Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-24

Two Chicago & Northwestern loco
motive engineers, and one wreckins
crew foreman, were enabled TO pre-
sent themselves as Christmas pres
cnts to their wives and families to-
day, as the result of special act o.
Providence, which saved their hVes
from the very jaws of death at 6:i5
Thursday night. .
While speeding forty miles an hour,
with two big passenger engines at
tached TO a single empty coach, En-
gineer Anthony J. O'Hara, 504 Tenth
avenue, Clinton, and Engineer John w.
Lea, i30 Eighth avenue, Clinton, met
with the most peculiar m!shap of their
long careers as enginemen. Their en-
gines were struck by the rear OF the
hosting engine of a wrecking GER
rick, at work on the east-bound track.
Just as the west-bound train reached
the spot where the wrecker was al
work. it was engaged in swinging OUT
its crane to pick up refrigerator car
that had been ditched the afternoon
before The rear of the hoisting en-
CINE swung out over the west bound
track, failing TO clear it when the
train approached.
Accident Without Warning.
Three miles west of this city, at
about the foot of the "Four-mlle Mill
oil the Lincoln highway. without any
warning al all. the two engineers were
hurled from their seats. OHara was
thrown from his cab. and was picked
up unconscious several feet distant
from where the accident occurred. Lea
was thrown on the deck of his en-
CINE. The right side of each engine
was completely stripped. and the
steam escaped so rapidly that the en-
gines died after going about block.
Whistle Alarms Countryside.
The whistle of No. 1919, big Glass
E locomotive which Lea was driving as
the second of the doubleheader. was
broken by the terrific blow Of the
hosting engine. A long, loud. blood
curdling screech on the still night air
aroused the countryside for miles
around, and a crowd had gathered in
a short time.
Word received in this city by tele-
phone from people of the neighborhood
was to the effect that two passengers
were killed and several injured. Two
ambulances We're summoned to the sta
ton to receive the injured, and DR.. g.
E. Hermance. the company surgeon.
Coroner A. r. Lynn, and DR.. G. w.
Harris, were in waiting to care for
them.
Escape With Minor Injuries.
But there was no need for ambu-
lances altho O'Hara did consent TO use
one because of badly sprained right
knee, the only thing he had to show
for being knocked thirty or forty feet
on the frozen ground out of a fast
moving locomotive. Lea suffered a
fracture Of the middle finger of his
right hand, just back of the knuckie
joint. The injuries of both men were
dressed by Dr. Hermance at his Of
flee.
L. Halter, Of Boone, foreman of the
wrecking crew. also was injured slight
ly, receiving sprain and bruise Of his
right knee when he was struck by the
hosting engine as it was swung about
after hitting the locomotive. 1t was
also a wonder that he too was not
killed.
The damage to the engines was con-
fined 10 the right side as they were go
ing west, and the two firemen were I'M
able to realize that there had been
an accident until after it was all over.
W. f. Meeker was O'Hara's fireman.
and F. c. Myers was with Lea. Both
are from Clinton. Both engines were
taken to Boone this morning for re-
pairs, and will be hurried thru the
shops, as the road is short on pas
senger motive power All of the win
dows of the coach were broken and
the steps, torn off.
Cause Not Aseertained.
The cause OF the accident has not
been announced officially, but it is
more than likely that some one of the
wrecking crew will be held responsible.
1t was surnised at the wreck that fail
ure to observe the signals for the west
bound train was responsible for the
wrecker not being in the clear.
The west-bound train was running
as the second section of No 10, the
Pacific limited, due out of here at 500,
hut twenty minutes late Thursday even
ing. The second section, which was
deadhead equipment for the second
sections of No. %, the east-bound pas
senger, due here at 11:5S. and No. 26.
the east-bound fast mail, due at 12:7<.
The train was running about five rnffi-
utes behind the regular train
FIagman Acts as Tho crazed.
When the flagman for the wrecking
outfit came into the way car in which
Lea and O'Hara were brought back to
this city, he appeared to have lost his
reason temporarily. The man thought
that the wreck was Of No. 10, and that
many passengers had been killed. His
condition was pitiful until he finally
realized that no lives had been lost,
and that the men hurt were not in
tured seriously. 4
First Time Ever Hurt.
O'Hara and Lea, the two engineers
who were so fortunate as to escape
anything more than minor injuries,
were hurt for the first time in their
long railroad careers in this unusual
accident. O'Hara, who is IS years old,
has been railroading thirty years, and
Lea, who is Al, has been in the service
% years. The men both left for CIin-
ton on No. %, early this morning.
Lea is brother in-law Of Mrs. A.
Rice, 514 Bromley street.
within the Law"