HESKETT, Sarah Ellen "Sadie" (MacKinder) 1877-1902

HESKETT, MACKINDER, ABBOTT, GARBUTT, DAVIS

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 9/14/2013 at 23:08:12

A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT

Body of Mrs. Herbert Heskett Literally
Ground to Pieces Under Engine Wheels.

WAS STRUCK BY PASSENGER TRAIN

While Crossing Trestle Near Cedar
Falls—Baby and Others Injured.

One of the most terrible railway accidents in the annals of the county occurred at Cedar Falls Wednesday afternoon when Mrs. Herbert Heskett was run into by a Central passenger train and literally ground to pieces under the wheels of the engine. The little baby which Mrs. Heskett was wheeling in a cab was also badly injured, and it is doubtful whether it will live.

The accident occurred just east of the city on the east side at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Mrs. Heskett, with her little baby and three year old child accompanied by Mrs. L. Douglas and Mrs. Robert Williams were on their way to attend the funeral of the little child of Thos. Phiipot, which was killed the day before a short distance from the spot where the accident occurred.

As has been their habit the party took a short cut down the track instead of following the road and were on a trestle when the belated Illinois Central passenger bore down upon them.

The trestle was a long one and the train could not be seen coming until a short distance, off on account of a curve in the track. When the party first saw the train coming they immediately turned about and attempted to reach the end of the bridge before the train came upon them. This was seen to be impossible and Mrs. Williams seized the three year old child and jumped out upon a pier of the trestle, where she stood safely until the train passed by. Mrs. Douglas jumped from the trestle into the ditch, a distance of about twenty feet. Mrs. Heskett with the baby cab continued to run toward the end of the bridge, but was struck by the train when about ten feet from the end of the structure. When struck the woman was thrown face down before the engine and directly over the south rail of the track. The baby cab was struck and the baby was sent high into the air and alighted in the ditch and was later found with its head in the small stream of water at the bottom of the ditch.

The body of Mrs. Heskett was carried for a distance of about two train lengths to where the train was stopped and the trunk found to be a mass of badly torn and broken flesh. Parts of the body were scattered all along the track. The head was found near the bridge where the woman was struck and the breast, brains and other parts were found scattered all along the track, up to where the train was stopped.

Several people saw the accident and immediately ran to the scene. Earl Hodges a man living near the track was the first man upon the scene and he first ran to where the baby had fallen and picked it out of the stream. Others aided in gathering the remains and in covering them until the coroner could be called. No inquest was held. The parts of the body were later taken to the home of the father of Mr. Heskett on Third Street in Cedar Falls from which place the funeral will be held.

The accident was most terrible and when the husband and relatives arrived upon the scene was a pathetic one. The husband who was working near the Normal at the time when told of the accident secured a horse and buggy and drove at a furious rate of speed to the place where the accident happened and when he saw the condition of the remains fainted away.

The funeral party at the Philpot home saw the accident and hurried to the scene and several fainted when they saw what had happened It is said that no blame can be attached to the engineer as he did not see the party upon the track until he rounded the curve but a couple of car lengths from the trestle. Here he blew the whistle and applied all means to stop the train which he did in two train lengths after striking the party. The engineer and party on the train came to their aid and did all that was possible and then pulled to the station and later continued west.

Mrs. Heskett was a woman about thirty years of age and was the mother of the two children who were present when the accident occurred. Mr. Heskett is a printer and painter and works about Cedar Falls. He is nearly heart broken and some fear is maintained us to whether he will retain his reason so great is his grief over the affair.

The wonder of those who witnessed the accident is that others of the party were not killed or badly injured. It is stated that the baby was sent about twenty feet into the air when the engine struck, the baby cab. It is not known whether when it alighted the child struck the rip rapped embankment of the creek or fell directly into the stream. It is quite badly hurt and bruised about the face and body but it is thought that it will live. The treat presence of mind and nerve of Mrs. Williams in seizing the other child and stepping onto the small pier where she stood without support until the train had passed is undoubtedly one of the most heroic acts ever done. In her jump from the bridge into the ditch, Mrs. Douglas was shaken up and somewhat bruised but not seriously injured.
[Waterloo Times Tribune, Friday, May 30, 1902]
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KILLED BY TRAIN

Mrs. Herbert Heskett Meets Awful Fate Yesterday

SAVED HER INFANT CHILD

Struck on Trestle Work En Route to Funeral

Accident Occurred About Four O'clock
- Body Badly Mangled - Child is Thrown Many
Feet into Ditch, But May Live - Others Escape.

