Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-27
FOUR KILLED IN IOWA WRECK
Rsok Island Passenger Trains Meet Ess
Fairfield with Fatal Result
BOTH THE CREWS HAD CLEARING ORDERS
Trains Moving at Rapid Rate when
They Collide In His and
Engines Are Locked
Together.


FAIRFIELD, Ia, Oct. 26.-Two fast pas
senger trains on the Chicago, Rock Island
a Pacific railway, collided head-on at a
point one mile south of Fairfield early to-
day The wrecked trains were No II, which
left Chicago at $50 last night for the west,
and No. II, which departed from Kansas
City at $50 last evening Four persons
were killed and between fifteen and twenty
injured, none fatally. The dead:
F. J. Mikes OF Muscatine, Ia, engineer
Of No. IL.
GLEN CANFIELD Of Murray, Ia. mail
clerk.
DETECTIVE GRIFFITH of Lucas. Ia.
A TRAMP, unidentified.
The most seriously injured:
w. II. Durham of Eldon, Ia, engineer Of
q w W. Witte A OF E ESSS Ia.' fireman on
H. q. Potorff Of Eldon, Ia, fireman on
o. B. Helmer. mail clerk on No. Ii, head
cut, leg crushed.
j. b Hickman. mail clerk. bruised and
G. w. williams, George Fisher, J. -Quak-
ems and +. s. Hagle, passengers on NO. IL,
cut and bruised, not serious.
Trainmaster Kennedy.
o. Matthews of Nicola, Ia, cut severely on
head.
e. v. wilmot of New Bedford, Mass,
+. s. Hagie OF Pontiac, Mich, back badly
sprained.
George F. Froden of Jaaua, Kan. cut
Mrs Joseph Harris Of Chicago, minor in
q. D. Rummeny Of Enid. okl.. slightly in
Dispatcher to Blame.
The cause Of the accident is now laid to
the train dispatcher's office.
When the engineer of No. IL appeared at
Fairfield he was handed the following or
der Run forty minutes late to Eldon."
The fireman of No. 70 declares that they
had clearance orders from Eldon and that
the blame for the wreck was in the issu-
ance of them from the dispatohers once.
At the time of the accident the trains
were running at the rate of about thirty
miles an hour Both engines, which were
of the large Pacific type, were demolished
by the impact. which was terrific. Four
cars OF No u were derailed and seven
damaged and most of the injured we're on
this train. All of the killed were on No. IL.
which also was badly damaged.
A relief train with physicians was sent
to the scene from Eldon and the injured
were removed to the latter point. Traffic
was tied up for nearly twelve hours. Sew
eral of the injured were able to continue
their journey and these with The other
passengers were detoured over the Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul tracks by way of
ottumwa and Eldon.
Company Blnmes Operator.
CHICAGO, Oct. 26.-An official statement
issued by the Rock Island road gives the
number of dead as four and places the
number of injured at from twenty-five TO
thirty. Present official information leads
to the conclusion that the collision was
caused by failure Of the operator AFFAIR
field to deliver an order for No. II, west
! bound, to meet No. IL, eastbound, at Fair
field.
Both locomotives were demolished, four
cars of No. u derailed and seven dam
| aged. The damage to No. II has not been
reported, but all the killed were on this
train, including an unidentified tramp who
was stealing a ride on the front plat
form of the baggage car. Those injured
| were nearly all on No. u.
relief train with seven physicians was
| sent to Fairfield from Eldon. Passengers
| on No IL able TO travel were sent over
| the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul railway
part Of the way to Washington. Ia, and
put aboard Rock Island train No. A. bound
| for Ell Paso. Tex. A train to continue
No. lis journey west was made up, as
the track. 1t was expected, would be clear
| by ] p. m. Trainmaster Kennedy was
among the injured.