Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-01-04
REAR-END COLLISION ORjNoo
DEATH TO CLINTON BRAKE.
MAN AND Upton FARMER So N
BOTH BODIES cREMArEp
IN BURNING WREckAoei
Louis Johnson, Freight Brakeman, assl /
Frank e. Smith, Farmer, the Victims
-First Train Has Not Box, and I'll
Stopping TO Cool Car Second Traia
Crashes Into Rear.
MvM sEa "

Death was meted out suddenly 0e&
10:+5 today TO Louis Johnson. OF Clin.
ton. and Frank r.. Smith. OF Upton,
when a merchandise train, No. 1875, ont
| the Chicago & Northwestern. crashed
into the rear of an extra freight at Z 1
point one-half mile west OF State Cen. /
ter. Johnson. who was q freight brake.
! man on the head train, and Smith, who I
was In charge OF an emigrant outfit,
killed Instantly. Their bodies wcr0i
crcmnted In the blaze that followed thot
wreck.
Train Runs Past Signals.
The crew OF the extra freight dis,
covered hot box shortly after leavin0
State Center. and tho fire had BEEN
communicated to the car. Tho train
was stopped and efforts were made tn
extinguish the blaze and get the box
cooled. Torpcdoes were placed back OF
the train about four car lengths, but
too close to prevent tho engineer Of No.
IFS stopping after striking the signals.
Whether or not a flagman had BEEN
sent back OF the flnt freight could nots
be learned either at the State Centert
station or at the scene OF the werck. .
johnson at Rear Of Train.
Louis Johnson. the rear brakeman
who was killed. was at the end OF the 4
| train when the crash came. The mans
body fell into the ruins OF the wrecked I
cars. and the fire that broke out im- i
mediately made 1t Impossible to recover /
the body from the ruins before Ii vast
inCinerated
Smith Caught in Emierant Car.
While accompanying his emigranei
car bearing his farming uten-
sils and household effects to a new
home at Arthur. Frank e. Smith. q
/ young farmer from Upton. met instant
death and his body. like Johnson's. was !.
! prey to the flames by being buried be-
/ Meath The wrgckase. at State Center.
or among the tranmen. no knowledg0
OF the identity OF the occupant OF tho
emigrant car was available. It wasf
known. however. that the car was re-
| ceived at Upton. destined for Arthur.
The agent of the Chicago & North /
western at Upton, who was called by
tho T.-R. on the telephone. said that
the em!grant leaving Upton destined
for Arthur was Frank Il. Smith. Mr..
Smith departed from Upton at noon
Tuesday. leaving behind him a young
Wife and two small children who in
tended TO Join the husband and father
in tho new Ida county home within q
few days. Mr.. Smith was about IS years
old.
Several Cars Badly Damaged.
AS result Of the collision several
cars OF the hrst train were badly dam.
aged. some OF them being reduced to-
k ipilIYur I'm nv hn
ira train was destroyed. together with.
one car OF coal, and several other cars
OF the first train were more or less
damaged. The front trucks OF tho cn-f
CINE hauling train 125 werc derailed.
Snow FURRY Aids in Responsibility.
The binding snow. that was falling
in n furry at the time the wreck oc>t
CURED. is declared to have aided In the
| responsibility for the accident The
egineer OF the second train was IN.
able to- see very far ahead at tho time
and. In fact, came upon tho train
ahead OF him so suddenly that neither
he nor his fireman had time to Jump.
Neither OF the englnemen was injured
however.
Another Narrowly Avsrtsd.
a second collision was narrowlyS
averted. one. too. that might have
proved as disastrous as tho calamityl
OF last March near Green Mountains.
After the two freight trains had col-l
lided the wreck zone was tagged onl
both sides by members OF the twoj
crews. The flagman OF west Of thoi
wreck had no moro than got to hisi
| station when. down the three mile,
grade. and running at high speed. was
No. ., tho fast overland limited. run
ming several hours late. The enginecNi
managed to set good control OIL
his train upon seeing the Nag and all!
tho slowing down tho big engine OF tho.
passenger train was almost even with
the freight engine hauling the first
train. the rear of which had so recently
witnessed death and destruction. Had
the passenger train gone ahead Il
would have run into the wreckage.
which spread over tho north track as
well as the south. the track on which
the wreck occurred.
Wreeker Clearing Tracks.
The wreckcr from Boone reached the &
scene of the wreck about O'Clock. and y
began clearing tho tracks. Traffic was.
tied up for several hours from both
directions. some trains being held at 3
State Center and others at Colo. "a
Make CHASTITY Find.
At 3:l5 tho wreck was cleared. ana y
with the removal OF the debris q ghast- u
ly find was made. Under pile % Is
smoldering coal were picked up the IA
charred bones Of the two dead Men, ta
johnson and Smith. The largest ffa9-
ment was the Jaw bone OF o3e oE - II
men. m 81 ~ n.y. 4