Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-20
TERRIBLE WRECK
ON IOWA CENTRAL
Fast Freight Trains Collide,
Head-on, Two Miles North
Of Eldora
1NciNEEp WILLARD KILLED
WILLARD KILLED
One Death Outright, and Another
Will Result-Two Others Injured
MiscaIculation on Orders RESPONSE
! bIe-Narrow Escape Of Other Train
men-Heroic Rescue From Wreekase
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Eldora. Feb. 20.-A terrible wreck
on the Iowa Central, in which one was
killed outright, one fatally injured,
and two others less seriously, occurred
at $50 this, morning on Steamboat
Rock HILL" two miles north of this
city. when two thru freights, Nos 90
ana 90, crashed together head on. The
dead:
Eugene willard, Mason City, engin-
eer No. SO.
The injured:
Frank ]. Sheahan, Oskaloosa, head
brakeman No. 80, ankle and hip badly
crushed: frightfully scalded about face
and head, back and hips, arms AMI
hands Brought to Emergency hospi-
tai, this city; will die.
John Rogers, Oskaloosa, fireman No.
93, bad scalp wound; bruised about
head and shoulders; not serious.
Henry Birks, Marshalltown, fireman
No. 80, badly bruised ankle; not seri-
ious.
Story Of the Wreck.
The wreck occurred at Perkins
crossing, highway two miles north
OF this city, between second No. 90.
south bound, and No. 80, north bound
Conditions for bad wreck could not
/. Pow Il II "a
heavy fog made 1t impossible to sec
any great distance. Steamboat Rock
Hill" Is had place on the north end
Of the line, full OF sharp curves, and a
heavy grade. At Perkins the cut
10 anywhere from fifteen to twenty fee.
on either side.
First No. 90, south, had passed No.
% at Eldora, according to orders. En-
gineer Willard, not thinking of the
second section, started for the north
after the first section had passed. John
Rogers, Willard's fireman, after the
train left F.ldora and was in full swing
down the long grade, remarked to Will
lard: How about second 92?" Only
then did it occur to Willard that he
might have made a mistake. He
grabbed the lantern out of Head
Brakeman Sheahan's hands, and said
sharply to Rogers, Let me see that
order" He glanced it over hurriedly,
looked out of the cab. window and
ahead of him, not over three or four
car lengths ahead, saw the headlight Of
95's engine. MY God, boys, we're in
to them! Jump These were his last
words. Willard shut off the steam and
reversed the engine. The crash came
an instant later, before any one had
time to jump.
Engines Keep tho Track.
AS the engines came together they
buried their noses into one another,
but remained upright on the track. The
impact drove both tanks into the boiler
heads, and the first car of both trains
telescoped the tanks. The tank of en-
gine 95. pulling train SO, tipped off to
the left OF the track, but that of 81,
hauling 80, remained upright. In the
crash Engineer Charles Rogers. of this
city, who was in charge OF 92's en-
gine, was thrown headlong thru the
window, followed by the head brake
man, Edward Warwick Both alighted
on q box car that had been telescoped,
but Warwick fell on into snow bank.
Henry Birks, Rogers fireman, jumped.
Rescued From Underneath Cars.
Poor Willard was buried under tons
Of coal, large quantities of twisted and
broken iron, and car of cotton sheet
ing, the whole mass of which caught
fire shortly after the wreck occurred.
Sheahan and John Rogers We're thrown
out of the left side Of the cab, and the
tank toppled over on top of them. As
soon as Engineer Charley Rogers and
Brakeman Warwick regained their
feet, they heard screams from the di-
rection of the mass of wreckage. 1t
was pitch dark, with the exception of
the glimmer caused by the fire, which
was just beginning to burn. Rogers
and Warwick, also j. M. Miksell, rear
brakeman Of No. 90, made their way
thru the debris to the place where the
cries appeared to come from. They
were able to discern human hand
sticking out from the tank of engine
95, and by careful work soon found that
the groaning body was that of John
Rogers. He was dug out of the de-
bris Poor Sheahan's cries were pitt
full, as the scalding water was pouring
down upon him from the boiler above,
as he lay helpless on the ground. The
smoke from the burning wreckage was
smothering the rescuers, and the heat
intense, but they worked with a will,
and after some time pried out the body
of Sheahan. Both Rogers and Sheahan
were removed as quickly as possible to
the hospital
At a late hour this afternoon Will
lard's body had not been recovered
Shehan, while still alive, can not pos
hibly live, 1t is believed.
Superintendent Hayden Talks.
Superintendent Hayden gave out an
official statement as to the cause OF
the wreck, as follows: mo. SO, north,
had orders to meet first 90 at Eldora.
Willard wafed and 90 passed. He then
pulled out, but should have known