The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-02-22
FATAL COLLISION
ON IOWA CENTRAL
TWO FREIGHT TRAINS MEET
HEAD ON NEAR ELDoRA.
TRAINMEN MISTAKE ORDERS
Awaited Arrival of One Section and
Crashed Into other-one man
Killed outriaht-Two 9th
ers May Die.

q
age, while Brakeman Frank Sheahan,
of Oskaloosa, was seriously if not faA
tally injured and Fireman John Rod
gers badly hurt, in a head-on collision
Of Second 80" and No. SO, two miles
north of Eldora this morning.
The dead:
ENGINEER A. ]. WILLARD, Ma
son City, buried under the wreckage.
The injured:
BRAKEMAN G. F. SHEAHAN, OF
0skaloosa, seriously scalded; right
foot broken.
badly. scalded, skull slightly fractured.
FIREMAN BIRKS, Marshalltown, is
scalded.
Following the crashing together OF
the two trains, the wreck caught fire
and the blaze was so fierce that work
Of rescue was badly hindered and up
to noon today the body of Engineer
Willard had not been recovered and
was believed to have been almost IL
I not entirely destroyed by the fire.
Following the wreck the injured
were taken Immediately to the hos
pital at Eldora where the railroad Sc
cured every attention for its injured.
superintendent G. S, Hayden and
Trainmaster McCarty were hurried to
the scene in a special from Oskaloosa
and Claim Agent Paul Sewers of the
Central and NJ. & st. L., was hurried
down from Ackley to assist in the
work.
1t is impossible as yet to fix the
blame for the accident, according to
the statements of the officials here,
and no actual. cause is given. 1t is
admitted, however, that Engineer Viii
lard and Conductor Anderson on the
north bound No. SO had orders to pass
both first and second sections of No.
92 at Eldora. First 92 was passed &C.
eording to orders and the north bound
freight pulled out, meeting tthe other
about half way between Eldora and
Steamboat Rock.
The accident occurred about six
O'Clock this morning. Number 93 sped
on down grade at a rate of twenty
mileS>an hour, careless OF the awful
fate foretold by the orders, and in a
'vdeep cut where the road makes a
sharp curve, with all the force of he
long coast down grade, struck the I'M
fortunate No. SO which was crawling
up the hill at ABOUT four miles an
hour.
Both engines were demolished by
the awful force of the collision. Men
were hurled from the engines and al
most miraculously escaped death. but
under the mass of wreckage was bur-
led Engineer Willard, who was in
charge of No. SO.
There were awful injuries as well
, as wonderful escapes. Frank Shea
han, head brakeman on No. SO, was
pinned under the debris until severely
scalded before being rescued. He sus.
tanned a compound fracture Of the
right foot.
Fireman Birks was somewhat scald-
ed and was bruised. At the time OF
the accident ne was shoveling coal in
to the fire-box but was hurled out Of
danger by the force of the shock.
Fireman John Rodgers was struck
on the head with some piece of flying
metal and his skull was slightly frac
tured, it is declared, while severe
scalp wound was inflicted. He, too,
was seriously scalded.
Twelve cars followed the two loco
motives into the mass of wreckage
and piled up merchandise, sheeting
and ice. The entire wreckage took
fire and almost before the injured men
/ could be dragged to a place of safety
the deep cut was veritable furnace,
the flames preventing the rescue oil
the body of the unfortunate Engineer
Willard.
The task of clearing the wreck was
an awful one. The wrecker was
brought up from Marshalltown, and
Superintendent Hayden took charge
of the work. The hot fire heated the
trucks of the cars and surrounded the
work of clearing away the wreckage
with numerous difficulties. Traffic
however, was not greatly delayed
trains being detoured by way Of the
Illinois Central to Iowa Falls and
thence to Eldora over the Northwest
ern. The way viii be entirely cleared
in twelve hours.
No. SO, the train which caused the
awful disaster, left Oskaloosa about
O'Clock last evening bound for the
north, and went through to Eldora
without incident. The men had theil
lay over in this city and yesterday
were at the Black boarding house
where they ate. Tihey were popular
men in every way. Williard's home
in Mason City, although he divid
ed MS time with oskaloosa and wa;
wen known here. He had been run
ming an engine on the Central FOL
about year. 1t was his first serious
trouble. Conductor Harry Anderson
lives in Oskaloosa, residing at 81,
South Z street. He has been running
train for the past two years anC
mas never previously been in any bac