Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-26
UNDER WRECkACE
3HoURS;ESCAPES
George Hyatt. Engineer on Milwaukee,
Has Thrilling Experience-En.
CINE Is Demolished.

death when the Southwest Limited
train on the Milwaukee, which he was
driving. ran into a defective switch a:
the Twenty-fifth street crossing, Mo-
line, at 1918 last evening, telescop-
ing the engine, tender and baggage
coach.
Although the big engine was COM
pletely demolished and the track torn up
for half hundred feet between Twen-
ty-fourth and Twenty-fifth streets,
only two persons were injured, Hyatt
and W. H. Roe, conductor. vino has
a broken arm. Both of the men are
in the Moline city hospital. Neither
is seriously hurt and both expect to
leave the institution within few days.
after recovering from the nervous
shock and minor cuts and wounds
which they sustained.
For time Engineer Hyatt's pain
was intense, as he was held pris-
oner in his cab. Shoot me, please,
and put me out of my misery, but for
Gods sake get the passengers out"
he called at one time. He was
conscious during the entire time he
was in the wreckage and directed the
work of his rescuers. Hyatt's burns
are proving quite painful, but physi-
clans say he probably will be able to
return home in week. He is AZ
years of age and lives at 1740 North
Keller avenue, Chicago, while Conduc-
tor Roe, who is So, lives in the same
city, at 4041 Ellis avenue. Thomas
Kelly, fireman, got out OF the cab as
it was falling and was uninjured.
1t was just before the train reached
the depot at Twenty-frst street thai
the accident occurred. The conductor
had already opened the door to allow
passengers to alight, when there was
a sudden jar as the engine slowed
down to Is miles an hour preparatory
to stopping. Just at switch, at an
abrupt turn in the track, the front
wheels of the engine left the rails,
then the iron monster wobbled a bit
and off it came, dragging the tender
and baggage car with it. Deep into
the ground the engine and its tender
dug its nose and made straight for
nearby lumber pile and then fell on
the south side of the tracks, while the
baggage coach went to the north side,
about fifty feet behind. Although the
front trucks of the day coach left the
ralls the coach remained upright.
Fireman Kelly, who was untouched,
Immediately called the fire depart
ment and the police station. When
the firemen arrived escaping steam
made it extremely difficult to work.
Engineer Hyatt appraised the rescuers
OF his presence by calling out that he
was being drowned in the water from
the boiler. He was caught between
air pipes on the north side of the cab,
Talking continually to those working
Tor his release, the brave engineer in
sisted on knowing if any of the pas
sengers had been hurt, and when in
formed they had not been. he was
much relieved and then calmly waited
Tor three hours, which seemed an etern-
lty, before his liberation. Hot pipes
were burning him, but he did not com
plain.
The first move was to ATTEMPT to
dig Hyatt out. For two steady hours
the workers labored and then Hyatt's
hlps were freed, although his legs
were still caught 1t was l O'Clock
before the wrecking crane from the
Rock Island shops at Silvis, which had
to be sent to Rock Island in order to
De turned SO that the front part of
tne engine could be removed first, and
al l:3O the heavy mogul was swung
away and the injured man liberated.
while the. rescue work had been
going on the day coach had been Civ
en- new trucks. another engine and
tender from Davenport was secured
ana, minus its baggage car, the train
proceeded to Rock Island over the
tracks OF the Burlington. Trains are
running today as usual, using Bur-
ilngton tracks. A hundred feet of
track has been relaid. The baggage
car is still in its upturned position
alongside the track, while the engine
is ready for the junk heap.
Although it was thought at first a
detective switch caused the wreck.
through the frog being spread bv
lrost, railroad officials today are dis
credlting this theory, claiming that
al examination of both track and
switch showed both in good shape. A
lrelght train passed over the same
tracks little while before.
II Is the opinion of one railroad
man that the wreck might have been
iue to a heavy pile of ashes which
lau peen placed between the tracks
Just at the end of the switch. The
ashes were considerably above the
rack level and might have caused
me engine to leave the tracks.
IL was within four blocks of the
scene OF last nights accident that the
southwest Limited was wrecked d
year and half ago by an open switch.
Leo Miller. fireman, losing his life,
ne engineer having both legs cut off
ihd scores of passengers hurt.
Two Moline men were among theI
passengers who narrowly lost their
ives IN the wreck. They are Robert
montgomery of the Montgomery Ele-
'ator company and 0. d. Wolf, assist
INT superintendent of the Moline Rock
STAND Eastern Traction company.
seitner was injured. Both were in
ne day coach. Both we're hurled to
ne moor OF the car when the engine
plunged off the tracks.
MI. wolf was hurled a distance of
D feet, landing fiat on his back in
ne aisle. Il didn't know what had
'appened until l got outside" said
Or. Wolf this morning II was stand
ny IN the rear end of the coach lust
etore the wreck occurred.
Inc conductor had cried out Mo-
Inc few minutes earlier. knew
We were very near the station, for |