot. The conductor and
rear brakeman saw these thrown out
and began signaling for the train to
stop, but it was too late and the fatal
accident occurred.
The Alton operator claimed he dis
covered second r. coming at the
| bridge about two blocks away, and tel
i egraphed the Creston dispatcher and
threw out the green light, but all OF
| the train men testified no green light
was out until the train was half pas,
lie depot, going at great speed, as the
crew had no knowledge an extra was
on the road.
4 Dispatcher Allison testified he hat
intended to have second ~ meet the
extra at East Creston, hence it was no.
included in the orders for first Y tt
meet the extra at Alton. He stated
the operator at Alton should have re
ceived orders from the dispatcher tt
hold second 70 to meet the extra, bu
went off duty about 1850, before
the train was due at Alton, and toll
his successor, Dispatcher Jeffries, tina
, first 70 had orders to meet the eXtr;
at Alton, but that second 72 was on
without orders, as they, had not show
ed up for orders before he went off.
Dispatcher Jeffries was not used "a
witness. but all evidence went t
prove that neither the train crew O
operator at Alton had orders for sec
| ond 70 to meet anything, anywhere.
Mr.. Allison's testimony closed tn
, examination and after brief delibera
ton the jury returned a verdict of eH
; onerating both train crews from all re
: sponsibility for the accident but di
: not fix the responsibility O
} the company or any of it
employees.
4