Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-09-29

friends. The brakeman started In TO
call out New Prague, the conductor
following, and the baggage man get
ting ready to open his car door And
then something happened. Every one
lad a different experience. The one
that tells the writer this story, said
Involuntary l doubled over sideways
on the seat, holding my arms over my
head and face to protect myself frotn
the falling glass pieces of car seas,
etc. l realized something had happen
ed, but a collision never occurred 10
me, rather an explosion of some kind.
Only it seemed as tho the ear would
never stop. Then / felt something pin
my legs to the seat below. all this time
A crashing. grinding noise the sound
of breaking glass being uppermost.
Then for second all was still But
only for a second. The horrible groans
and the cries for help aud the screams
of the tortured, never can be described.
and once in lifetime is all that one
should hear. My first impulse was to
set loose. for Immediately / realized
that fire might occur. Opening my
eyes for the first time, ! saw not twelve
inches away. the face of a man whose
body was hanging over the seat in
front and on top of him the timbers
and floor of what afterwards | learned
was the bottom of the baggage car.
Behind me was an open window and /
wrenched my body and legs somehow
towards that window, the idea being 10
get out and on to the ground. But thu.
seats behind We're gone. the door open
and the car on the track. Sc / Wobbled
out, laid on the ground for a minute
or so. and then went back to help what
could. Inside of the car after / got
back. under the baggage car foof,
which had crushed everything clear
back to the seat l occupied, were three
dead and dying, and a dozen or more
wounded and covered with all manner
of debris. Axes, sledge hammers.
saws, all welded by willing hands, in
half an hour, cleared away every
thing, excepting the baggage car floor,
which was raised by jack screws be-
fore the injured could be gotten out.
My grip and overcoat | afterwards
found covered with blood from the
man in front of me- and then for the
first time. my nerve went back on me.
Then and there l solemnly resolved if
I ever got home safe and alive, some
one else could do the travelling"
AS in all wrecks of this kind many
peculiar things occurred. First the
whole train remained on tne track, the
demolished engines and cars nol
thrown six inches out of line. The pas
'senger engine crashed clear thru the
water tank of the other engine and
wheels and other parts of both engines
were mixed like jack straws. The mail
car next to the engine was almost I'M
injured, the baggage car went thru
two thirds of the smoker, while the
three cars behind were absolutely so
little injured that they were used to-
carry the passengers to this place the
same afternoon The claim agents of
the company were promptly on hand
with the arrival of the wrecking train
and settled with many passengers.
Illustrating luck or fate, here are one
or two strange things to mention. The
travelling man that got up to give his
place was not hurt. The other was
killed before he had played hand.
Two line repairers got in the front end
of the smoker at the station back Of
New Prague, and We're pushed In and
thru all of that tangle of broken seats
and timbers, and not injured in the
least, and the travelling man that
would never make another trip, was at
the hotel here, cleaning up his things.
getting ready for tomorrows work.
II - Txs ea.>f .aSVys