Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-23
Rock Island Switch Engine
Collides With sevastopol
Car in Des Moines
NO ONE is SERIOUSLY HURT
Mrs. William oliver, An Elderly Wom
an, Received the Worst Injuries. Be-
ing Slightly Bruised and Very Much
Frightened-Details of How Accident
Happened to Occur.

Des Moines, Feb. ga Rock Island
switch engine crashed into a Sc
vastopol car loaded with passengers,
mostly women, last evening at 7:SO
o'clock on First street, smashing into
the forward end of the car and knock
ing it several feet from the rails. While
all within were badly shaken and jos
tied around none was injured with the
exception of Mrs. William Oliver, an
elderly woman, living a the end of the
car line on Jefferson street. She was
slightly bruised around the limbs, but
was more frightened than anything
else. A carriage was called ana she
was sent to her home.
The accident was of q peculiar ma
ture, and under the conditions it hardly
seems possible that it could have occur
red. The engine that struck the car was
was following freight about fifty or LOU
feet to the rear, and it was in attempt-
ing to pass between these two that the
accident occurred.
The street. car was No. 5 and was in
charge of Conductor Malmgrein and
Motorman A. G. Schenck. They had
rounded the corner of First and Walnut
and had come down to the railroad
crossing and were waiting for a west
bound freight to pass. AS the caboose
rolled by the conductor, according to
custom, passed to the center of the
tracks ahead of the car to throw the
derailing switch, which is necessary. or
the street car will pass Off the tracks.
He grasped the lever as tho to raise 1t
and with this the motorman applied the
current to his car. AT this juncture
Conductor Mahmgrem saw the app
preaching engine only a few yards dis
tant. and motioned to the motorman
to stop the car, at the same time leap
ing across the rails only few feet IN
front Of the engine The next instant
the engine. which fortunately was only
going at a very slow rate OF speed,
crashed into the car hurting the for-
ward trucks clear off the track at an
angle great enough to allow IT TO pass
by. The front of the car was badis
dented in and also wrenched out or
shape, but beyond this the damage IS
comparatively slight.
When the crash came those wlthin
we're prepared for it to certain sN-
tent. as they could see .he lights OF TN"
engine. The sight was enough TO create
a panic in the car, and cause them an
to arise and crowd TO the rear. Mrs.
Oliver arose, and when the car was
struck she was forced 10 her seat, ana
ii; was this that caused her TO be IN
jured. The other pass myers We're
hurled about. but as they had most or
them arisen to their feet. they were not
hurt. AS soon as the accident oc-
CURED the passengers crowded outside
and when the excitement. was over they
were transferred to another car and
taken to their destinations.
Not being on the lookout for one en-
CINE following another was in reality
the cause of the accident. as was also
the fact that there was not search
light on the rear of the switch engine,
which was going backward.
Conductor Malmgrem.. in talking
after the accident. said that he was oft
the car and that as soon as the rear OF
the freight passed he went forward and
grasped the handle of the deraiing
switch. 1t was then that he saw the
engine approaching. and so he ran back
to the car. signaling to the motorman
to stop. By this time his signals We're
seen, and as soon as it was possible the
power was reversed and the car started
to back. 1t was within a foot of being
over the edge of the rail when 1t was
!struck. Mr.. Malmgrepn says that he
was not aware that he lifted the handle
of the derailing switch. while the fact
that the car passed safely onto the
track shows that he die. II was not
looking for the switch engine to be
following the freight 50 closely" he
said, land that is the reason that l got
clear in the middle of the tracks before
1 noticed ii