Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-02
HARRY T. Dixie, EMPLoYE or
MILWAUKEE, GROUND UNDER
WHEELS.
FIREMAN rs INJURED

claude'E. Warren 10 Hurt, Though MOI
seriously-EnsIne DItched and
sleePers DeraIled, No Passenuers
Injured But Have Narrow Escapea
-EngIne Climbs Rail-. .0alx !,
From Mondays Daily.
me M1lwaukee's Southwest Limited
southbound, was wrecked at the fook
OF Cass street in this city early this
morning and Harry Dixie, engineer of
the switch engine. which was pulling
the train, received injuries which
proved fatal within q few hours.
Claude ID Warren, the fireman. waa
injured, though not seriously. and
James P. Morlock, an employe OF the
company who was riding on the an.
CINE, received slight scratches. Mona
OF the passengers was injured IN the
least although the engine was ditched
and completely wrecked and the two
sleepers were derailed, one Of then,
pelng considerably damaged. Patrick
Leeny, a switchman who was ridinr
on the rear footboard of the enigma
between the tank and the Observation
car, escaped death almost as by q mir.
acie. Though the engine tank On
Wnlch ne stood was hurled down TIA
embankment and the platform of tha
car just behind him was mashed into
splinters. Leeny was thrown clear ~
the wreck and down the ambanknant
almost to the race, and escaped WIFI
a slight injury. "4sA1
~ ram Was Running Backward.
i, me switch engine is useL to pull
the train from Ottumwa Junction to
Inc JeHerson street station down town
ana push 1t back, the engine being
coupled to the rear of the train the
road engine being at the opposite end
In1s morning the train, which was q
charge of Conductor John James ~
Kansas City, arrived at the iunctinn
on, time, and the switch engine was
coupled up In the regular way. Ahnut
half Of the mile between the iuncfinn
and the down town depot had been
covered and the engine had reached
the foot OF Cass street when II LEFT fha
track on curve. Close inspection nf
the track fails to reveal any possible
cause for the wreck, the engiro wheels
having simply climbed the rail instead
OF making the curve. The rails are in
place and at the point where the de.
railment actually began there is not
q bolt nor spike out Of place and
the track Is we'll braced.
The locomotive ran along on tha
ties for probably thirty feet and then
sWerved sharply to the left, buried in
nose In the ground and turned almost
completely around. The tank fell "a
the right of the track and down the
bank Into the head race, also turning
In the direction just opposite that
which 1t had been going. It's trucks
remained on the embankme ent, which
is about twenty feet high at that point.
The two rear sleepers in the train.
which were next to the engine. were
dera1led but stopped on the ties about
'lOO feet from the point where the en-.
gine left the track. The observation
car was badly damaged, having liter.
ally plowed It's way between the e..gine
and tank. The rear steps and plat
form are in splinters but the inside Of
the car is intact.
Policemen were quickly on the scene
and under the direction Of Captain VIII.
liam Evans and Conductor James the
work of caring for the injured men
was carried on with dispatch. Warren
and Morelock were found to be but
little injured. They had been carried
over the boiler in the cab and alighted
on the up-turned cab roof. Morelock
was unhurt except for few scratches
but as Warren's injuries were more
severe he was taken to the hospital In
the ambulance.
Engineer Pinned Under Sleeper.
1t was several minutes before En-.
gineer Dixie was found, pinned under
the rear sleeper, having been dragged
along the ground between the rails a
distance OF sixty feet or more. His
right arm was literally torn off and his
legs and body were crushed and bleed.
Ing from score of cuts and gashes.
He was conscious and aided as much
as possible in the task of pulling him
from under the heavy car. He was
rushed to the hospital and placed i'm.
mediately upon the operating table.
but from the first there was little hope
OF his recovery. His arm was found
beside the track sixty feet away, prob
ably at the point where he was hurled
from the engine when the couplings
broke and the engine turned around.
The escape of Morelock and Leeny
was little short of miraculous More
lock was riding on the fireman's seat
and was hurled through the air with
alighting on the roof of the
cab close by the fireman. The latter
was injured, though not seriously. but
Morelock was only scratched and
slightly bruised. Leeny was riding on
The foot board of the engine, between
he tank and the observation car. The
platform and steps of the car were
to splinters and the tank was
rolled down the embankment. hut
Leeny was thrown down the embank-
nent and received only small injury
ltout the legs. He scrambled back to
he track and Immediately began to
search for the engine crew, and NOT
CONTINUED on page < first col,