Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-05-06
FAST TRAIN WRECKED.
Might Express on the Rock Island
Wrecked Near Bloom
field. Iowa.
Engineer Black Is Killed and
His Fireman Probably
Fatally Hurt.
Wreck on the Iowa Central at
New London. Ill. IA Tramp
Killed.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to mes-Republican.
Bloomfield, May Cone man was
killed and another probably fatally in
iured in wreck on the Rock Island
near here Saturday night. The night
express was thrown into the ditch by
cattle getting on the track. Engineer
Blake was killed and his fireman, Jacent
Ingles, is thought to be fatally injured.
A number Of passengers were hurt, but
mona fatally.
The train wrecked was the west
bound passenger, No. II, which would
day morning. The wreck occurred at ex-
actly ten minutes after 8 o'clock. about
two miles east of Unionville, between
what are known az the Caylor and the.
Sanford Davis farms. The location is
Just after rounding curve in front of
the Caylor farm and on an embanklnent
or grade about fifteen feet high. The
cause OF this great calamity was q
bunch OF cattle being struck by the en-
CINE, one of which rolled under the en-
CINE end threw 1t from the track.
Engineer Blake was pulling his train
of seven coaches around this curve on
the down grade at about sixty miles an
hour, and as he rounded the curve he
saw the cattle up the track. He at
once applied the air and turned loose
the sand, but SO great was the speed
on the down grade that little effect was
noticed. He struck the cattle, three of
which We're thrown clear of the track
and rolled down the embankment. but
the fourth remained on the track and
rolled over and over until it finally
rolled under the engine, lifted 1t from
the track and sent 1t headlong down
the fifteen-foot embankment. Engineer
Blake had no chance to save himself.
and was crushed to death under his enc
CINE. Fireman Ingles jumped just s the
engine left the track. Luckily he jump
ed to the south and the train went to
the north on the outside of the grade.
News of the wreck was wired to Gem
terville at once and an appeal sent for
doctors. DR.. j. l.. Sawyers and DIR. j.
r. Medley were called and the engine
and way car of train that was on the
siding at Harvard We're sent to carry
them to the scene of the wreck.
The wreck was complete; the power
full engine lay torn and broken at the
foot of the grade. almost on Its back,
lying east and west: the tender lay far
ther up the grade at right angles with
the engine, and parallel with the tender
was the mail car. No. s04. with the
north end driven into the earth. AT the
side OF the baggage car lay poor Pete
Blake, covered with a white shroud. and
scores of people were standing around
looking upon the havoc which had been
wrought.
The combination library and buffet
and baggage car was upright. but was
down the side of the embankment. The
next car ooff the track was the sleeper,
Forreston, which was right side up, but
part way, diagonally. down the grade.
Tile sleeper Bretagne was also off the
track, but still on top of the grade. as
was also chair car No. $40, which was
the last one to leave the track. "A chair
car and smoker on the tail end of the
train did not leave the track at all. The
track was torn up for distance of 800
feet. and being on high grade made
the operation of laying new track
around the wreck difficult one. The
& injured fireman and all the passengers
We're taken to Eldon on a special.
Conductor Walker said that he had
about sixty passengers on the train. and
all that saved large number from be-
ing injured was the way the train was
made up. with the mail. baggage and
buffet car in front. The buffet car was
closed at tina. hour in the morning and
was empty of passengers. Conductor
Walker said that there were several
passengers In the rear sleeper that did
not know OF the wreck until 1t was all
over.