Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-05-07

Wreck on Rock Island Near
Unionville Early This
Morning.
OTTUM VANS WERE In 1t
None of the Latter Were lnjured-Pas.
senger Train Strikes Bunch of Cat
tie-Ensine Rolls Down a High En-.
hankment and Turns Over
Eldon, May 4-(SpeciaD-Th Rock
Islands fast Kansas City vestibule ex-
press No IL, was wrecked this morn
ing about 3 o'clock when two miles
this side OF Unionville Engineer Peter
Blake, of Trenton, Mo-, was instantly
killed and Fireman Jason Engles of
is hoped not fatally, injured.
Engine Rolled Over
The train was running al a rate of
a5 miles an hour and at the point
mentioned, just after rounding curve
ran into a drove of cattle on 35 foot
embankment. Four of the cattle were
killed, the engine was thrown from
the track and turned up side down,
rolling down the embankment. The
mail car was also turned upside down;
the baggage car, two sleepers and one
chair car left the track. The remain
ing two coaches stayed on the rails.
None OF the passengers were injured
though they were considerably shaken
up. One of the mail clerks was
bruised, but not sufficiently to cause
him to go off duty. A physician and
trained nurse were on the train, and
Immediately took charge of the injur-
ed fireman and gave him every posi-
BILE attention. He is believed to be
injured internally somewhat, but at
this hour, 9 a. M, it is hoped that the
injuries will not terminate fatally.
Pulled Back to Eldon.
The train was pulled back to Eldon,
where the passengers were given
breakfast by the railway company and
sent on to Kansas City this morning
in special made UP at that place.
Among the passengers on the train
were F. w. Wilson. w. M. Reese and
]. A. Mangan, of Ottumwa, none of
wwhom received any injuries.
Dead When Taken Out.
Il Unionville, May 4. (Special.)-A
west bound Rock Island passenger
train this morning struck punch OF
cattle just after rounding curve two
and one-half miles east of this place at
3 o'clock this morning, derailing all
but two cars of the train, killing the
engineer and injuring the fireman. A
messenger came to this place and re
lief trains were telegraphed for, one
arriving from Trenton and clearing the
track about noon. The engine rolled
down thirty-foot embankment and
the engineer, Peter Blake, of Trenton
; was dead when taken out. Fireman
English was thrown backward over
the tender and sustained the fracture
!. of two ribs, broken arm and many
:. bruises.
The Wreck.
/, The train consisted of baggage
car, buffet, two sleeping cars, two
chair cars and a day coach made UP
In that order. The engine turned up
side down and now lies at the foot OF
the high embankment with the tender
and mail car Immediately behind it on
their sides. The buffet car follows al
though it is upright with the two
sleeperS forming a connection with il
and the track where the remainder Of
the train stayed.
Was an Old Engineer.
Engineer Blake was one of the old
est passenger engineers in the service
Of tie Rock Island, having been with
the company since about the time tbs
road was built from Eldon.
The Fircman's Story.
The fireman states that the trair
was behind time and was running
about sixty miles an hour. Soon af
ter rounding a curve east of Union
vile the engineer saw a bunch of cat
tie on the line and Immediately revers
ed the machine and put the air brakes
at the emergency notch, stopping the
train within distance of less than its
own length.
Fred Wilson's Version.
Fred Wilson, of Ottumwa, in giving
the exciting details of the affair says
Il saw one of the cows which mad
been dragged over one hundred feet
and cut all too pieces. ! cannot un-
derstand why more persons on the
train were not hurt. was Jared but
was not thrown from my chair. VII
liam Reese was thrown forward to the
floor but Immediately got up and went
back to his chair preparatory to re.
suming his interrupted slumbers."