Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-15

four hours. No one was hurt Passen-
ger trains No. 20 and 80 were run over
the Milwaukee tracks between Sey-
mour and Washington through Ottum-
wa.
DeraIment at Altoona.
Rock Island passenger train No. 204
due in Ottumwa at 1917 o'clock last
evening was delayed forty minutes by
No. "a at the station at Altoona about
| tender jumped the track just as the
was injured.
| How the Wreck Occurred.
Interest in the bad freight wreck,
which occurred early last Thursday
morning midway down the West Bur-
| lington hill, is still undated among
railroad circles in this city. The Off
cial version of the accident which
was given out at the Union depot, is
somewhat as follows:
| No. 70, the fast freight pulling into
Burlington about 8 o'clock in the morn
ing, was divided into two sections, as
is frequently done when the traffic Is
heavy, on the morning of the 9th. The
first section left West Burlington
about 2:15 a. m. and was followed II
minutes later by the second section.
Midway down the hill the first section
broke in two, but after a few mo-
ments' delay, the cars were reconnect-
ed and the train again started. At a
point below the Aspen Grove cemetery
and almost directly opposite the old
Moehn brewery the train again broke
in two, and while efforts were being
made to reconnect the cars, the first
section was struck by the second Sec
ton following.
i The cause of the breaks is laid by
the official who made this statement
to the fact that on leaving West Bur
| lington to descend the steep hill to
! this place. the air brakes were all set
This action presses the cars close to
one another, and the spring draw-bars
are compressed to their fullest extent
4 When the hill had been about half
i trayersed on the morning of the acct
dent, the air brakes were released
causing the cars to spring apart 1t is
J. stated that when the brakes were re
leased, knuckle on one Of the cars
broke off, as not infrequently happens
disconnecting the cars. This separat
ing broke the air hose between the
J cars, by which means the air brakes
are governed, resulting in the brakes
on the broken away section being i'm
mediately set, causing the rear part Of
the train to stop, while the forward
: section moved onward. 1t was during
the stop following the second break
fbof ho coonnd coofiops cbod ipfr
the first. It is said by some railroad
men that the head brakeman on the
, second section should have been upor
the top of the cars of his train attend
ing to his duties, when the accident
occurred. Had he been so doing, 1t is
said that the brakes on the second
!, train could have been set, and the &C
cident perhaps avoided. 1t is also
stated that the wreck some time ago
) near Jefferson street in Burlington, II
which many cars were piled up, was
, indirectly due to the failure of the
brakemen to attend to their duties al
the time.
| For Additional Safety.
! The largest work ever undertaken
3 in the installation Of block signals ha.
! been authorized by the Management
of the Hartman system OF railroads
0 Yesterday g. H. Hartman instructed
julius Kruttschmitt, director Of main
tenance and operation of his roads, t.
begin work Immediately with view
of installing 2,342 miles Of automatic
( electric block signals, which will cos
nearly 100000.
: The signals are to be placed owe
/ the entire line of the Union Pacifi'
J. and Southern Pacific roads between
!. Omaha and San Francisco. a distanc,
e Of 1900 miles and also between Sal
e Francisco and Los Angeles! on tn
1Southern Pacific. distance OF 81