Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-24
STRENUOUS THREE DAYS WORK
BECAUSE OF WRECK PASSES
INTO HISTORY.
WRECK WAS BIGPlEcE
OF NEWS OF COUNTRY
Eyes of United States Were Upon Mar
shaIltown Monday Glimpses Into
the Manner in Which People Here
Worked to Aid in Bringing Order
Out of chaos-Many Com pIiments.

! After three of the most strenuous
and nerve-racking days Marshalltowr
people have ever known, conditions to-
| day are assuming a more normal stage
and the appalling sights of the past
three days have become a matter OF
history
The wreck of the Rock Island train
at a point just east of the Marshall
county line, between Green Mountain
and Gladbrook, was the big piece OF
news in the United States on Monday
The eyes of the entire country were
on Marshalltown from the moment the
first Associated Press bulletin was sent
out Monday morning, and have been
continued in this direction during the
two succeeding days. Until all the in
jured are beyond the danger point the
papers of the country will be eagerly
sought.
Hard Work of Undertakers.
The Times Republican has told of
the heroic work of the doctors of this
14At AL NiIS4i uA4lSQ S4lOi - ~ anew
ate the sufferngs of the many injured
who We're brought 10 this city. Their
work. and that OF the nurses in St.
Thomas hospital will never be forgot
ten by any person who is so fortunate
as TO have passed thru the terrible ex-
perience of Monday with his life.
But there We're others aside from the
doctors and nurses whose strength
worked like Trojans. without anything
to eat and Without rest, for many hours
at a stretch.
To the undertakers OF Marshalltown
fell an important part in the great
tragedy. and it is doubtful whether
any number Of the profession anywhere
could have worked harder, or accom-
plished more in the same length OF
time, as did the four undertaking firms
Of this city and their assistants
Only those who had some connection
with the inner scenes OF the morgue
realize what the undertakers went thru
in preparing the forty-nine bodies for
burial
The work of the undertakes began
at 9 o'clock Monday morning, and con-
tinued undated, without any rest
whatever, turnout Monday. all Monday
night, and until o'clock Tuesday ev-
ening-thirty-si hours. Not a wink
of sleep did any one get in that time.
Fred VI. Wilbur was chosen among
the undertakers TO have charge of the
morgue. and al o'clock Tuesday even
ing a relay was ordered that some rest
might be taken Human endurance was
about at the swapping point. Howard
Wilbur. ia whose place of business the
morgue vas established. did not get
any re from the time he began on
5he wreck %ork Monday morning until
O'Clock Wednesday morning. Fred
Wilbu" ven, 70 sleep at 7:30 Tuesday
evening and slept until 11:30 when he
was back on duty again. Will Estel
ard r + Maroney We're up from Mon
day morning until and o'clock We'd
nesday morning. J. W. Pursel went
home at midnight Tuesday. and Will
Pursel was UP continuously until
o'clock Wednesday morning. Mrs. j.
". Pursel got two hours sleep Monday
night: John Heisinger did not get any
rest until o'clock Tuesday evening,
and Hal Pontius was relieved at the
same hour. He had worked with the
dead a the wreck until he was almost
sick. Luther Boswell did not see bed
unit! Tuesday night, and j. K. Parks
worked all Monday night. E. E. Hobbs
was not relieved until s o'clock Tues
day evening, and then slept only until
11:30. George Price worked all Mon
day night, being assigned to the work
Of trimming baskets. In twenty four
hours time forty bodies were shipped
out of the city.
Harry Stoddart, who is a licensed
embalmer, but is not in business here,
was pressed into service in the emerg-
ency, and worked all of Monday and
Monday night.
There were many volunteers whose
work in the norgue proved valuable.
Mrs. Lille Fisher Miller, Mrs H. P.
Bigelow, and Mrs. Thad Smith lent val
liable assistance in the women's ward,
where Mrs. Pursel was at work pre-
pairing the bodies for burial Perry
Arney and Fred Carl helped the I'M
dertakers in the mems ward Mrs.
Miller also helped Miss Grace Crellin,
who was assigned to the important
task of recording the bodies as they
were identified, and making out the
shipping papers. She was also assisted
by Mrs. Martha Kuhns and Miss Mabel
Dodson, and these women also attend
ed to the telephone calls which were
most numerous.
The work in the morgue was we'll
systematized. as the rapid manner in
which the bodies were prepared for
burial and made ready for the relatives
and friends indicates.
Ambulance Drivers Hard Work.
The ambulance drivers were another
class who worked hard under the
strain, and all day Monday and Mon
day night the drivers worked carrying
the bodies of the injured to the hospi-
tai, and bringing the dead to the