Frank Sikes, 1866-1913

SIKES

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 3/15/2009 at 18:37:04

TRAIN KILLS FRANK SIKES
WEST BOUND TRAIN NO. 487 DUE AT ESTHERVILLE 4:45 P.M. HITS MOTOR CAR
CRUSHED UNDER THE CAR
All Ribs on Left Side Broken and Five on Right. Was in Employ of C.R.I.& P. for a Number of Years.

Frank Sikes who has been in the employ of the C.R.I.& P. railroad for a number of years, was instantly killed in the city limits Friday evening [Dec. 5, 1913] at 5:20. He with section foreman Harry Bauman were returning from their day's work on a motor car. They were following train No. 420 and expected to reach the section house before the out-going train would pass them. As they started to cross the long trestle bridge near the round house they saw the outgoing passenger coming, then they realized that they were too late. They quickly stopped their motor car and started pushing it back off the bridge. When they reached the end of the trestle they started to remove the car from the track, but the train was gaining speed and in an instant the engine struck the car shoving it off the embankment which is about twenty feet at that point. In some manner Mr. Sikes was caught in front of the car and as it ran down the loose embankment he was shoved to the bottom where it ran into a thicket of trees about four inches in diameter pinning him under the car. The motor car was wedged in there so that it took about six men to remove it. Mr. Sikes had a gash cut under his left eyebrow and his chest was badly crushed. An inquest was held Monday afternoon. Harry Bauman, section foreman, escaped without injuries.

Mr. Sikes has always been a hard working man. He was forty seven-years old, has made his home in this city nearly all his life and his many friends were horrified to hear of his terrible and sudden death. He leaves an aged mother and two brothers and a sister to mourn his demise.

Funeral services were held in the Catholic church at 2:30 Sunday afternoon and Rev. Father Murtagh delivered a fitting eulogy to his worth. The remains were interred in the Catholic cemetery.

Contributed by: Ruth Hackett. Source: Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa, December 10, 1913.