The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-19
Was a Mail Clerk Running Out Of
keokuk-Had Been in This
Service for the Past
Thirty Years.
RUNAWAY COAL CARS
Five Coal Cars Ran Down Steep In.
cline and Hit Passenger Train
Tossing Engine and Spin.
tering Two Cars.

The Toledo, Peoria & Western
train that left here yesterday morn
ing at seven o'clock, carried to his
death. William Hipsley, mail clerk
who has been running into Keokuk on
the Toledo, Peoria and Western for
about thirty years. Besides the death
or Mr.. Hipsley score of passengers
We're bruised and injured.
The train that met with the acct
dent left Keokuk yesterday morning
at seven o'clock and had arrived at
South Bartonville within a few miles
of Peoria. Five loaded coal cars at
the School mine secured start and
ran down long incline and onto the
main line. The cars had gathered ter
rife Roadway and were not seen by
the enginemen of the wrecked train
until q few seconds before the first
car struck the tender of the engine.
So tremendous was the impact that
the train was stopped and the first
two cars, the baggage and mail cars,
were splintered into kindling wood in
an instant. The engine was thrown in
the air and came down on the first
coal car. The engine men jumped and
escaped any serious injury.
VIM. Hipsley, the man killed, was
in the mail car at the time of 40 ac-
cident. Rescuers encountered great
difficulty in getting the body from
among the twisted iron and wood
work Of the car. His body was badly
mutilated. Thee men were in the bag
gage car and escaped without great
injury altho they were pinned under
the wreck for some time. They were
Bert Corners, express messenger for
the Adams Express Company, j. d.
Sansome, travelling engineer for the
T. P. & w. and d Sherman. yard
man The passengers in the coaches
were all badly shaken up and some
received painful injuries.
Mr.. Hipsley Is resident of Can
ton and leaves wife and two sons.
He was the oldest mail clerk running
into Peoria and was one of the best
known. He served his home town at
one time as city marshal. He served
in the Civil war in an Illinois regi-
ment. Many Keokuk people are mum.
bered among his friends he having
spent the nights of his runs in Keo-
kuk and making friends around the
depot and among the business houses.
He had been off duty on a vacation
spent in fishing and had returned to
Keokuk Sunday night to prepare for
the first trip out Monday morning.
The Peoria Star has the following
to say of the accident:
One man was killed and several in
jured at II O'Clock today when five
loaded coal cars from the School mine
near South Bartonville ran down a
long incline and telescoped two cars
Of the incoming passenger train No.
which is due in Peoria at lilo
o'clock. William Hipsley, IS years old,
a mail clerk living at Canton, was in
SGohIly VI uohCu W uCdCu dultu IuC
ruins of the mail car. Bert Corners,
Gil Warner Ave, an express messen-
ger in the employ of the Adams Elk
press Co., narrowly escaped instant
death and was slightly injured His
car was smashed to kindling wood.
Four coaches full of passengers re-
ceived a fearful shaking up and some
of them were slightly injured. The
passenger cars did not leave the
track.
The passenger train was running
at fair rate of speed when the en-
gineer saw coming down the long In.
cline five rapidly moving loaded coal
cars. They were coming at a high
rate of speed Before he could take
any action the cars crashed into his
train. completely telescoping the
baggage and mail cars. and lifting
the engine entirely off the track. It
lodged on the top of the first coal
car where it now stands.
Saw The Cars Start.
Superintendent DENY, of the
mines, saw the loaded cars start and
Immediately telegraphed warning
ahead, but for some reason this did
not stop the train. At that time he
supposed that the switch leading tc
the derail had been left open as II
should have been, but he was aston
ished to see the loaded cars go reel
ing from side to side down the track
at top speed. 1t was then that he
frantically called the station to war;
South Bartonville what was coming.
1 1t is supposed that the switch a
the derail was left closed by the
members of the switching crew. TIL,
crew in charge Of the switch engine
was Charles Morris, engineer and W
i Jackson, fireman.
1 Men at the mine say that the car
apparently started of their own vol