Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-19
THOMAS n. coYNE KILLED
UNDER BOXES IN CRASH OF
"WilD" CARS.
BOXED APPLES ToPPLED
OVER, CRUSHING WORKER
One Oar Being Moved by Workmsn
At Central Foundry Company Gsts
Away--strikss Two othsrs on
Down Grade, the Three Crashing
Into Car In Which Coyns Worked.

OF the Chicago Great "esIefn' se''
ing the Central Foundry Company
and other businesses, got beyond
control at TAO this morning. crashed
into q car Of boxed apples at the
Wand Fruit Company. First avenue
and Nevada street, fatally crushing
Thomas H. Coyne, "a years old. son
of Mr.. and Mrs. John w. Coyne'
Az South Nevada street, who was IN
the car unloading 1t. Coyne was
rushed to the Deaconess hospital
where he died soon after being carri-
ed into the building.
DR.. George d. Hermence, who was
called, said Coyne sustained a rup-
ture Of the lungs. caused by peins
squeezed between the falling boxes
and a fracture at the base Of the
skull. Either injury would have been
fatal.
Crushed Between Boxes.
The car was loaded to capacity
with boxed apples, piled high IN
tiers. leaving only a narrow aisle
thru the car between the two doors.
To unload the apples 1t was neces-
sary to stand In this passage. ana
when the runaway cars struck the
car. the boxes toppled into this aisle
fl ON both sides, catching Coyne ana
crushing him under their weight.
The car was standing on a spur
that also serves the Gervich JUNK
Yard, Marshall Milling Company
Ward Lumber Company and the
Central foundry. The first car of the
wild string" got away at the found
~. when employees attempted 10
pinch" !; down the spur few feet
in order to clear the crossing over
which they haul sand into the found
~.
Blocking II Fails.
". II. Hollcroft. foreman OF the
foundry, and Jack Hockridge. at
tempted to stop the car by placing
pieces of 2x4 on the rails and had
managed to get the car almost to
standstill. when 1t passed thru de-
rail switch, which they supposed was
open.
The car gathered momentum and
struck a car Of lath at the Ward
lumber yard. on which the brakes
were not set. An ernploye of the
lumber company climbed to the top
OF this car and tried to set the
brakes, but the rails were slippery
and the brake did not hold. When
the two cars reached the point far.
Their south where the grade is steep
err, they bumped a car of coal near
the Marshall Milling Company. All
three cars increased their speed and
when they shot over the First ave-
nue crossing. the switchmen there
said they were going so fast that he
could do nothing TO stop them.
Crash Over Derail.
From the appearance of a derail,
placed about fifty feet from where
the car Of apples was standing. it is
believed that the switch was open.
The cars jumped II. for the iron
showed the marks of a wheels
nanEes and the front of the deran
was freshly broken off. q
The speed Of the cars when they
struck the apple car was rapid. for
the cars plowed thru a cinder and
tie banking at the end Of the spcr,
and dug thru the ground fifty feet.
the wheels sinking almost out o.
sight.
The steel runway leading from the
Wand Fruit Company shipping plat
form 10 the refrigerator car. sheared
neatly thru the three-quarter inch
siding of the building, for a distance
of ten feet, when It was hit by the
runaway cars.
w. H. Holcroft, OF the foundry,
said that they have been In the hab-
1t Of moving cars themselves, with
out having q switch engine to do 1t.
They have moved on an average OF
eight to ten cars q month. Accord
ing to Mr.. Hollcroft, car got away
last Sunday, and crashed into an.
other, but luckily the first derail in
the spur was open and both cara
went into the ditch.
80 Served In World War.
Coyne was born at Dillon, Sept. go,
1895. The family has lived hero for
number Of years and Coyne was
reared here. He enlisted in Noven-
Der, 1917. was assigned to bakery
company No. 35l and was promoted
to be sergeant, He served in France
and was discharged in the spring of
1919.
In addition to tho parents, one
brother and two sisters, Marion
Coyne and Mrs. Myron Evans, city.
and Mrs. Louis Gummert, Quarry.
survive him.
Tho funeral viii he heIA e. -
o'clock Wednesday morning at st.
Mary's church, and the body will be
taken that forenoon to Nevada for
burial