Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-02
Loss Will Amount to Five
Thousand Dollars.
FAST MAIL sEIps o11unVl
Several Head of Stock Killed and Cars
Badly Damaged-Exact Cause of Ac-
cident is Not known-Track Blocked
Seven Hours-No One Injured.

Mt Pleasant, March 31.-(SpeciaD.
"A disastrous wreck, which destroyed
property valued at 5000 and blocked
traffic on the main line of the Burling-
ton for seven hours, took place about
two miles west of New London, at
about 3 o'clock this morning. Fifteen
cars of lain of forty-one were hurl-
ed into the ditch, nearly $50 head OF
cattle, sheep and horses killed and
many of the cars were damaged almost
beyond repair Fortunately no one
was injured, although the train was
running at the rate of about forty
miles an hour when the accident oc-
CURED.
The train was a double headed extra
meat and stock train and was manned
by Galesburg crew, Conductor Mary
being in charge. The cars were APP
pareutly in good order when the train
passed through Mt. Pleasant, short
time before the wreck, but when run
ming at fast rate of speed short
distance west of New London, the first
station east of this city, the twenty
third car behind the engine left the
track and was followed by fourteen
others, which tumbled promiscuously
about the right-of-way, completely
blocking traffic on both the north and
isouth main lines.
An Unusual Accident.
1t is supposed that something about
/ the first car to leave the track must
have been broken. Possibly the trou-
| Bile was in the coupling apparatus, but
the exact cause of the accident will
never be known, for when the train
had been stopped all fifteen cars were
more or less damaged, some of them so
badly that they can probably never be
used again.
Wrecking Crews Summoned.
Wrecking crews were at once sum
moned from Otumwa, Galesburg and
! Burlington, and trains Were held on
4 both sides of the wreck. All day long
| the wreckers have been working with
might and main, but the debris is SO
ponderous that although the north
track was opened at 10 O'Clock this
morning it will be evening before the
south track can be used.
In the fifteen cars that left the track
there were four cars of steers. one
double decker sheep car, one car of
/
dressed meat from John Morrell & Co.,
of Ottumwa, and an emigrant car, the
/ usual human occupant of which was
| happily III the way car at the time the
accident happened
j. H. Duggan, superintendent of the
Burlington division, accompanied the
wrecking crew from Burlington to the
scene of the accident He estimated
i the loss on rolling stock at about 81
4 200 and the los on live stock will prob
:. ably amount to $500 more, making q
total loss Of not less than $4,000.
Trains Are Delayed
Passenger train No II ives held at
Mt. Pleasant until 10 o'clock and No
8 was delayed at Burlington until 9:39.
The morning fast mail from Chicago,
No. z, was sent around by the way of
Osllaloosa, and from there to Maxon
over the Iowa Central, striking the
Burlington's main line at that place.
Stock Is Killed.
; Twenty-seven steers and ITO head
of sheep were killed in the wreck.
The cars were badly damaged, one
car of butter and eggs being almost
entirely demolished, along with it's
i. contents. Ten horses were in the inn
migrant car and four of these We're
killed. The attendant would have
I met an awful death had he not been
: riding in the way-car at the time of
J. the accident.