Rev. C. H. Jensen- Car Hit By Fast Train At Atlantic (1925)

JENSEN, PETERSEN, FERGUSEN, BING, BLUST

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 6/14/2010 at 22:05:37

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Sept. 3, 1925, pg. 1
CAR HIT BY FAST
TRAIN AT ATLANTIC
------------
Head of Danish Lutheran Dis-
trict Killed in Crash and
Other Man Injured
------------
Rev. C. H. Jensen, president of the
Iowa district of the Danish Lutheran
church, formerly of Racine, Wis., and
now of Des Moines, was killed, and
Wilbur Petersen, head of the Elma
Orphans' Home at Elk Horn was bad-
ly injured about noon yesterday when
the car in which they were riding,
a Ford coupe, was struck by a west
bound Rock Island flyer, two and one-
half miles west of Atlantic. The car
was demolished and the men were
dragged a considerable distance by the
train. They were taken by the train
crew to Avoca, Jensen's remains to the
Blust funeral home and Mr. Petersen
to the office of Dr. Fergusen.

Jensen Dies Instantly

Jensen's death was practically in-
stantaneous, according to reports. The
train was stopped after the accident
and the dead and injured men taken
on board immediately. Mr. Petersen
was able to talk at Avoca and said
that he was driving the car at the
time it was struck. He drove onto the
track from the south, he said, on the
way from Atlantic to Elk Horn, and
they did not see the train until it was
on them. The crossing there is a bad
one, the Elk Horn road crossing it
and making a sharp turn to the north,
and although the approach from the
south is better than that from the
north, both are bad enough. "We did
not have time to do anything," said
Petersen, "after we saw the train, till
it was on us. Rev. Jensen said to me,
"There is a train," and in a second
the crash came."

Petersen is about forty-five years
of age. Several broken ribs and bad
bruises are the extent of his injuries.

When the train struck the car Rev.
Jensen received the worst of the im-
pact, being on the right hand side of
the car nearest the oncoming train.
He had with him a Bible containing
his Racine, Wis., address, 1130 Wood-
worth avenue. Mr. Petersen has been
in Elk Horn four years. Prior to
that he was at Hardy, Nebraska.

Came on Train Which Killed Him

The Rev. Jensen was on his way
from Des Moines to Elk Horn to
preach the funeral sermon for the
late Rev. N. J. Bing, beloved Elk
Horn pastor, who died in Omaha a
few days ago. He came in on the
train which killed him, and was met
at Atlantic with a car by Mr. Petersen
who was to take him to Elk Horn.

Rev. Jensen was known to many of
the residents in this community and
it will be a shock to them to learn of
his tragic death.