Fireman Charles Kofske

KOFSKE

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 7/24/2019 at 20:40:48

Manchester Democrat, Wednesday, Sep 10, 1913, Manchester, IA, Page: 1

FIREMAN KILLED IN RAILROAD WRECK
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WORK TRAIN AND HEAVY WRECKER
DITCHED THREE MILES FROM CITY
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SECOND COSTLY WRECK IN TWO WEEKS
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On Homeward Trip From Clearing
Coggon Bridge Wreck, When Fatal
Wreck Took Place
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Charles Kofske, a fireman on the wrecker, which had been on duty at the scene of the wreck at Coggon during the past ten days, lost his life in a wreck which took place three miles from Manchester on Sunday evening at 5 o’clock, on the Cedar Rapids branch of the Illinois Central.
At three o’clock Saturday afternoon, the wrecking crew from Waterloo completed clearing up the wreckage of the Coggon bridge and were enroute to Waterloo, after a week of strenuous work. As the work train was coming down the grade near the Henry Todd farm south of Manchester, the rails under the 125-ton wrecker were said to have spread, causing the wrecker to plunge over the embankment, carrying with it Fireman Kofske, who was the only man riding on the gigantic hoisting machine, thrown on the east side of the track. Mr. Kofske was riding on the foot board of the wrecker and was thrown over the massive machine. The heavy wire cables which extend from the engine room of the wrecker to the farthest point on the crane, struck the unfortunate man on the head and shoulder, inflicting injuries from which he died fifteen minutes after he reached Park View Hospital. The other members of the crew were riding in the camp cars and were just about to have supper when the accident occurred. Two cars fitted for sleeping and eating quarters, were thrown crosswise on the track, while three box cars were sent into the ditch on the west side of the track. About three hundred feet of track were torn up.

[Omitted two paragraphs of the wreck and cleanup]

The remains of Fireman Kofske were taken to the Shelly undertaking parlors, and then taken to his home in Waterloo on the late train. Mr. Kofske is survived by a widowed mother and two brothers, one of the brothers coming to Manchester to take charge of the body. He was a man about forty-five years of age and had been in the employ of the company for a great many years. Mr. Kofske was a man well liked among his fellow workmen, to whom is sad death is a source of profound grief.