Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-12-06
Miss iona Watkins entertains a
small company Of her young lady
friends this evening in honor of
Miss Celia MacAllister of. Carroll
James Zuver Rides to his
Death.

Through some cause which railroad
men are utterly ut loss to explain
James Zuver Of this city, and employed
By the Fremont, EIkhorn & Missouri
Valley Railroad Company in the CD
pacity of engineer, met with a mishap
Saturday afternoon about $50 from
which he sustained injuries of such .
SERIOUS nature that he expired within
few minutes after being removed
from The wreckage.
SATURDAY. afternoon about / O'clock
Mr. Zlver left this city in charge 81;
enslne No. 30 which has been in the
shops here for some time undergon.
repairs His destination WAS Scrih-
ner, Neb., where the engine was to hs
turned over to the South Platte divis
'on. Being q comparatively new en-
eine and out of the shops only sh r.
time the mechanism of the engine re-
quired q vigil never ceasing.
1t is reported that Mr. Zuver, who
was running without pilot of any
kind received orders to take the side
track at Nlckerson and there await tn.
arrival Of special east b ,und freight
train in charge of Engineer Shively
and Conductor Fairbanks. A shor,
time before Nickerson was reached
Mr. Zuver's attention was attracted b,
some portion of the engines machiner,
which was not working right, and
among railroad men the idea is gen.
orally prevalent that this so eng.osser
his attention that he forgot his orders
and when Nickerson was reached H.
did not take the side track, but pull4,
directly through the town and con-
tinued in the direction of Hooper
When about three miles north of Mex
erson and just as the engine was IN tn.
act of rounding sharp reverse cnrv.
the special train from the west ap-
pesred only few yards ahead. Fire
man Butcher who was with Mr. Znvp.
saw the impending danger and calico
to Mr.. Zuver who Immediately re
versed his engine and applied the az,
brakes. Seconds are very insignitican'
quantities of time but had Mr. Zuv4,
availed the opportunity for escape of
fered by the brief interval after tn
oncoming train appeared he would
have undoubtedly escaped injury. Nj,
Butcher left his seaC in the cab, and
passing out the gangway took position
upon the steps between the tender and
engine. He demonstrated with M,
Zuver for retaining his seat in the cal
after he had done everything in h,>
power to avert the collision. Just tn,
instant before the two engines met NJ,
Butcher dropped TO the right of wa,
sud escaped injury of any kind. Whe,
the two engines, which at the time o.
RI. contact were not travelling to OK
c ed 10 miles an hour, collided, the ten
iisr of the engine which Mr.. Zuver WAS
IN charge of was thrown forward
crashing into the cab. Between tn.
tender and cab the train crews founa
Mr.. Zuver pinloned Immediately after
the accident. He was conscious and
requested the men to hurry and chop
him out as he could liya but few
moments. He stated he attempted IT,
leave the engine just before the acci.
dent but had just reached the gangway
when the collision occurred. He was
thrown forward, the tender striking
him just above the hips. An ak was
soon procured and the wood work o,
the cab was chopped away sufficiently
to allow the removal Of the injured en-.
gineer but he died q short time after,
his back being broken.
Immediately upon the arrival of the
remains In this city last night they
were taken direct to his late home on
West street where they remained until
the funeral this afternoon which was
in charge Of the b. of L. F. and b. of
L. E both of which organizations Mr.
Zuyer was member in the best stand
ing.