Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-14
LOUIS SMITH, STRANGER,
CRUSHED BETWEEN CARS
Dead Body Wedsed In So Tightly That
II Could Not Be Removed Until
Wreekers Got to Scene Two En-.
eineers Escape With Slight Injuries
Seven Cars Damaged.

the afternoon. resulted in the death OF
Louis Smith, track worker, and in
iuries to l. W. Creighton and William
Nicholson. engineers. both of Des
Moines. Seven cars OF merchandise
and one stock car were either damaged
badly or demolished, and twenty nve
head of hogs were killed.
Only the fact that both trains were
moving slowly prevented a disastrous
wreck. Time freight No 81, south
bound. and with a heavy train, was
pulling into the city, and No. 81, To-
cal north bound freight, which ties UP
here. had Just arrived The engines
came together just about where
Twelfth avenue crosses tho tracks, and
where the track is built over the Linn
creek bottoms.
Trains Round Curves; Hit.
Nc 81 was getting ready to stop az
Twelfth avenue. where four loads were
10 be set out and four other cars TAX
en- on. The train was OF time. 3: ST.
No. s. had pulled down to Twelfth
avenue preparatory IL backing in on
siding.
That the engineers did not see one
another's train sooner WAS due to the
fact that both trains rounded curves
in the opposite directions. Enginemen
estimated that neither engine could
have been moving more than five miles
an hour. but the weight Of No. els
train and the fact that II was on
down grade. made the impact greater
than it would have been had the trains
been on a lsvel grade.
Conrad Baumler, Of Des Moines. En-
gineer Creighton's fireman on train
81. was probably the first TO see the
impending danger. Baumler was back
Of the tank putting away the fue
scrapsr when he saw So coming around
the curve He yelled TO Creighton,
who did all he could to stop MS train.
The weight Of the heavily loaded cars
and the grade prevented a complete
stop. altho the speed was slackened
considerably by the time the engines
struck.
Creighton Forced From Cab.
Creighton did not attempt to jump.
altho he was thrown from his cab. He
sustained a partial dislocatior OF the
left ankle The lieaments of the leg
We're also torn. James Jones. head
brakeman Of 81. who was riding the
engine jumped and was not hurt.
Baumler likewise escaped injury. altho
he did not jump.
Engineer William Nicholson. of No.
So. and his fireman. Terry" McGov-
ern both jumped Nicholson's right
ankle was hurt. the ligaments being
men were hurried to the Offices of Drs.
A B and A. c. Conaway. the COM
pany's surgeons. where their injuries
We're dressed The enginenen returned
to Des Moines Friday night.
Conductor Ed Hoffer. of Des Moines,
was in charge of train No 81. and
Conductor Tom Evans OF No. So. Evans
also lives in Des Moines.
Engines and Cars Damaged.
Both engines were damaged. the
head ends OF beth, the 352. pulling No.
81. and the 2s3. pulling No. 81, being
stove in. The pilot of the 2S3 was de-
rnolished, and the front trucks were
broken.
In train 81 a car loaded with farm
machinery pitched to the right. and
vas ditched The car was not badly
damaged, however. Another car loaded
with empty OIL cans for the Marshall
Oil Company was demolished. and cans
were strewn along the right-of- way
for couple of car lengths. A car load
ed with merchandise was overturned 10
the left Of the track. as was also an
other car loaded with gasolene and
presto lights These cars were pretty
badly wrecked.
No SIS train was made up with
car of hogs consigned by George
Schneider TO the Britain & Co. pack
ing house, next 70 1hs engine This car
was utterly demolished, the front END
of the car being crumpled into kindlins
| wood on top Of the engine tank. Halt
Of the animals in the car were either
killed outright or shot to end their suf-
ferings. The next car, loaded with
shelled corn, was damaged, and an
empty. following, was ditched toward
| the right Of the track. Another car foi-
| lowing was damaged slightly.
Nothing Known Of Smith.
| The body Of Louis Smith, which was
! found crushed in the end Of one OF
the cars Of train 81, was not removed
from the wreckage until about
O'Clock The body was pinned IN &c
tightly that 1t was not possible tc
| move 1t until the WfeCheE BoI ~ WI n
The man was identified thru railroad
Identification card on the mans per
son. The man had been working In the
railroad camp at Berlin.
| Smith was man apparently abou
80 years old, was about six feet tan
and weighed close to 200 pounds. HI
was dark complexioned, with Goa
black hair A scar on the right shin
looked as tho the nan might have
been burned there at some time.
| Smiths body was pretty badly
crushed about the hips. where he wa
wedged in.
4 Smiths body was removed to tn
| D. G. Wilbur store morgue. where II Il
being held awaiting any claim tina
may be made for It on the part OF rel
atives or friends. Coroner
Boucher, who was at the scene OF tn
wreck shortly after it occurred, decide'
to hold no inquest
Night Trains Dstour.
The night trains over the Grea
| Western were detoured between thu
city and Gladbrook on the North
western, via Tama- Nos. 3. 81, and