William Grossman and Penrose Streecell

GROSSMAN, STREECELL

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 5/23/2021 at 17:43:30

3 April 1915 - The Clinton Advertiser page 1

TWO DIE ON TRACK AT DELMAR
Milwaukee Section Men Lose Lives When They Jump from Hand-Car Today.
SAW LOCOMOTIVE AHEAD
Fast Train, East Bound, on West Bound Track, Cause of the Fatal Accident
THE DEAD: WILLIAM GROSSMAN, aged ? Delmar Section Hand
PENROSE STREECELL, aged 52, Delmar Section Hand
THE INJURED:
Thomas Callahan, Delmar section foreman
Delmar, Iowa, April 3--Two section men were killed and one was seriously injured early this morning when the crews of two hand-cars on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad jumped to avoid a collision with passenger train No. 20, east-bound, two miles east of Delmar.

The section men had been called to the vicinity of Riggs, where a freight wreck occurred during the night, four or five cars having been derailed. The wrecker and crew were summoned, and the tracks were cleared at 5 this morning.

The section men from Delmar, about ten in number, then started back for that town on two hand-cars, which traveled about fifty yards apart. The men on the cars suddenly saw the passenger train rounding a curve ahead, but the cars were on the west-bound track, and they supposed the train to be on the other track, not being able to tell otherwise because of the curve. When the men saw the train was on the same track, it was too late to stop and remove the cars, and the crews jumped. William Grossman and Penrose Streecell, who with two or three others occupied the front car, were killed, the others escaping injury. Thomas Callahan was the only man on the second car to meet injury. He was struck be the steam chest as the locomotive whizzed by and one of his arms was broken.

The bodies of the two victims of the accident were removed to Delmar later in the morning and Dr. C. F. Kellogg, the Clinton county coroner, was notified, and is expected to reach Delmar early this afternoon to investigate the accident. An inquest may be held.

No explanation has been given as yet why the fast passenger train, east-bound, should have been on the west-bound, or north track.

The victims of the accident were well known in Delmar and vicinity, having made their homes here for about fifteen years. Both are survived by their wives and families, most of Mr. Strecell's children being small. Mr. Grossman was a member of the Woodmen. The funeral arrangements were not announced today.