Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-22
FAST EAsT-BouND PASSENGER
TRAIN CRASHES INTO WRECK
ING TRAIN AT LockRlDGE
ONE DEAD MANY HURT
Three May Die and Several Others
Are More or Less Seriously Injured
Cause Of Wreck Peculiar One
Switch Is Broken by Mail Sack
Thrown From Train.

2 s.s
Four coaches Of Burlington flyer No.
6 broke from the forward part of the
train while passing Lockridge, thirty
three miles east, of Ottumwa, yester-
day afternoon about o'clock, plunged
onto side-track and crashed into the
rear of a wrecking train from West
Burlington; killing one man and prob
ably fatally injuring at least three 9th
ers, who are now lying in Burlington
hospitals. Eighteen other persons.
passengers and members of the wreck
ing crew, sustained more OF less seri-
GUS injuries, while the three heavy
Pullmans and forward chair car Of the
passenger, and the dining car, tool car
and wheel car of the wrecking
train, were piled into mass of splin-
tered wood and broken iron twenty
feet high.
The cause of the wreck is one al.
most unheard of in the history Of rail-
road accidents. According to the Off
cial report, the distributing clerk on
the mail car. as is his custom, threw
off the pouch of mail for Lockridge,
while passing the depot platform. No.
was almost two hours late and was
running at high rate of speed, and 1t
is presumed the clerk threw the heavy
pouch moment too late Instead of
striking the platform, the bag was
hurled with terrific force against a
signal post controlling the switch lead,
Ing to the siding upon which the
wrecking train was standing, swapping
off the post at the base and releasing
;+oL - \ -
loose rail in position, the jolting Of the
passing cars Jared the switch open
just as the first passenger coach had
passed safely over. With a Sudden
jolt the chair car broke away from
the smoker in front and followed by
the dining car, Pullman sleeper and
observation car darted in upon the sid
ing with terrific speed, toward the
dining car of the construction train
in which the members of the wreckine
crew were eating.
The Dead.
1 SWAN BLOOM of West Burlington
2 cook on wrecking train.
The Fatally Injured.
John Peterson of West. Burlington
laborer wrecking crew; skull fractured
and injured internally
Lawrence Allen of Fairfield: skull
fractured and body crushed and cut.
Ernest Patti, 8 years old, travelling
with mother and sister from Seattle
Wash; conclusion of brain and severe
cuts and bruises.
The Injured.
Rudolph Prick. Burlington, engineer
construction train; cut and bruised
about the head, may be internally in
jured; serious.
Charles Ellerhoff Of West Burling
ton, laborer on wrecking crew; two
ribs broken, badly bruised and may be
internally injured; serious.
John Anderson of West Burlington
laborer of wrecking crew; two gashes
in head and bad cuts on leg.
Mrs. Frank Patti of Seattle, Wash.
cut about face and body.
Frances Patti, years old;~face and
body badly cut and head bruised
T. M. Johnson of Kansas City, trav
cling man; body cut and head bruised
j. e.. NEWARK of Creston; cut ano
bruised.
Mrs NEWARK and baby; face badly
cut and body wrenched.
r. F. button of Abba. bruised badly
s Jonn Sheridan of Chicago, travelling
1i]elegate of the Transfers union; heat
very badly cut.
Mrs Hill of Fairfield, sister of Allen;
badly cut on face and body.
Two children of Mrs. Hill; one rem
dered unconscious, bruised and badly
cut.
Mrs. Van Cheney of New York City;
knee badly injured.
Louis F. Newman of Pittsburg, Pa;
cut and bruised.
Howard F. Meyers of New Yorl
City; badly cut and bruised about the
body.
&C. f. Skirvin of Keokuk, a news
paper man; head bruised and lips cut
Il A Terrific Crash.
There was fearful crash, which
H. ght the inhabitants of the littl.
..is n running to the scene, ant
trough the snow, which was fallins
hickly. the four coaches were seel