Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-21
TERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT.


TERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT,
'Head-end Collision Between the Wa.
bash and the Ottunwa & kirkv;I!e--
Three Men Killed and Several lniur.
ed.
Wabash PASSENGER No. s, CONDUCTORS
X, r.. Ackert, coming south on the
lock Island track, and the Ottumwa C
ktrkville coal train, going north, Con-
ductor AL Hollingshead, collided about
-FOUR miles west of this city, last night
at s:15. The o. & K had nine emp
" cars and car with a water tank
on 1t. The Wabash train had a bag
sage and mail car one coach and a
sleeper. The night was very cold
and the air was full of boar frost so
that the engineers could not see far
ahead. The accident occurred on a
sharp curve where the road runs
around the river bluff just north of
the Q. railroad bridge, and when the
engineers discovered their perilous po-
sltlon 1t was too late to reverse their
engines. Harry Peck, of the Wabash
engine, put on the air brake, howev-
err, which broke the force of the COL
lision and saved the coach and sleep
er of his train. The engines were lit
orally destroyed and four of the o. &
Is. cars smashed to splinters. The
wabash baggage car was derailed,
rolled down the bank and lay on its
top.
HAIRY Peck jumped through the cab
window and when he came to his
senses found himself under the for
ward part of the baggage car. Aside
from sprained ankle and slight
bruises he is not hurt. His escape
was simply miraculous
Michael O'Connor, the Wabash fire.
man, was found in the cab, terribly
scalded, and died shortly after he was
taken into the BAGGAGE car.
Geo. Miller, engineer of the 0. & K.
engine, and Isaac Bridenstein. fireman
were buried under the O. Il K. engine
and instantly killed, their bodies being
terribly crushed.
Both men lived at Kirkville and the
former leaves wife and two chill
dren and the latter wife and five
children. Bridenstein only commenced
work on the road last Friday morning.
Fred Box, h"''-e nan on the o. & K,
had his CO.. one broken and is
badly bruised. His head and hips are
also cut.
r. ]. Gee, Wabash baggageman, had
an arm broken, his skull fractured,
and is badly cut about the head, but
will recover.
r. W. Mullen. train porter on the
Wabash, was badly shaken up. had
his left knee bruised and the cayicle
dislocated
j. ]. Cope, a passenger from Kansas
City, was slightly cut about the head.
bruised and it Is thought had rib or
two broken.
The bodies Of Engineer Miller and
BridenStein were not got out from UNI
der the wreck until 9 o'clock this
The bodies of the dead men
were taken to Ransier's undertaking
rooms, where Coroner S. A. Spilman
will hold an inquest.
The parties injured were all taken
to the Baker House, except Engineer
Peck, and are receiving all needed at
tention. Drs. Spilman, Douglass, Hlr
sey and Williams were summoned as
soon as news of the accident was re-
ceived, proceeded to the wreck, and
rendered ali the assistance they could
to those who We're hurt Engineer
Peck walked home to his residence on
Jefferson street, above Main.
The accident no doubt occurred by
reason of misconception of orders
or wrong orders given by the Rock
Island train dispatcher. We don't
know where the blame lies, but sup
pose the coroners inquest will trace
the blame to where it properly be-
longs. Luckily the Wabash had only
two passengers aboard, or the casu-
alties might have proved far more
than they were.
Henry Peck in telling about the
wreck said that in order to clear the
cab window of frost SO that he could
see out. he would heat some waste
against the boiler and then wipe the
windows. AS they approached the
curve where the accident occurred, he
wiped the window and noticed some
sparks down the track He asked the
fireman what it was and wiped the
window and looked again. He saw
the number on the O. and K engine
and Immediately knew what was
wrong. He called to the fireman to
look out" pulled the hot air brake and
jumped head first through the cab
senses he was pinned down in the
snow on his face so that he thought
he would drown. He then began to
dig the snow out with his hands, and
finally released himself by backing
out He found that he had been PIN
ned down by the forward end Of the
baggage car, which had fallen on top
of him.
The Wabash was over an hour be-
hind time and was running, as near as
can be ascertained 35 miles an hour.
The collision was caused by mistake
of the train dispatcher, and as near as
rnvvrr 0nnNo