Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-02-14

WRECK N TIE YARDS
Iowa Central Fast Freight and !
Switch Engine in Col.
lision.
Both Locomotives and Several
Cars Damaged and Traffic
Delayed.
None Of the Trainmen Injured
"A Heavy Fog Was Re-
sponsible.

AS the result Of the dense fog of the
early morning a rear-end collision on
the Iowa Central, in the east Marshall-
town yards, occurred about 1855 o'clock,
at point near Eighth avenue, when
thru freight No. SO, in charge of Com
c,,ctor AL Rennie, of Oskaloosa, and
pulled by one OF the mammoth Cooke
engines. No. %, in charge of Engineer
Sam Swanson and Fireman Burt Nor
gan, of this city, crashed into switch
engine No. 50, in charge of Engineer
Jared Moreland and Fireman Bob Bur-
bridge.
Two engines badly damaged, the tele-
scoping of two cars loaded with coal for
the Glucose Sugar Refining Company
and damage to seven or eight cars
loaded with merchandise. part of the
thru freight, constitute the property
damage. Luckily no one was injured
end there was no damage to the track,
altho passenger traffic was delayed both
forth and south on account of the
wreck.
AT the time of the accident the SWITCH
ing crew. under Foreman Charles New
man, was setting out cars of coal for
the glucose works. and was working OH
the main line near the glucose switch.
The freight train from the south was a
little late and the dense fog prevented
either engineer from seeing the other
train until they We're too near each 9th
er to prevent the collision. The big
freight locomotive struck the tank OF
the switch engine, utterly demoishing
IT., and with such force that the two
cars of coal, that the switch engine was
pushing. were telescoped. The force OF
the shock was such as to also cause
considerable damage to the larger en-
CINE, the pilot being Knocked of and the
"deadwood" broken. The tank was also
disabled, owing to fiat car. bearing a
tank of crude oil, being placed immedi-
stely to the rear of the engine and
forced into the engine tank. Fortunate
~ the oil tank did not break, thus
averting the danger Of fire, as so often
occurs. Seven cars containing merchan-
disc, part of the freight train, were
damaged by having the draw bars loos-
ened by the sudden stopping. The
Gwitch engine. naturally being the light
er locomotive. was the worst damaged
Of the two. the head end being Knocked
In as we'll as the tank. The cab was also
broken and ii is u wonder that neither
the fireman nor engineer was hurt
The wrecking derrick was sent to
the scene OF the wreck shortly after ii
occurred, but was not needed excepting
to pick up the trucks of one of the
wrecked coal cars. The rear pair OF
wheels on the tank of the freight engine
We're derailed, but were replaced with
cut much difficulty. The track was
cleared at 10:40 o'clock it being neces-
sary TO bring the freight train into the
city by sections, owing TO the weakened
condition of the draw bars.
The wreck occurred at a time to de-
lay both the north and south bound
passenger trains. one being on esther
side. Each of the passenger trains goi
out Of the city at II o'clock. The thru
freight was delayed about six hours as
a result OF the accident
As there has been no investigation as
vet into the cause of the wreck it is diff
ficult to state which crew viii be helt
responsible. The freight crew insists
that No. 80 was moving only between
five and six miles per hour, according
10 Instructions when within yard linn
ITS, and that the switch engine had nc
right to be on the main line on No 93's
time. 1t is also stated that the switch
engine had Just started to back wher
The collision occurred. On the othe,
hand the switching crew says that il the
switch engine was moving at all it was
Just pulling UP, and not backing.