The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-02-20
FOUR MEN KILLED.
Falal Head On Collision On the
Iowa Central Railway.

Four lives we're wipked out in a
head on collision which occurred on
the Iowa Central Railway, one mile
north west of Clifford, Iowa, at 1:15
O'Clock Saturday night. The dead
are
John White, engineer, of Oskaloosa.
Wallie Frew, engineer, of Keiths-
burg.
VIM. T. Patton, fireman, of Mar
shalltown.
Bud Ogie, fireman, Marsnalltown.
The cause of the wreck will prob
ably never be known as the only two
men, Frew and Patton, who could
offer any explanation were both in.
stantly killed and buried beneath tons
of debris. Engineer White and Fire
man Ogle with engine No. 81 were
drawing passenger train No. 4 which
was running on time. They were due
into Clifford at 1870 and were going
about forty miles an hour. One mile
north west of Clifford they were con
fronted with engine No. 50 in charge
of Engineer Frew and Fireman Pat
ton, running extra at high rate of
speed. Without a moments warning
the two great machines crashed into
each other, and death and destruc-
ton followed. Engine No. 50 was
being taken north from Marsballtown
to relieve the engine on freight train
No. 90 which had sprung leak at
Steamboat Rock. Why it left Clifford
about five minutes before No. was
due there and struck out to meet tit is
mystery. Conjecture is that Engineer
Frew either entirely forgot the COM
ing train, or figured that it reached
| some station other than Clifford at
1l:20, or it is possible that his watch
had stopped and he may have figured
that he had time to make Eldora be
fore the time of the the arrival for
No. 4.
The place where the wreck occurred
is fewlcar lengths south of the mile
post north west of Clifford, a station
about twelve miles north Of Marshall.
town. 1t occurred in cut and on a
curve and it vas impossible for either
engineers TO know of the approach
of the other engine for any view that
might have otherwise been possible
under the existing conditions was cut
off by projection OF land that comes
from to the north end of the cut and
the curve. The railroad men call it
"Sand Point" The collision occurred
Immediately south of this point.
Jonn White, of this city, wss the
only one of the deceased not instantly
killed. He lived until about ten.miu-
utes of eight O'Clock Sunday morning
and was conscious to the last. Just
before he breathed his last he asked
for spooIful OF hot water and then
passed away. Mr.. White talked
about the co sion and the wreck and
gave directions to those attending
him in manner showing that he
was perfectly rational at all times.
He suffered considerable pain but he
endured bravely to thelend. In tel
ling what he knew of the accident he
said that it all happened in an in
stant.i He saw something in front of
his engine and like a fash came the
thought of bis passenger train. Ia
stantly he applied the emergency
brake and threw:his engine over and
shut off the steam. While this action
was in progress he yelled to the fire.
man to jump. IL was all in asecond.
There was no time to jump. The two
big engines were together with an
impact that must have been terrific.
They were naturally to the out side
of the curve but they fell into the
ditch on the east side Of the track
about fifteen feet apart.
In very few seconds after the
crash the conductor of the passenger
and his brakemen with others. of the
passenger train came running for
ward and it was found that Engineer
White was still alive. The other
engine men gave no evidence of life
and death evidently came to them on
the instant. White tod The workers
where to find "crowbar" and tools
and directed that his fireman should
be released. When it was seen that
the fireman was past beyond assist
ance ell attention was directed to
getting the brave engineer released
and he himself directed the work of
the rescuers telling where they should
work. and how in getting the side
rods off his limbs. A pallet of mail
sacks was made for the injured man
and afterwards cot was found and
he was replaced thereon in one of the
cars of the train that he had been
pulling.
Taken to Hospital.
As soon as an engine could be Sc
cured from the north end and sent to