Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-26
ASKFOR BIG DAMAGES
Victims of Thayer Wreck Sue the
Burlington Company.
Sii6,2O5 IS THE AMOUNT CLAIMED
John w. loWder Asks Railroad Com.
pany to Pay for His Own and His
Wife's Injuries and inconvenience
Caused by Both-Lives in Omaha.

John w. Lowder of Omaha has sued
the Burlington railroad Company in
the district court at Council Bluffs for
$116,205, which amount he claims is
due him on account of injuries received
by himself and his wife on the morn
ing of May 6, 1901, when the Burling-
passenger train No. was wrecked at
Thayer. Several Ottumwa people, in
GLIDING Mr.. and Mrs. w. A. Harper,
Jr., Hugh Doran and Others were on
this train at the time, but they have en-
tirely recovered from their injuries.
Mrs. Lowder, it is said, was injured
much worse than the majority of her
fellow passengers at the time of the
wreck. The engineer, Sidney Brown of
Burlington, well known in Ottumwa,
met his death in this wreck, which was
caused by collision between his train
and a freight which projected from al
siding out upon the main line. Forty
two people were injured, among them
being Michael Canny of this city, the
fireman, who did not return to work
for more than year after the acct
dent.
Mr.. Lowder claims s1e,2O5 for his
own personal injuries; he also asks
$4,000 for the damages done him
| through the permanent disability of
his wife, whose mind is said to have
been permanently impaired through
her injuries. AS guardian for Mrs.
Lowder, Howell R. Proctor asks anoth
er $50 900 for her personal injury.
Mr.. LoWder's Injury Claim.
In his petition Mr.. Lowder relates
the instances of the wreck near Thay-
err, he and Mrs. Lowder being on the
train enroute from Omaha to Laconia,
| Iowa,) He declares that the train
was going at a rate of nearly sixty
miles an hour at the time of the col
lision with the freight engine, which
he alleges was run onto the main track
| through the negligence and careless
ness of the Burlington employees. In
the crash several of the passenger
coaches and the passenger locomotive
were hurled down steep embanliment
the engineer of the latter being instant
ly killed and half a hundred of the pas
sengers and trainmen injured in var
ious ways, necessitating their transpor-
tation to nearby towns and hospitals.
Mr.. Lowder declares that his left arm
was broken, his left leg and knee
: wrenced and strained his head batter
) ed and that he received permanent in,
ternal injuries. AS further result OF
the wreck Mr.. Lowder claims that his
knee and arm will be permanently stiff
and that in the future he will be sub
ject to rheumatic pains and other ply,
steal affections. He was Al years of age
at the time of the accident and states
that he was earning 500 month as a
: collector. Based on these statements
Mr. Lowder thus gives a detailed &C
, count of his claim for damages:
Loss of time and wages ......$ LIE
Expense of nursing $500. 81
Suffering from injuries ...n.. 5000
Impaired earning capacity 49,. 5000
Certainty of future pains,
suffering and Inconvenience. 5000
Total damages claimed. ,20i
Wants $4,000 for Wife's Injuries.
!, But $16,205 will not compensate Mr.
Lowder for all the damages he claim:
to have sustained by the Thaye
f wreck, He would have $4,000 in ad
II dition for the indirect injury to hin
]. by the sad fate that has befaIlen hi.
, wife III lie decla rod that tha h1Ows sh,