Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-22
BODIES MU.T i
PARTICULARS or ACCIDENT ON
THE. ROCK ISLAND NEAR pAv-
EXPORT SUNDAY NIGHT.

( Y
, The cause of the accident on the
Rock Island near Davenport Sunday
night, which resulted in the death Of
two men and the injuring OF several
others is not yet known, and it Is pos
sible that the reason for the boiler Of
the engine exploding will never be de-
termfned. s4 st
The freight train left Rock Island at
z o'clock and Davenport half an hour
later with Conductor Matt Archer OF
Rock Island, in charge. The exp, -sion
OF the boiler on the big engine, No.
1855, occurred without warning when
the train was short distance east OF
Turnout, small telegraph station sew:
en- miles west Of Davenport. With a
great roar and burst of flame and
smoke the boiler suddenly shot into
the air ten or fifteen feet, turned com.
pletely over and descended alightitg
almost squarely on the engine trucks,
| which had not left the track Engi
neer Calhoun and Fireman Kinney
were hurled from the wrecked locomo.
tive and when their inanimate bodies
! were found by their fellow worknnen
they were mutilated almost beyond rec.
ognition.
Helper Engine Damaged.
The force of the explosion threw
broken pieces Of the locomotive in all
directions and piece Of steel crash
ed through the boiler Of the leading
locomotives. No. 1926, allowing the
scalding steam to escape with loud
roar. The four men on the helper
| n{f ls,, AZ
ground and all were injured. The
engine, freed from the train by the
explosion, ran on along the track for
half mile until all its steam was ex-
| hausted.
i To Stop Loafing.
/ Since the advent of the cold weather
tie utilizing of the depots as tryst-
ing place by young pepople of both
sexes has become especially noticible
and railway officials have determined
! to stop the practice. The warning
that the depot is no place to loaf has
4 repeatedly been given. In future 1t
is intended to emphasize this warning
II by having an officer arrest all young
men and young women found absorb
ing the steam heat of the waiting
rooms without any visible means OF
support.
Preparing Statistics.
The railroads centering in Chicago,
and acting through the General Man
ayers Association, are planning a
campaign Of education with a view of
combating the effect of the accident
statistics which are from time to time
published by Edward A. Moseley, sec.
L rotary of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. 1t is charged that these
statistics are misleading and are con
stantly placing the railroads In false
light before the public.
The general managers admit that
the 4,000-odd deaths and the $4,000
!. odd injured by the railroads during
}, 1903 and 1904 is deplorable record
but it is insisted that the record Is nc
! worse than that made by foreign roads
with which comparison is frequently
made.
4 Record Of the Burlington.
In preparation for the campaign fig
ures are being compiled to show thai
American railroads are as safely oper
ated as any others. Among the fig
ures already prepared there are some
relating to casualties on the Burling
ton during 1903 and 1904. 1t is shown
for example, that this road carried
during 1903 304,189,03 passenger!
one mile and killed but four passen
gers on passenger trains. This is Al
the rate Of only one passenger II
, every 76,047, 274 passengers carried
, one mile.
During 1904 this road carried 299
914,034 passengers one mile and killet
but three on passenger trains. This i
at the rate of one passenger killed t.
! every 99,971 ,344 passengers carrie,
one mile. In 1904 the total numbe
killed on passenger and freight train
was four, or at the rate of one in ever
74,978,50S passengers carried one mile
In 1903 there were nine killed on pas
j. senger and freight trains or at the rat
(. Of one every 33,79S,788 carried on
mile. 1t is noted that In 1903 no acc
dent to passengers travelling on pas
senger trains was due to either co
lision or derailment. and that of tn
1904 two were killed by falling off an
one Of these was drunk.
Suburban Travel Safe.
The most remarkable part Of tn
record is the fact that only one pei
son was killed during two years i
the suburban service Of the road an
that the Geath Of this single passer
ger was due to his falling Of the trair
1t is noted that the suburban trave
Of the road is 80 per cent of the eEttr
travel. or 2,801, 225 for 1908 and 2,S16
800 for 1904. In this service 1881, so
passengers were carried one mile /
1903, with one death and six injurie
\ on passenger trains and six injurie
y on freight trains. In 1904 47,204,61
!. passengers were carried one mile wit
Il no death and fourteen injuries on pa.
f senger and four injuries on freigt