Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-03-23
ROCK ISLANDS ROCKY NOUN
TAIN LIMITED is DERAlLED
IN IOWA.
RAILS WERE LOOsENED
Bolts and Spikes Were Removed From
Track and Train Dashed Down EN-
bankment - Missed Gully Where
Robbers Intended to Wreck Train
and Loot Victims.

and Loot Victims.
Iowa City. March 21.-(Special.) y
A miscalculation by train wreckers
was all that prevented a terrible tragic
wreck of the Rock Islands Rocky
Mountain flyer at Homestead last
night The train was ditched and
several people were injured. but had
1t been going little slower or had
the wouldbe robbers loosened the rail
fastenings score of yards farther
than they did the whole train would
have leaped into slough over which it
passed safely before leaving the track.
Had this occurred the death list would
i have been a long one and the ghouls
who prepared for the wreck and were
no doubt lying in wait when the train
\ crashed down the embankment would
have robbed the dead and dying while
working in the guise of rescuers.
AS it was, the train was derailed,
seven people were injured and much
property was destroyed. None of the
victims will die as the result Of their
injuries, it is thought today, although
Engineer Hotchkiss is seriously in
jured. The names of the injured are
as follows:
i The Injured.
A. G. Hotchkiss of Rock Island.
Face. hands and arms badly scalded.
William Smith of Rock Island; fire.
man. Head and back injured.
L. A. Weber of Newton; mail clerk.
Head and ankles bruised.
Miro r, White of ACarpnnfc Col
Elbow and arms bruised
M. E. Kinsley of Oneida, N. Y. Back
and leg slightly hurt.
w. Wilcox of Chicago: mail clerk
Hurt about the head.
Porter on train; name unknown
Slightly injured about the head.
No Warning of Danger.
Homestead, the station near which
!. the wreck occurred, is located in Iowa
county, short distance west Of Iowa
City. The Rocky Mountain Limited
was running at rate of sixty miles
. an hour and there was not the least
.. warning of danger until the engine
!, went off the rails. Engineer Hotchkiss
stayed brayely at his post, reversed
his lever and put on the air brakes
: The impetus Of the train carried II
. across culvert just beyond the point
where the engine was derailed other
wise the whole train would have beer
: piled up in the gully under the cul
vert and the list of dead and injured
: would have been appalling.
: Engine Turns sommersauIt.
The engine turned sommersault
). and then plowed into clay bank
which broke the shock for the remain
der of the train. Had the engine beer
derailed few rail lengths east of the
!, point where it left the track it would
have crashed into the stream under
. the culvert, to be followed by the
: cars with their human freight. Thi.
. would have given the robbers an ex
= cellent chance to gather booty from
= the dead and dying and it is though
by railroad officials that this was tn,
object of the unknown fiends who tori
up rails and removed bolts from con
Meeting spices in order to derail tn,
train.
k That the wreck was the result o
d dastardly work by the would-be rob
bers was shown when the train off
n Gals inspected the track, finding tina
bolts and spikes had been removed
from some of the rails. Newspaper
had been spread over the place wher
q the robbers had done their work an,
d the engine men did not notice tina
anything was wrong until it was to-
IS late to stop the train. Fireman Smitl
IS leaped from the cab in time to escap
! serious injuries but Hotchkiss, who's
II bravery the passengers extol, stage
= with the locomotive until he had don
n all that was possible to save the live
intrusted to his care. After he jumpe
from the cab he became confused an
ran back into the steam which wa
,e escaping in sheets from the boiler
e It4was then that he received his wors
st injuries, being scalded about the leg
=, and arms very seriously
n Injured at Iowa City.
le Physicians were summoned from low
v. City as soon as word Of the wrec
N could be telegraphed there and O
e their arrival they took the injured. t
- Iowa City. This morning it was n
- ported that all were sure to cover.
e, No Treasure In Baggage Car.
Railroad officials say there was n
: treasure in the baggage car last nigh
and they cannot understand the pu
" pose of the wreckers unless it was
g rob the dead and injured after dunn
d, ing the train into the deep gully nea
d the scene of the wreck.
IS OFFICIALS Hold Robbery Theory.
le Chicago, Ill, March FL. AT tn
n general offices of the Rock IslanG th
officials today expressed the opinio
that the wreck at Homestead we
caused by robbers The officials sal
the wrecking of the train was dor