Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-31


gines leaving the track first.
A rail being loose may nave been
the cause of the engines going of.
the roadbed was soft, but the
track was in a good condition OF
repair.
The speed of the train was not
excessive and not over twenty-five
miles an hour.
Running an engine backward IS
not considered especially hazard
y Gus. provided the speed is not 100
great and weather conditions are
not unfavorable.
Not considered good railroa ding
to put heavy and strong cars at
both ends OF train, with lighter
ana less substantial cars between
them.
No effort was made to turn en-
gines here because the pilot, John
White said they were TOO large
and heavy FOR the Y"
The Investigation OF the state rail-
road commissioners into the Rock
Island wreck OF March q, near Green
Mountain, after being in progress for
two days, was brought 70 a close late
Wednesday afternoon. Attic thirty
seven witnesses were examined. and a
very large bulk Of testimony was taken,
it is admitted that the commission
knows little more as 10 the exact cause
of the werck than it did before the
inquiry began.
That il may have been a loose rail,
or a rail loose at one end, was the
closest plausible reason given by any Of
the witnesses. But testimony on this
point was IA from positive. and was
but the opinion Of a railroad official
who had made a careful examination
Report WIZ Re Delayed.
1t will be some time, il is not known
exactly how long. before the commits
sion will make q report Of its finding as
result OF the investigation. None Of
the commissioners We're able 10 say las
night how soon i would be prepared
The evidence is 70 be transcribed am
gone over, and the large number of ex-
hibits, which include train orders
photographs, railroad rule books, blu
prints of engineers, cars, and the seem
of the wreck TO be looked over.
All of those who attended the in
vestigation were impressed with tht
fact that the investigation was thor
ough, and the commission made an eff
fort to get all Of the evidence of the
subject that could De obtained.
The commissioners were agreeably
surprised by the attitude OF the rail-
road Officials, Who seemed to have
made every effort possible 10 lay be-
fore the commissioners everything
that would tend u ala in the inquiry
The railroads furnished practically al
of the witnesses. most Of them being
H. 81
Theory OF the Broken Rail.
The most important evidence Of the
Wednesday afternoon sitting Of tht
commission that tended % touch on the
exact cause Of the wreck was giver
by E. S. Prichard, the Rock Island IN.
gineer, who was the only enginemar
TO survive, and c. NJ Marshall, roa6
foreman Of equipment for the Rock Is
land
Mr. Prichard was reasonably positive
that the lead engine left the track first
He saw il sway and saw Enginee,
Robinson disappear from view The de.
tails of what happened were then los
to him.
Following his testimony MI Mar.
shall went on the stand, and basinE
mis- opinion on careful examination
and investigation of the scene he hat
made. he said that it might have beer
a loose rail thar caused the engine {,
go off
Found Rail Under Engine.
Altho Mr.. Marshall was not so posi-
tive that the rail being loose caused
the derailment, he was positive tina
the rail under the second engine, thu
1908. had been pushed to the right sid
r,fr ? o vi -of- fr-1y,
bent under the engine when the loco
motive was lifted. He produced
sketch of this rail to show how 1t wa
bent and twisted.
MY opinion he said. was that tn
y; =eii had slia ont and the engine ha
pushed it sidewise SO that the engin
went over to the east" He said tn
rail was not broken, but was badl
bent.
That the rail might have been out o
place when the engines got to # h
thought was sustained by the fact tina
ON the end Of the inside of this raj
there was a bad dent.
This would Indicate Mr.. Marshal
said, '.that the rail was out Of plac
when the dent was made"
Declares Track Was Soft.
II was pretty well established tina
standing in the ditch on both side
Of the track was established by sew
eral witnesses. Mr.. Marshall said tina
In the work Of picking up the wreckag
he found the roadbed soft.
Mr.. Marshall gave some admirabl
evidence touching on the speed of tn
train. He said he found the throttle {
the forward engine open and the brak
valve was in running position and tn
reverse lever was in q position ths
would have made high speed impossi
bic. This lever, he was positive, wa
lust as It was when the engine stoppe,
for the reason. he said, that it was s
- liant that 1t had to be taken off befoI
et could be removed.
The position Of all Of these levers,
declared. indicated that whatever ilar
pened, happened very quickly. and s
quickly that the engineer had no tin
20 attempt to stop.
Asked the reason for the great los