Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-28

was on the same locomotive, jumped
and escaped with minor injuries as did
both enginemen on No. IL. No one
knows why Engineer Milks and Grif-
fifth failed to save themselves. Pos
sibly they were engaged in converse
tion and lost the few seconds that
meant life or death. 1t is apparent
that they realized their danger just
before the collision occurred, for
neither of the bodies was found inside
the cab of the engine. Milks' body,
horribly mangled, was buried under a
pile of coal close beside the track and
the body of his friend was pinned be-
tween the engine and the tender,
mashed into a jelly.
A Touch of Pathos.
The inevitable touch Of pathos al
ways to be found in railway wreck
like that of this morning was to be
found in the case of Glen M. Garfield,
of Murray, the mail clerk on No. IL.
He had only recently been appointed
to the railway mail service as a slbsti-
tute clerk. He boarded No. II at Fair
field, taking the place of a clerk who
left the train at Fairfield to enter upon
the enjoyment of a vacation. Before
Garfield had been on duty five minutes
his life was snuffed out without the
slightest warning. His body was found
in the ruins of the mail car when the
rescue party had removed ton or
more of debris from around him. He
died instantly.
The fourth victim was stealing a
ride on No. IL. He was seen to board
the train as it left Fairfield and was
riding between the tender and the first
car when the trains struck. His body
was thrown nearly hundred feet and
was found crushed and mangled under
the forward end of the mail car that
had been part of train No. ~. The
dead man was, probably 20 years of
age, five feet. four inches in height,
medium weight and of dark complex
ion. There were no papers in his
pockets to aid in identifying him and
nothing, whatever is known regarding
his name or home
Mcagrc Warning Given.
The passengers had absolutely no
warning Of the wreck and the engine
men had little time to escape. Train
No IL had Just rounded a curve when
it struck the west bound train and
there was only time for the engineers
to shut off steam and Jump from their
cabs. Engineer Milks evidently did
not have that much time, for he was
caught by the coal from his own en-
CINE and buried beside the track. The
passengers had no inl1ling of their dan
ger until after the trains had struck
Many in the coaches and sleeping cars
No. or nn I'M
was a shock that frightened men and
women alike, but when they learned
the nature of the accident the passen-
gers on both trains hurried out to as
sist in the work Of rescue.
George Wilmot Of New Bedford,
Mass. was one Of the most seriously
injured When seen by Courier
correspondent in the depot at Liberty
vile, where he had been taken soon
after the wreck, he told Of his expert
ence. He boarded No. IL at Kansas
City, to 60 to County, Line, where he
expected to enter the employ of the
Rock Island as agent and operator. He
passed through County Line and got
off the train when 1t stopped at Lib
ertyville, but discovering his mistake,
he thought he had not reached his
destination and got on again. He was
still on the platform when the collision
occurred and was thrown to the ground
and badly injured.
George Matthews of Nicola, was until
a few days ago railway mail clerk, but
had resigned. He was dead heading"
on the mail car on No. IL and was rem
dered unconscious when the trains col
lided He regained consciousness
when the rescue party reached the
overturned car and was well enough to
be removed to Libertyville. The other
injured ones were taken to Eldon or
Fairfield
Engines and Cars Demolished.
The destruction of the engines and
the first two cars on each train was
almost complete. The big locomotives,
two of the most powerful ones used
on the Rock Island, met squarely, and
though neither is off the rails more
than foot, they are locked securely,
boiler head to boiler head, and the for
ward ends of the cylinders are less
than foot apart. The mail cars and
the combination express and baggage
cars on both trains were thrown
across the tracks and literally broken
to pieces They will be total loss.
Traffic is Delayed.
Traffic will be delayed until late to-
night, for the track cannot be cleared
until +hen Meanwhile the trains