The San Francisco call., 1910-03-22
MANY BODIES CRUSHED
BEYOND RECOGNITION
MarshalltOwn Coroner Thrown
From Red Cross Ambulance
While Working With
the Victims
ACCIDENT CAUSED BY
SPREADING OF RAIL,

MARSHALLTOwN. Iowa. March II.
Forty-five persons were killed and 40
were injured. many OF them fatally. in q.
wreck Of a Chicago. Rock Island and
Pacific train four and a half miles
north of Green Mountain. Ia. az SIG
a m. today.
The train, which was a consolidation
of No. 1s from Chicago and No. 81 from
ST, Louis. bound for Minneap polls. was
being detoured over the tracks OF tha
Chicago Great Western road. Running
at about 80 miles an hour in a cue
north OF Green Mountain IT struck a
spread rail. IT is believed
Pilot Jumps Track
The pilot locomotive jumped thetrsck
and with terrific force was buried in an
embankment Of soft clay. second
locomotive. coupled behind the first.
rolled over and the sudden stop hurled
all the rear cars forward.
A coach. a smoker and Pullman car
were smashed TO splinte-s. almost all
of the occupants being killed or In
jured- The superstructure OF the Pull
man was literally wed of and was
jammed like ramrod through thu
smoker and day coach.
Many passengers were killed out
right. Heads were severed from bodies
and arms and legs were cut of. The
wreckage was crimson with blood some
of the bodies being crushed beyond
recognition in the mass OF twisted rails
and splintered cars. a few of the pas
sengers were found still living with a
rod or splinter impaHng them in the
wreck Decapitated bodies were picked
up and it was almost impossible to as
sort correctly the dismembered parts.
Injured Cared For
sFirst attention was given to the In
jured. Their cries came from beneath
the cars. calling for prompt aid For
tunately the wreckage did not take IRE.
The rescue party. reinforced later on
and surgeons sent from the nearest
available points. worked all day and
until long after dark The injured
were rushed TO a hospital. several OF
them dying on the way Two of the
bodies were not taken out until night.
An explanation given by the railroad
was that the train was being detoured
on account OF a blockade due 10 a
freight wreck at Shellsburg. Ia. The
section from St Louis which left at
2:15 D. m sunday. and the section
from Chicago. which left at AIS D. N.
Sunday. had been consolidated at Cedar
Rapids. They We're TO have been un-
coupled and run as separate trains ac
Waterloo. The St Louis section IS
operated by the Rock Island in con-
junction with the Chicago. Burlington
and Quincy.
Fatalities occurred only in the hrse
three coaches. The rear coaches ali
remained on the track
Thirteen Cars in Train
The i'll fated train consisted OF IS
cars. The Pullman car from St Louis
was leading the train next 10 engine
No. 1908. Then came a smoker and a
day coach in which there were many
women and children
While the last 10 cars OF the train
remained on the track. the shock sent
the passengers sprawIing from their
seats to the floor
Conductor William Worst was the
first to grasp the situation. He sent
trainmen 10 flag train 41s. bound for
Sioux City. while others were hurried
10 Gladbrook and Green Mountain
The uninjured passengers then began
10 remove the dead and injured The
dead were taken TO an adjoining pas
ture and laid out on the grass Ii was
two hours before relief train from
Marshalltown. carrying surgeons and
Coroner E W. Jay. arrived
Coroner Jay. himself surgeon. was
fastening in .. Red Cross ambulance tn
a hospital in Marshalltown when hs
was thrown 10 the pavement as the
ambulance rounded the corner He was
picked up unconscious II is believed
that his back IS broken and that hs
can not live
ST. Thomas hospital in Marshalltowu
was soon filled and other rooms were
pressed into service The removal of
the bodies showed that the worst u