Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-19
IowaC Central Switchman Caught
Between Engine and Car and
Instantly Killed
BODY CRUSHED TO A PULP
While Attempting to Climb on Top
of Car Wallace Was Caught by the
Engine and Ground Between Side Of
the Car and the Ensine-Attempt
to Save Him FutiIe-Inquest Hold.

S--
Elmer E. Wallace, so4 North Fourth
avenue, an Iowa Central switchman,
was killed and literally crushed to pulp
at 9 o'clock Monday night while at
work In the company's yards. Wallace
was caught and ground between box
car and the engine and killed before
aid could save him. Death was In
Simultaneous. In fact such short space
Of time was consumed by the tragedy
that those who saw 1t were powerless
to lend assistance.
The. accident occurred while the
night crew, with which Wallace worked
was after a car on what is known as
the elevator tracks, short distance
east of the Marshall Elevator COM
pany's building. Three cars were on
the north elevator" track, and the one
Of the three farthest to the west was
the one the engine was after. The three
cars were pulled east to the switch, and
the car that was wanted was kicked"
to the south elevator track. The re-
naming two cars were kicked" back
on the north track to get them out of
the way The north track slopes toward
the switch and the two cars, after they
had lost their momentum, started to
run back toward the switch. In the
meantime the engine had backed up,
the switch had been thrown, and the
engine had started for the south track
to get the car that had been switched
to 1t.
Caught as in Wise.
Wallace was standing near the
switch. He saw the car running back
toward the switch, and evidently, for
the purpose Of stopping them before
the engine struck the corner of the
first car, he started up the side Of it
to set the brake. The engine had
drawn very near them, and he had lit
tie more than started to climb when the
engine came alongside. Each instant
brought the car and the engine closer
together. Frank Newcemb, who, was
standing near Wallace, made an at
tempt to pull him off the car, but the
hold he secured gave way. By that
time the engine and car were together,
and Wallace was torn from the ladder
and crushed and rolled between the
tank Of the engine and the car. AS soon
as he had been caught John Wignall.
the engineer. attempted to stop his en-
CINE, but before it was brought to a
standstill Wallace had been carried the
length Of the tank. There the body
was released and dropped to the
ground. Life was even then extinct.
So narrow was the space thru which
the body passed, and so enormous was
the pressure on 1t that part of the
car side against which the body was
forced was broken in.
Body FearfuIIy Crushed.
The trunk Of Wallace's body was
horribly crushed, there being hardly
a bone of the upper part Of the body
that was not broken. The skull was
fractured at the base onSthe left side,
three bad scalp wounds were sustained,
and the throat was cut from the right
ear to a point Just below the left ear,
severing the trachea. There were also
several bad Commissions of the head. The
sternum was caved in and all the ribs
tured in three places, and the left soap
uict WAS OTOhGll.
Will Hold Inquest. !
The body was removed to the yard
office and later taken to the d. G. Will
bur undertaking parlors. Coroner H.
H Nichols, who was summoned, will
hold an inquest late this afternoon at
the office Of Sheriff G. S. Hutson. The
jurors secured are Charles A. Miller,
Charles Webster and E. H. Rhem.
Wallace Was Old Employs.
Elmer 3. Wallace was one of the
best known and oldest Of the COM
pany's local yard employees. For the
better part Of the past eighteen years
he had been in the employ Of the COM
pany, both in this city and elsewhere
For a little more than two years he
had been working with the night crew.
Wallace was Al years Of age, and
was native of McHenry county, ILL
nois. He had been a resident of Iowa
since 1871. During the greater part
of his service with the Central he had
lived In this city. He is survived by
his wife, and two daughters, the latter
aged Is and IL years. One brother
William l.. Wallace, who is also an
Iowa Central switchman, lives at 401
North Third avenue. There are no
other immediate relatives.
Arrangements for the funeral have
not vet been made.