The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-09-29
TRAINS COLLIDE
ON SHARP CURVE
ENORMOUS LOSS OF LIFE on
SOUTHERN RAILWAY.
ENGINEERS AWFUL MISTAKE
Disobeys Orders and His Life Is For
feit--A Total of Sixty-Six Per-
sons Killed--Eefge Mum
Der Injured.

Knoxville, Tenn, Sept. 26.-Sixty-six
persons were killed and 125 injured
(many of whom will die) in head on
collision on the Southern railway 10
miles east of this city at 1913 Saturday
morning. The engineer of the west
bound train, so investigator shows, was
directly responsible for the disaster He
deliberately disobeyed orders. Why,
will never be known, for he was crushed
to death beneath his engine and his fire.
man suffered a like fate. Hodges, a
|. little station, was to be the meeting
point of the two trains. The west-bound
received orders to take the sidetrack
at the depot and await the east-bound
train. The engineer received his orders
and placed the slip of yellow paper in a
little frame hanging in the cab where
1t would be constantly before him.
There are but two possible explana-
lions of his failure to follow orders; he
may have gone to sleep or the still more
remote chance of him being suddenly
stricken blind. But there is little
chance of either theory being aught else
but surmise. There can be no excuse
of misread signals, for the accident oc-
Cured in broad daylight
Met on Sharp Curve.
The crash came on sharp curve, be-
tween high banks. The west-bound
train was heavy one, it carrying the
sleepers from the east for Knoxville,
Chattanooga and other southern cities.
The east-bound train was lighter con-
sisting of day coaches and chair cars. 2 1t
was going 80 miles an hour, the other
40. The heavy train crashed into the
lighter one with the force of giant mis-
sile hurled from a catapult. And, by the
irony of fate, the engineer and fireman
of the train at fault were the only ones
on that train to lose their lives, while
GA travellers were killed on the train that
had the right of way. tsE tt -
When the first impact came the pas
sengers on the east-bound train were
hurled from their seats and thrown to-
ward the front end of the cars. Then. in
an instant, before they could regain their
feet, the cars commenced to telescope
and close up as hatrack is compressed.
As the Jaws of wood and iron came to-
gether they killed and manned the help
less, ,huddled masses of humanity,
" Bodies Crushed to Pulp.
Dozens of bodies were simply crushed
out of all semblance to human form,
limbs were torn off, and bones broken by
the hundred. When the doctors got to
work it seemed as if hardly victim had
escaped without at least one fracture,
and scores had half dozen. The bag
gage car of the west-bound train was
derailed, but the Pullmans and other
coaches behind 1t kept the track. From
them poured trainmen and passengers to
render what aid was possible. The tool
cases In the cars were broken open, and
men. nerved to mighty deeds by the
shrieks and groans that came from the
pile of wreckage began the work of res
cue. In one car they found woman
pinioned by piece Of split timber which
had gone completely through her body
A little child. quivering in deaths ag-
ony, lay beneath the woman. The child
died ten minutes later. Within few
feet of the little one lay a woman's head
while the decapitated body was several
feet away.
Close Call for Congressman.
In one car but two persons escaped
alive. Congressman Henry R. Gibson
from the Second congressional district
of Tennessee and one other man
whose name is not known, were the
fortunates. The congressman was en-
route to RussellVille, Tenn, to deliver
political address and was reading his
address when the collision occurred.
When he realized what had happened
he found his legs pinioned fast, but
managed to extricate himself. One
glance at the car showed it to be 4
mass Of human beings, backs of car
seats, grips, baskets and wearing ap-
parel of all sorts. There was not a
sign bf life except that near his side
the young man who had escaped death
was struggling to get out.
A large number of people were going
from Knoxville to Newmarket to at
tend the funeral of w. r. King, a
prominent citizen of that place, who
died Friday. James King, one of the
dead, was brother of w, R. King. and
five members of the King family in
all were killed, while several relatives,
though not of the same name. were in
jured
Relief trains were dispatched from
Knoxville within an hour and all ply
sicians in the vicinity of the wreck
were doing what they could when the
local corps arrived. The removal of
the wreckage and the rescuing Of the
dead and wounded commenced imme-
diately upon the arrival OF this train.
Six of the injured died while en-
route to this city Some of them were
taken to the Knoxville general hos
pital and others to their homes or to