Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-15
THREE DIE
IN WRECK

anu Till Oh Ile lleS lOI d OilSlduCS VI
over 500 feet before Engineer Wallace
could bring it to standstill. When
the monster locomotive finally stopped
every wheel was off the rails, the front
trucks being to the south and thel
drivers. trailers and tank trucks to|
the north OF the track. Then engine
did not tip over but remained upright
after stopping and the enginemen de-
scended from the cab little worse for
their perilous ride.
Passengers Escape.
Meanwhile the scene in the coaches
was one of pandemonium. Men and
women fought with each other to
reach a window or door and gain
their freedom. The old law of the sur
vival of the fittest seemed to rule ev-
cry mind but happily nearly all reach
ed the ground in safety. How? They
themselves do not know and never
will Instinct of self preservation
was their only guide.
See Child Die.
Nearly all-but alas three human
lives were snuffed out like the dim
ming of candle The burning cars
made a funeral pyre for mother and
her child and for lonely, friendless
laborer. Men and women, emerging
from the wrecked train and congratu-
lating themselves upon their escape
or beginning to realize that they were
injured, forgot their own affairs when
the burning mass upon the bridge
came the heart-rending cry:
20, mamma, help me. / am burn
ing"
Little Mildred Mitchen, whom ev-
eryone on the first chair car had no.
ticed, when bright and smiling in an
! ticipation of her visit with her grand
parents, she had entered the coach at
Abba, was wedged between the brok-
en- parts of the car, slowly burning to
death. Her little face was full of an
awful fear and the blood stained fea-
lures of the survivors as they gazed
upon her We're blanched with horror.
Tears OF pity welled in the eyes of ey-
cry man and woman as they stood, un-
able to lift a hand to prevent the lit
| tie sufferers death. 1t would have
been worse than suicide to venture
upon the burning bridge and wrench
| her from her fiery prison, and many
were the prayers of heartfelt thanks
| giving that went up from the crowd of
witnesses when the little girl became
unconscious of her condition. The
last word to pass her lips was"M Nam
ma" that word which the dead woman
so near her had taught her to lisp only
a few years ago.
Mrs Mitchen's death was quicker,
and therefore more merciful When
the car in which she was riding
struck the bridge the force of the i'm
pact threw her from her seat, and it is
thought her head was crushed, death
resulting instantly. One pang was
| spared her she did not live to see
| her little daughter burn to death be-
yond the reach of aid, and her own
death came SO quickly that she never
realized its cause.
! Bodies Removed to Abba.
AS soon as possible men ventured
upon the bridge and recovered from the
mass of burning timbers and twisted
metal the remains of three victims. All
had been in the same coach, the first
chair-car in the rear of the smoker
Beatty, the unfortunate la8orer who
when the wreck occurred, was on the
/ way to join his comrades in the smok
ing-car, had fallen in the wreckage and
died within thirty feat of the end oi
the bridge and safety. The remains OF
1 Mrs. Mitchem were found a short dis
1 tance beyond. and the body of the lit.
tie child charred beyond recognition
fell through tie bridge and was pick
! ed up from the hank of the creek be
low. All three bodies were tenderly
carried to nearby farm house, and la
ter taken to Abba
Il The Work of Rescue.
Within a few minutes after The
wreck occurred the division officers il
Ottumwa had been notified by wire
and about 10 O'Clock train of tool ca,
with crew of wreckers in charge q
Roadmaster w. 7. Calvin had started
from this city About tbe same finn,
similar train started from Charlton
and tbe two met at the scene of tb,
wreck The doctors in Ottumwa ant
Albia were notified. and thew were hur
ried to the scene on the wrecline
train inst ahead Of train No. Y tn,
morning fast mail. which was late O,
this train number of officials tray