Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-01-07
Elements AIDED
D BRING ON WRECK
90 rRAlNMEN TESTIFY AT COR
oNER's INQUEST OF STATE
CENTER DISASTER.
PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES
COMBINED IN COLLISION
Head Freight Stopped BY Block Signal
Again by Air TrouhIe-Meantime
Freight Rushed on UP the GRACE
in the Binding Snow = Testimony
Not Completed Until Late.

Summing up the main points II the
testimony of the train-len, Who We-e
the chief witnesses ii the corone-'s
investigation OF the rea--end collision
near State Center Wednesday morning
it would appear tina, i was group Of
coincidental circumstances that worked
together TO cause the tragedy and the
death Of Louis Johnson. the Clinton
brakeman. and Frank Z. Smith, a we'll
known Upton farmer.
Both train crews took precautions. 50
the testimony runs. but severe snow
furry. which lasted nos more than
few minutes proved % be the fatal
period Of time During ,aa- time the
snow obscu-ed from Engineer Moor
houses eyes the train ahead o: him
and shut out from Conductor Thorla
vision. and the sigh, of MS brake:r Al,
johnson the train that was bearing
down upon Them.
Had Been Able to See.
Conductor c. Thomas, u Boone, VIII
was running extra 1856, the train that
was struck Is the Only member - The
train crew now alive who was in -he
way car WHEN Moora ouse's iocon olive
Struck il. He testified that bu. sho-,
time before the collision Re had baaA
able to see back along The rack as far
as State Center, half a mile distant
Then the snow furry came shutting
distant objects OUT of sight ard hiding
the train which was bearing down upon
them The head brakeman. Sey-?: ou-i
of Clinton. and s.e engine crew Of
Thomas train. did not know what mad
struck them until they felt the jar and
went TO the rear end OF the --ain.
Signal Caused Stop.
The spot where the collision hap
pened is in sag" From BOTH direc-
lions the tracks drop gradually down
the slopes No. 1.i66 was near tAe
lowest point Of the grade when II was
struck.
Thomas testified that his engineer
had been letting the train drift down
the grade toward the Sag" when a
semaphore signal. guarding the pas
senger train No % which had passed
the freight a state Center. s,oppe:
them. When the block Of -racl:
ahead was cleared by the signal. which
REQUIRED some minutes Of tine. re
train started again. went a Snort dis
lance. but found that the air brakes on
some Of the cars was locked. due - t',s
imperfect working OF the trains all
brake system. The train stopped again
to relieve this condition. but ONLY cams
to stop. Thomas said, and started
again al once.
Brakeman Goes Out
When the first stop was made, Tho-l2
as said Johnson, the rear brake-r1 ? 7
went back along the track. placed W.
torpedoes. ana stood guard 20 protect
the trains rear. TIE second stop
which was scarcely more than pause
was brief, Thomas said, that johnson
did not go out. II was Just after t7=
train had started the second time the
freigh. from the rear crashed !Eto ms
caboose.
Engineer Moo-ehouse. who was pull
ing the second freight. which was DO
ing the work Of train No. 125, but "5lcs
ha dlost ali running rights because /
was more than twelve hours late. stop
ped at Lanoille for No % 10 pass. Th'
train had forty-tou- cars most ..
them loaded, including car q powde.
and one Of gasoline.
Runs Onto Torpedoes.
From the time ne pulled thru S.a-'
Center until he struck the freight ahead
Moorehouse said the STOW was BLOWN:
hard. and he could sac bur short dis
lance ahead. He said his head was in
side the cab, but that when he raj
over the first torpedo. he opened n
window. and shut eff his engine. The,
he struck the second torpedo. and n
applied the brake A short time ate
he struck the forward trains way car
He said he was going down the grad
at a rate Of twenty miles an hour whel
he exploded the first torpedo. but tina
the train was not running more thal
ten miles an hour when he ran into IN
train He thought he was not farthe
than eight car lengths away from tn
head freight when ne saw It's rear END
and that he used every means possibl
to bring the train TO a stop.
Continued This Afternoon.
a number OF other witnesses, :::2IG Z
ing members Of both train crews wer
examined this afternoon, when tn
hearing recon menced at 1870 o'clocl
and 1t is probable that no verdict xxi
be returned until late in the day. Tn
company is represented at the hesrin
by claim agents. who have a stenog
rapf1er to take the testimony in full
The investigation is being held in III