Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-15
INJURY is FATAL
George n. Ross. Rock Island
Switchman, Dies at
Hospital.
COMPANY is CRITICISED
For Failure to Have Headlight on
Engine Behind Which Victim
is Riding.

lower yards Monday evening. died this
morning at 1915 O'Clock at St. An
thongs hospital Mr.. Ross was so
years of age. and was a native of this
city. He was single.
The accident which resulted in the
death of Mr.. Ross was, according to the
testimony of the train crews in the
yard due TO the fact that there was no
headlight on the engine of which he
was in charge Mr.. Ross was in charge
of the crew at work with the Tween
tieth street engine. while his brother.
Charles H Ross, was in charge of a
crew on the Twenty-fourth street en-
CINE. The Twentieth street engine had
had no headlight for two nights. though
it had been reported to the foreman
of the roundhouse. When Charles II.
Ross, with his crew, Kicked a string
of cars down onto what is known as
the lead track. he supposed that the
track was entirely clear. as he could
see no headlight. This track is cross
ed by what is known as track five. and
on this track there was a string of cars
which just cleared the lead track.
View il INSTRUCTED.
This INSTRUCTED the view of the crew
on the Twentieth street engine. and it
was not until just as the two trains
struck that the crew realized the dan
ger. George II. Ross was riding the
brake beam, and when the collision oc-
CURED he was thrown to the ground
between the cars. He was caught in a
ditch, dug TO drain the yards, and sew
eral cars passed over him. He was
removed to the hospital, where an ex-
animation by the railway surgeon, DR.
S. B. Hall, revealed four fractures-a
committed fracture of the left arm, a
compound fracture of the bones of the
left thigh, a compound fracture of both
bones of the left leg, and a committed
fracture of both bones of the right leg.
The soft tissues were considerably
bruised. The fractures were reduced
and placed in temporary splints, and
the physicians efforts centered on
bringing the injured man out of the
shock from which he was suffering
He sank rapidly, until relieved from
his intense suffering by death.
Inquest Over Body.
Coroner Eckhart this morning con-
Quoted an inquest over the body, at the
Knox undertaking parlors DR.. Hall
testified as to the nature of the injur-
les which were received in the acct
dent. Robert Knight, a switchman,
who was also somewhat injured in the
accident, was working with the crew
under Charles II. Ross. brother of the
deceased. He told of looking for OBJ
structions on the track before the cars
were kicked onto the track. He rode
one of the cars of the string which col
lided with the switch engine. He said
that he heard the hiss of the exhaust
from the engine, and turning the brake.
he swung his lantern. II did not at
tract the attention of the engineer on
the coming train. Knight was thrown
to the ground, and for some minutes
was unable to move.
Paul Kutsche, the engineer of the
crew of which George II. Ross was in
charge, testified that he could not see
the cars, owing TO the fact that he had
no headlight, and the cars on track five
obstructed the view. He declared that
he had reported the headlight. and had
asked for another engine. The head
light did not burn for two nights The
glass in the headlight was broken. and
the wind blew out the light. The snow
broke the chimney of the lamp, and it
could not be relighted.
Light Had Been Reported.
James Mccarthy, a switchman. said
that TO his knowledge the light had
been reported. Charles II. Ross. brother
Of the deceased. testified that on the
way to the hospital his brother had said
that if there had been a headlight on
his engine he could have seen the ap-
preaching cars. He said also that he
might have escaped were it not for
the ditch into which he fell. It is the
duty of the roundhouse foreman, Mr..
Ross stated, to see that the engines
are in order, and it is the duty of the
crew foreman or engineer to report de-
fects.
The verdict returned by the jury
was: We. the jurors. sworn to in
quire into the death of George II.
Ross, find that he came to his death
from injuries received in an accident
in the c.. r. / & p. railway yards
March -, 1905. at about IL O'Clock p.
m. We hold the C.. r. l. & p rail
way company responsible, for gross
neglect in not having the engine
equipped with a headlight"
Mr.. Ross is survived by four broth
eTs, Harry, Charles, Samuel and Gin
ton. all Of this city. and a sister. Mrs.
J. B. Prichett- His parents. Mr.. and
Mrs. James Ross, also survive. The
funeral arrangements will be an
nounced later
Attacked by Mob