Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-20

81 INJURED AS {
TRAINS.CRASHA AT
MISSOURI VALLEY
Mail Train Telescopes Coach
Of Passenger Train on
Northwestern.

Three hours late and travelling
at high speed to make up lost time,
the Chicago and Northwestern fast
mail train No. 9, westbound from
Chicago, crashed into the rear coach
of passenger train No. 2l5, Sioux
City and South Dakota train, heavi-
ly loaded with Christmas travellers,
on a siding one mile west of Mis-
souri, Valley, Ia, at 1890 yesterday
morning, injuring 81 persons, one
probably seriously, and bruising 40
more.
List Of Injured.
Those injured in the wreck we're:
Mrs. Lillian M. Bowder, Timber
Lake, S. D., internal and spinal in
juries, in serious condition.
Mr.. and Mrs. O. ]. Moran, Sylvia,
Kan, cut about head and bruised.
Viola Moran, 10 years old, and
four small children of O. ]. Moran,
cut and bruised.
Mr.. and Mrs. Jacob Johnson,
Lake Preston, S. D., cut and
bruised.
Mr.. and Mrs. William Gerhardt,
Raymond, S. D., cuts and bruises.
Albert Zall, Forest City, S. D.,
scalp wounds and bruises.
Caleb Morrell, Carthage, S. D.,
deep cut over eye.
Walter Priebe, Adgerley, S. D.,
arms and hands cut.
w. E. Reece, mail clerk, Chicago,
deep cuts on hands.
Fred Waltham, Wichita, Kan,
face cut and body bruises.
F.. S. Munser, mail clerk, Chicago,
hands and arms cut.
A. D. Dorman. conductor of train
No. 2ls, Boone, Ia, knee wrenched.
Pullman Car Telescoped.
The switch to the side track was
open and the speeding train COM
pletely- telescoped the coach on the
rear of the train. Witnesses of the
accident allege that the engineer
of the mail train was reading orders
and did not notice that he was on
the siding until his engine was about
100 feet past the switch. Air brakes
were applied and the engine re-
versed, but the speed of the. train
slakened but slightly before the
crash.
Every physician in Missouri VAL
ley was taken to the scene and rem
dered first aid and volunteers as
sisted in extricating the injured from
the wreckage.j A relief train with
physicians and nurses was made up
in Council Bluffs and run on spe-
cial schedule to the scene. The in
jured were taken to Council Bluffs
on two sections of the train Sixteen
cf the injured were taken to Mercy
Council Bluffs, for treat
fnent.
Thirteen Of the 16 clerks on the
mail train were injured, but II whose
injuries were slight came to Omaha.
Mrs. Bowder Seriously Injured.
Mrs. Lillian M. Bowder, Timber
Lake, S. D., was the most seriously
injured. She is suffering from in
ternal and spinal injuries that may
prove fatal An X-ray examination
last night showed that her spine was
not fractured as was first believed.
Mrs. Bowder was en- route to Nal
vern, Ark, to spend Christmas with
her parents. and was sitting in rear
seat of the coach. When the crash
came she was thrown to the center
of the car.
The engineer and fireman of the
mail train escaped injury by jun,
ing. Brakeman ]. Barnard of the
passenger train was thrown through
window, but landed on a snow
pile and escaped injury. The injuries
to mail clerks were mostly caused
by cuts from mail sack hooks.
The passenger train was ordered
on the siding to permit the fast mail
to pass and the trains were not more
than 1000 yards apart when the
passenger got off of the main line.
Passenger train No. II at that time
entered the same "block" as the
other two trains and for the moment
is said to have obscured the view of
the engineer of the fast mail of the
switch.
w. G. Goodrich, claim agent of the
railroad, after an investigation said
that the switch was opened by the
Sioux City train running over an
electrical device at the upper end of
the Y.
A. D. Dorman, conductor of the
mail train. said the switch was open
when his train came around the bend
and that there was nothing to indi-
cate upon which track the passenger
train Mas Standing