Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-01-18
Engineer Williams and
Fireman Hoare Are
Killed at Victor.
LOCOMOTIVE WRECKED
Strange and Shocking
Explosion on the
Rock Island.

Victor, Iowa, Jan. 1s.-As the
Denver limited passenger train on
the Rock Island was passing through
here at this morning the boiler of
engine SOB, exploded, resulting in the
death of the engineer and fireman
and slightly injuring two porters and
n brakeman. The killed:
W. W. WILLIAMS, Moline, ILL.,,
engineer.
w. +. HOARE, Moline, fireman.
The force of the explosion threw
every one of the seven coaches of the
train from the track. Fortunately
the passengers were uninjured.
Pieces of the wrecked engine were
strewn around for a distance of 200
feet and the boiler was found $50
feet away from the scene of the ac-
cident.
Cause VIII Never be Known.
The causes leading to the explosion
will never be known, owing to the
death of the engineer and fireman.
The bodies of the engineer and fire.
man were horribly mangled.
Williams, the dead engineer, had
been in the service of the Rock Is
land for % years and was regarded
as one of the best in the employment
of the company. This mornings run
was not his regular one, he having
taken it to accommodate 4 brother
engineer.
The train was the through Denver
limited, composed of baggage car.
composite car, four sIeepers and
chair car. 1t left this city at , a.
m. in charge of Conductor Harry Fox
and was pulled by engine 1413.
The engine regularly on the run is
1909, but it was out of order and the
big freight engine was brought from
Hawthorn with Engineer Williams
and Fireman Hoare in charge and
sent out on the trip
Running on Time.
The train was running on time
when the accident happened 1t was
not what may properly be termed an
explosion. for il was not caused by IL
reding apart of the boiler, but by the
dropping of the crown sheet, an oval
shaped cap or plug just over the fire
box, which is removed in cleaning the
boiler.
For some reason that will probably
never be known this became dis
placed and blew out. The water from
the boiler was instantly released in
TO the fireboX and steam followed,
the force fairly lifting the pOnderous
machine from the track. The death
of the engine crew was due to scald-
ing.
The chair ear was the only one in
the train to remain on the rails y
wrecking crew was sent out from the
other end of the division and the
tracks were cleared in time to let the
trains reaching here at noon through
with only a slight delay. The morn
ing fast mail train went west by
way of Washington over the South
west division.
Victims of the Wreck.
William ~. Williams, the engineer,
leaves a wife and two children, liy-
ing at 4O2 Nineteenth street, Moline,
while Wilbur f. Hoare, the fireman,
was single and roOmed in Moline,
taking his meals at the Hawthorn Y.
NJ. c. ~ Both formerly lived in this
city. removing to Moline only short
time ago. The fireman for the past
four years had made his home with
his brother. /. j. Hoare, at $40 Twen-
ty-first street.
Williams was 80 years of age. He
was born at Iowa City, and began
his railroad career as call boy at
Stuart in 1873. In 1880 he was fire.
man on the famous nickle plated en-
CINE known as the "Old America"
and in 1885 he was given an engine.
In 1897 he removed to this city, and
remained here till the change in the
terminus of the road forced him to
become a resident of Moline.
The ilI-fated fireman was 2S years
of age. He was born and raised at
Red Oak, near Cambridge, in Henry
county. Four years ago he came to
this city, and for two years held the
position of engineer at Rock Island
arsenal Two years ago last October
he began firing on the Rock Island
road, and lately had been assigned
regular run. He leaves besides his
brother. Ives, of this city, two other
brothers. George. of Texas. and
Frank, of Bishop Hill. and his grand
mother. Mrs. J. /. Hall, of Red Oak,
with whom he spent his boyhood.
Were Running Extra
Both the engineer and fireman, of
course, were regularly on freight
runs and were sent out on the pass