The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-02-25
ENGINEER AND FIREMAN KILL
ED.
"A Bad Wreck on Great Western Il. Il
Near TalmaSe Monday Morning.

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Harry Hitchcock of Des Moines, q
fireman on the Great Western, was
instantly killed and James Maxwell
also OF this city, died as result OF
injuries received in wreck yester.
day morning, two and half miles
north Of Talmage, says the Tuesday S
Register and Leader.
F. NJ. Perry, of Waterloo, a mail
clerk and FL. G. Morton, superintend-
ent OF water supply and resident OF
Des Moines, were injured in the
wreck. Perry was taken to the
Mercy Hospital late yesterday after-
noon after being removed from the
scene of the wreck on special train.
His right hip was badly bruised on
the body and cuts on the face caused
him pain.
Morton escaped death in remark
able way by crawling out a hole in
the floor OF the first baggage car. He
was caught in the car with two 9th
err men and managed to get out in
spite of injuries to his right leg and
bruises about the body and face.
Morton was able to. go to his home at
1886 Tenth street, after his arrival
| Ill bcS NO1ucS.
Derailment Believed Cause.
The wreck is thought to have been
caused by derailment. A careful ex-
animation Of the track failed to re-
veal why the big engine jumped the
track and dragged with it half of the
train, but rails, ties and all were
torn away when the engine and cars
toppled off the embankment.
The makeup Of the train with all
steel coaches probably averted rope
tition of the Green Mountain disaster
in March 1910, when more than fifty
passengers met death.
Not one of the passengers were SER
iously hurt. Several received minor
bruises which We're forgotten aftcr
an examination of the wreck was
made and the narrow escape appre-
ciated.
But Little Warning.
According to members of the crew,
the train was running at about thirty
miles an hour when the accident hap
pened. A gang OF men had been re-
pairing the track near where the
train plunged over the embank ment.
The only warning was q jar which
threw nearly everybody off their
seats, and the engine and three cars
had jumped from the rails.
There were six cars in the train.
The engine and tender with two bag
gage cars went to the bottom of a
twenty foot embankment. The smOk-
er remained in a perilous position on
its side ready 10 turn clear over IN
its plunge TO the bottom.
A chair car, a sleeper and diner
remained partly on the track. The
chair car was partly over the en-
bankment but in no danger of fall
ing The sleeper and diner stood on
the tracks but had plowed into the
road bed, tearing up the tracks and
ties. The trucks Of both these cars
were broken from the Earring after
the train left the track.
Rushed to the Front.
DR.. G. NJ. Boteler and Lewis Mot
ter, of st. Joe, Mo-, were in the smok-
ing compartment of the Pullman
when the train left the rails. They
jumped up from the
them and passed through two other
cars to see what had happened.
When they reached the front Of
the train the head and shoulders Of
Engineer Maxwell could be seen in
the cab window. The big engine was
lying on one side with the drive
wheels still turning. A great cloud
of steam shut off the mass of wreck
age from view. +
Maxwell called for help and DR..
Boteler and other men tried to reach
him as soon as possible. 1t was sew
eral minutes before the engineer was
dragged from the cab. Steam had
got to his lower body, and one arm
was terribly crushed in the Wreckage
of the cab. The right hand clung to
the emergency brake and the lever
was pulled from the cab when the
man was dragged away.
Amputates Crushed Arm.
DR.. Boteler directed the work of
caring for the injured man and am
putated the injured left arm, This
was done with a common pocket
knife, owing to the lack Of anything |
better in the way of surgeons tools. !
A hunt for Hitchcock was begun
but not trace was found of the fire
man until about O'Clock in the at !
when his body was dug from
lnder the overturned locomotive. He
had been caught by the engine when
It turned over and death must have |
)een instantaneous.
In the first baggage car John Cole
nan, mail clerk from Des Moines,
F. NJ. Perry, another mail clerk, and
H. G. Morton were working. When
he train left the rails the three men
we're piled up in one end of the car.
All Make Escape.
Steam from the engine filled the
ar and hole through the bottom
vas discovered. All made their way
,ut and were assisted to safety by
nen from the train.
In the second baggage car I. W.
-urtis of Des Moines, travelling audi
or for the Wells Fargo Express, Co.
vas checking up J. Bloom, the mes
enger. The pile of baggage was
brown upon them and both were
Knocked senseiess. They were remov-
rom the car which stood on its side
'art way down the embankment
Curtis and Bloom recovered from
he rough treatment and were able
O walk around later. Their injuries
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