The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-09-28
John concannon the FIagman at the
Foot Of Bank Street Left His
Chair Just Before His
House Fell.
CAR HIT STRUCTURE
Became Uncoupled From the Others In
the String and Went About
Twenty Feet OFF the
Tracks.

III was lucky Ior JOnn ConcannoH,
f1agman at the foot Of Bank street,
that he left his chair by the side of
his little house when he did, for a
freight car becoming loose from
string of others which switch engine
was pushing, left the rails and crash.
ed into the little shed, knocking it up.
side down and completely demolishing
two sides of it, besides splintering
chair and rendering various other
articles of furnishing useless. The
accident happened about twenty min
utes after one, and created lots of ex-
element.
The house, which is about six by
ten by fifteen fees in dimensions, is
situated about twenty feet from the
end of side track, the rails being
but few feet away from the Rock
Island freight depot, and parallel to
it, The afternoon freight train was
being made up and the engine was
backing string of seven cars toward
Bank street, and its coming to sud-
den stop, caused the last of the
bunch to uncouple itself from the
others, the back wheels going over a
] tie which As used as bank, by about
twenty feet, dashing into the flag
mans little shed with the result which
is given above.
The little shanty crashed on its
side, breaking the chair on which the
nagman usually sits, all to pieces,
while two sides and the roof of the
retreat were left intact. All the
furnishings inside We're deposited in
the roof. The stove was lying on the
ground after the accident and it was
/ lucky that 1t had no fire in it, as the
| wreckage would have very quickly
been in flames.
Johnny, as he is Familiarity known
by the railroad men and teamsters
who are around the yards a good deal
began to take an invoice after he hai
lseen that the track was clear for tn,
approaching K. & w. passenger train
The first thing that he he looked TO
was his pipe, which he found to b.
| lying all by itself and clear of the
OtuSI JlliOCl. III iHiiuSuidIClN lllGt
4 APP and proceeded to start closer in
vestigation. well, my chairs al
broke to pieces.'' he said, land l guess
I'll have to stand up until the com
pany buys me new one His din
ner bucket was slightly disturbed b.
. the shock and he was fortunate t,
; have partaken of lunch, for the variou
food containers were sprinkled owe
the ground in great profusion
, The spectators all started joshin!
, the unfortunate flagman but he too
1t good naturally and handed bac1
appropriate replies to all of his toi
mentors. All of his belongings will b
stored in the freight depot until
new residence is constructed for tn
now homeless" man. When aske
what he will do for house, he sale
"There'll be new one there by tt
morrow" which is not exaggeratin
: it much, as the structure only COZ
tanned about as much lumber as tw
> and half piano boxes.
1t made person laugh in spite {
! the seriousness of the affair to loo
upon the wreckage and have Concal
non make remarks concerning hi
escape. He. is usually sitting in
chair on just the side of the buildin
which hit the ground first and if h
. had been there this afternoon at tn
time of the smash, he would pro-
, ably be looking worse than the littl
5 red shanty which was struck