Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-15
DERAILMENT OF BURLINGTON
PASSENGER TRAIN NEAR AL
HIA SUNDAY MORNING.
TRAIN CATCHES FIRE
Bodies of Two of the Victims Burned
to crisp-Mother and Her Child
Perisil--No Known Cause for the Ac-
cident-Quick Rescue Work.


Perish--No Known Cause for the Ac-
cident-Quck Rescue Work.
From causes entirely unknown and
without the slightest warning to eth
er passengers or crew, Burlington
train No. 3, was yesterday morning de-.
rallied and completely wrecked four
miles west of Abba. The cars imme
diately caught fire and although the
majority of the passengers escaped
with only few bruises three were
killed outright and their bodies badly
ed from the ruins. The list of casu-
alties follows:
The Dead.
MRS. W. E. MITCHEN, Abba, aged
35 years.
MILDRED MITcHEN, Abba, aged A
years.
THOMAS e. BEATTY, Lucas, aged
46 years.
The Injured.
W. P. Martin, Chicago, face bruis-
Cd, right leg sprained.
G. e. Blair, Lamont, travelling sales
man for J. H. Merrill & Co.. Ottum-
wa, four inch scalp wound, right hand
burned, hip injured.
Bub Ferguson. Osceola, three ribs
broken, right wrist cut.
E. T. Browning, Yates Center, Kan
sas, hip injured, internal injuries.
Mrs. J. H. Robinson. 1877 North
Washington street, Ottumwa; body
bruised and back sprained.
Caleb Allen, Chicago, waiter dining
car, back injured.
viii Branch, Chicago, cook dining
car, back injured.
R. Price Chicago, cook dining car,
leg sprained and bruised.
S. T. Williams, Chicago, porter, leg
hurt. back sprained.
Traffic Not Delayed.
The wreck took place at Cedar
Creek, small stream about 500
yards east af Tower 3O7, on the north,
or west-bound track. The south track,
which skirts the town OF Abba, while
the north track goes through it, was
not obstructed by the wreck, and little
or no suspension of traffic was caused
as result of the catastrophe all trains
using the south track between Tower
207 and MaXon, a mile east of Abba,
where a stub track connects with AL
bia. These arrangements will be fol-
lowed until the track at the scene of
yesterdays wreck is put In good re.
pair.
Trainmen Little Hurt
The ill-fated train was in cnarge of
Conductor r. w. Robinson, of Burling'
ton, brother Of Trainmaster M. w
Robinson of the Ottumwa division.
Engineer William Wallace, of Bur
lington, was at the throttle None OF
the crew were injured seriously, al
though Conductor Robinson was badly
shaken up. He had just worked his
train, and stepped into the front end
of the dining-car when the wreck oc
Cured. He climbed out through win
dow to the girder of the bridge, and
assisted the passengers to escape from
the coaches in the same manner The
engineer and fireman stayed with thei1
locomotive until it stopped and were
not injured.
The bridge on which the two cars
were burned is comparatively new
structure, built of steel with steel cir
ders five feet high on each side. Ce
dar Creek, running twenty-five feet be
low 1t, is a shallow stream with steer
banks
The bridge was officially inspected
Sunday morning, only short time be
fore the wreck occurred.
The train was pulled by engine ITO
and was made UP of baggage-car
smoker, two chair cars, dining-car ant
two Pullman sleepers.
Had No Warning.
The train was running about fort,
minutes behind time after leaving Al
bia and Engineer Wallace was takin
advantage of the long straight hill be
tween Abba and Tower 307 in orde
to catch UP as much as possible wit
the schedule Although the trac
where the wreck occurred is down-hi
1t is straight and one of the last place
on the system where wreck would b
expected. The road bed has been II
surfaced during the past eight month
and the rails are of eighty-iive poun
steel. newly laid.
Suddenly. without the slightes
warning and from an entirely unknow
cause, the engine left the track whe
about 120 feet east of the east end {
the bridge over Cedar Creek The bal
gage car and the other six cars, follow
ing also left the track, the only truck
remaining on the rails being those III
der the rear of the last sleeper.
Engines Wild Run.
The speed at which the train wa
running carried the engine, baggag
car and smoker lcross the bridge. th
side girder literally scraping The mort
sides of each. II , two chair cars Il
nained Oh the structure with the dil