THURSDAY MAY 29, 1902.

While crossing a trestle work on the Illinois Central just east of Cedar Falls about 4:00 yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Herbert Heskett and her child were struck by the west bound Illinois Central train. The woman was killed and the child badly injured though there is yet a possibility that it may live.

Mrs. Heskett had started with two other women, Mrs. Robert Williams and Mrs. L. B. Douglas to attend the funeral of the two year old son of Thomas Philpot who was killed Tuesday morning by an Illinois Central freight train. As a short cut up town, they took the path along the railway track. When they reached the trestle they stopped and looked around to make sure that there was no train coming. Only a few hundred yards of the track is visible east of here on account of a sharp curve. They evidently satisfied themselves that the way was clear, as they proceeded across, Mrs. Heskett pushing her child, scarcely a year old, in the cab before her, while Mrs. Williams took the three-year-old daughter by the hand and followed. They were about half way across, the bridge being about 150 feet long, when the west bound passenger rounded the curve behind them. The train was going at a good rate of speed, not yet being inside the city limits, and the engineer saw it would be impossible to make the stop in the short distance intervening. He sounded the whistle and the women proceeded to get to the edge of the narrow structure. No railing offered them any chance of a hold.

Mrs. Williams perceiving a timber protruding about four feet below the rails jumped down upon it and reaching back with her umbrella pulled the three-year-old child of Mrs. Heskett to her. In her endeavors to get off the bridge Mrs. Douglas stumbled and fell, striking the ground at the edge of the water beneath.

Mrs. Heskett meanwhile was endeavoring to save her babe. Seeing there was no chance to keep it in the carriage she attempted to unfasten the strap and remove it. Either swooning from fear or stumbling on the rails, she fell lengthwise of the track. The train was then upon them. The child and cab were hurled from the bridge into the water beneath. The mother, however, was crushed into an almost unrecognizable mass. When the train was brought to a stop a short distance beyond, the pieces gathered together into a blanket. Many witnessed the accident from a distance and rushed to their aid. The child had fallen head-first into the shallow water of the bayou which the trestle spanned, and its feet were just protruding above the water when rescuers reached it.

Dr. McManus, county coroner, was called, but did not deem it necessary to hold an inquest as the entire matter was clear. The train crew was exonerated from all blame as it was shown that they had done all in their power to stop.

Mrs. Heskett was about 35 years old and is the wife of a printer who is well known through this section. Yesterday he was absent in the county and it was some little time before he could be notified of the sad home coming that awaited him. There are two children in the family. The one-year old babe for which the mother gave up her life in her endeavors to save, and the three-year-old daughter, which was saved by the quick wit of Mrs. Williams. The funeral was held today at 3:00 with interment in the cemetery at Cedar Falls.

Today is was thought that the babe would live although last night its life was despaired of. It was badly bruised from the fall and unconscious from being in the water. Mrs. Douglas was quite badly bruised by the fall, but is not considered serious. Mrs. Williams and the other child escaped without a scratch although there was barely enough room for the train to pass them.

[Semi-Weekly Iowa State Reporter, Friday, May 30, 1902]
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NOTES:
1. Burial at Greenwood Cemetery, Cedar Falls, Iowa

2. The following research information is credited to Timothy Rawson:

Sarah Ellen "Sadie" MacKinder Heskett was born Mar. 6, 1877 at Guisborough North Yorkshire, England. She died May 28, 1902.
She was the daughter of George and Ann (Garbutt Abbott) McKinder, and the wife of James "Herbert" Heskett. She had two children:
Lola Marie Heskett
John Barthelo Heskett

3. Apparently her husband remarried:

[Waterloo Times Tribune, April 7, 1906]

April 6.—(Special Correspondence.)—Thursday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Davis occurred the wedding of Mr. Herbert Heskett of Cedar Falls and Miss Florence Long of Grundy Center. Rev. H. S. Mabie, pastor of the First Baptist Church, officiated. The out of town guests were Mr. and Mrs. Chas Deal, and son of Waterloo, and Mr. and Mrs. John McKinder of Dike. The wedding was a very quiet one, only the immediate relatives being present. They will reside in Cedar Falls, possibly in Oak Ridge.
They have the best wishes of their many friends.