Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-04

Miss Spurgeon, of Orient, Iowa,
right knee and limb bruised.
r. M. Mead, of Milo, Iowa, injured
In left wrist, back and head.
Roy M. cuIbertson, of Danvers, ILL.,,
Injured in back and head.
G. r. Bryan, of Agency, left leg and
arm bruised.
w. T. Vance, Charlton, bruised on
left side and leg.
Miss Daisy Frazier, of Charlton,
wrist broken. H !. Aw
Charlton, Oct. e,-(Special)-One
OF the most disastrous railroad wrecks
on the Burlington for years, occurred
on the Indianola branch of that road
Monday morning about 10 o'clock.
q. r. Welcher, a stock buyer, Of Milo,
was so severly injured that he died
soon after the wreck, and a number
of people were seriously bruised,
some Of whom are yet in critical
condition.
X Details of the Wreck.
The train was the south-bound pas
eenger known as No. 1875. 1t was run
ming at the rate of about 80 miles an
hour, and when at point about ~
miles south of Milo, it is presumed
that the rails spread throwing the
back trucks of the engine tender off
the track and carrying the three
coaches of the train with it. The en-
CINE left the track and ran about $50
ret on the ties, when the locomotive
became detached from the train and
the coaches were precipitated down a
twelve-foot embankment. All the pas
sengers were more or less injured, and
the miracle is that they were not kill
ed. The injured were removed to the
lome Of Mute Mitchell, a farmer re-
siding near the scene of the wreck,
where they were cared for until even
ing at which time they were removed
to Charlton. The track was badly
torn up for a distance of fifty yards
and the coaches were completely de-
molished. While the company has not
had ample time to investigate the di-
rect causes leading up to the wreck,
no one is held responsible at present,
and it is said to be one of those una
yoidable affairs which come too fire.
quently even with a great railroad sys-
tou Iika tho Rurlin pton
The train was in charge of Conduct
or George Bryan, Of Agency, and En-
gineer Murphy, of Charlton. Conduct
or Bryan was slightly bruised but the
train crew escaped miraculously.
They Come in Threes.
It is an old saying, and in this in
stance, lamentable truth, that rail
road disasters come by threes. The
Burlington has suffered trio of losses
by wrecks since last Friday night, at
which time occurred the head on col
lision of two freight trains near Alton,
in which Peter McAloon, of this city,
was killed. The second wreck also
occurred Friday night, at Nodaway,
when a rear end collision of two
freight trains damaged considerable
property, but otherwise was of no i'm
portance. The third was the most aw-
full of the three because of the fact
that it was passenger train loaded
with passengers, and the fact that
more of them were not killed is due,
perhaps, to providence more than any
thing else.
Miss Kidd Will Recover.
Miss Margaret Kidd, who was at
first reported to be fatally injured, is
much improved, and her recovery is
assured. She was brought to Ottum-
wa on Burlington No. 6 this afternoon
and Is at present at the hospital.
Can't Account for Wreck.
Some of the company officials went
over the ground at the scene of the
wreck today, but can come to no def
mite conclusion as to the cause of the
accident.