The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-22
NEARLY FIFTY LIVES CRUSHED OUT
In ROCK ISL IND RAILWAY WRECK
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hill, is cut about 70 feet deep. II
was in this that the tender on the lead
ing engine suddenly jumped the track.
This threw the head locomotive, No. SO,
into the side of the cut.
Engine Goes Into Clay
The clay of the sides was soft and the
engine went into it and stopped instantly.
The sudden stoppage ditched the second
locomotive and the neavy train crushed
the day coach and smoker upon the
Pullman. The smoker and day coach
we're instantly telescoped and hardly an
occupant Of either car escaped death or
H. jury.
In a twinkling of an eye all was in in
describable confusion. While the final
ten cars of the train remained on the
track, the shock was sufficient to send
the passengers sprawling from their seats.
Conductor William Worst, on the st.
Paul train, was the first to grasp the
situation. He dispatched trainmen back
to flag train 419, while trainmen were hur-
ried to Gladbrook and Green Mountain
The uninjured passengers recovered
sufficiently to begin the work of re-
moving the dead and injured. The dead
were taken to an adjoining pasture and
laid out on the ground. The relief train
from Marshalltown, carrying surgeons
and Coroner e. W. Jay, was two hours
in arriving and by that time the victims
were laid in gruesome rows.
The sight that met the eyes OF the sur
geons was beyond description. The dead
were crushed and mutiated, In many
cages beyond recognition. Heads were
severed from bodies, arms and legs were
cut off Here lay bleeding trunk. There
a head with a CHASTITY agony OF death
still upon the countenance of the I'M
fortunate.
A second relief train relieved the first
after the first train load had been
brt ught to Marshalltown.
Coroner Fatally Hurt
Coroner e. w. Jay, himself a surgeon,
was hastened in a Red Cross ambulance
to the hospital, where he was thrown 10
the pavement, as the ambulance round
ed a corner. and rendered unconscious. 1t
is believed that his back is broken and
that he cannot live.
| The hospital in Marshalltown was soon
filed Then other rooms were pressed
into service The removal of the injured
was first undertaken. In this way the
Identification of the dead was delayed.
| The removal of the dead showed that
| the passengers in the day coach and
smoker were the worst sufferers. 1t Is
| believed that but two of the dead were
| in the Pullman So complete was the de-
struction of the smoker that not single
upright was left standing. The floor
alone was left as mute witness of the
| frightful impact of the car ahead. The
day coach likewise was torn almost to
splinters. The baggage car which was
behind the day coach was damned In the
| front. but was not demolished.
| Before evening II was believed the bodies
of all the victims had been removed either
| to st. Thomas hospital or to the morgues.
Tonight the scene of the wreck present.
ed still an uncanrH sight. The pickering
torches of the wrecking crews seemed 10
be reflected in the crimson streams that
dyed the ground on either side of the
! track BY morning 1t is expected that
the track will be cleared and train serv-
ice may be renewed.
| Prof. G. W. Parrish of Cedar Falls,
| teacher in economics at the State Teach
ers college, was one of the nrst to be
taken from the ruins. He was mortal
wounded and was rushed to the hospit;,
but died In the ambulance,
! Dr. j. w. Devrey of Chicago and DR..
Durham Of Sioux Falls were physicians
on the train. Although injured them
selves, they turned their attention to the
injured and worked faithfully James Me-
| Namara, assistant head clerk of the
Modern Woodmen of America at Rock
Island, was in the smoker. He escaped
without injury.
| J. p. Clark, conductor on the Pullman,
was another whose escape was remark
able He was in an upper berth, put
aside from a few bruises was not injured
Story Of Rescued Man
| G. W. Moier of Walla Walla was in
lower berth in one of the Pullman coaches
nearest the rear of the train.
II did not realize 1t was wreck SAID
he, ..it sounded as though man had
thrown brick on the floor. The car
II was in was we'll back. In front or
1t were the mail and baggage cars Ahead
OF these the smoker and Pullman,
looked out and saw tho engine overturn
lbAore realized. 1t did not feel like a
wreck. saw some terrible things. One
man had his head completely cut off
d4above the eyes.
another man was driven head first
through window. The glass was cut
lting him where his head lay on the sill,
lunder. all that awful weight above him.
He zcreanied and cried {pr someone to
lxi3I nm. 1 found d stick and broke the
glass under his cheek, where it lay on
fba All and the mans lower law With