Mary Ann Tamms

TAMMS

Posted By: Debra Scott Hierlmeier (email)
Date: 11/20/2008 at 11:06:07

Mary Ann Tamms
Little Girl Is Killed by Train
Walking on Tracks When Engine Hits

Mary Ann Tamms, 2 year old, was run over and killed by a North Western engine at the Sixteenth Street and Seventh Avenue crossing at 11:31 am Tuesday.

She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Tamms, 1610 Seventh Avenue. The accident occurred 21 feet west of the west cross walk and about 200 feet from her home.

Darlene Snipes 12, 1718 Eighth Avenue, was enroute to a neighborhood store and witnessed the accident.

“The little girl was walking across the tracks,” she said. The train was going down the tracks toward the Union Pacific transfer. It whistled and the little girl seemed suddenly frozen to the spot and the front of the train hit her.”

Darlene said it appeared that the train crew did not see the little girl. The full length of the train passed over the girl, cutting her body in two. One arm was badly mangled. The engine had to be moved to find all the parts.

When a police crew arrived at the scene with the ambulance they found the child’s mother bending over the body, crying hysterically. They had some difficulty in getting her away from the scene.

The crew in charge of the engine were Jim Nugent, crew foreman, Harry Darnell, engineer; and T. Knudson, fireman.

Besides the parents the child is survived by two brothers; Billy and Tommy, and a sister, Betty, all at home. The father, employed on WPA, was summoned from work and informed of his daughter’s death.

The body is at the Tyler mortuary.

From the Scrapbooks of Bessie Gross Gustafsen
Source: Council Bluffs Nonpareil