Bowers, Grant C. (youth) 1892-1907

BOWERS, MARCH

Posted By: Wilma J. VandeBerg - volunteer (email)
Date: 7/4/2023 at 07:36:13

Bowers, Grant C. born 15 Nov 1892 Nebraska died 27 Sep 1907 Hawarden IA buried in Ashland Cemetery Nebraska. His parents were Jospeh C. Bowers 1848-1924 and Minnie Etta March. Children Grant, Hugh, and Gladys Fay Walsh. Source Find a Grave.

Hawarden Independent of Oct 3, 1907 Grant Bowers Aged Fifteen, is killed and several others are quite badly injured.

It was a cow with a crumpled horn, and she played havoc with the south bound Milwaukee passenger train last Friday afternoon. The result was a ditched train, one boy killed, several passengers injured and the track torn up for a full train length.

The accident occurred three miles north of Hawarden at the wagon road crossing. The train due here at 2:54 p.m. was a little late and as this was a very good piece of track at this point Engineer Gallagher was letting her go some. As the engine approached the crossing a red cow that had been leisurely feasting near the track took it into her head to cross ahead of the engine. Whether the engineer thought he could knock her outside of the right of way or whether there was not time to apply the air and stop the train, the Independent reporter did not learn, but at any rate the cow was struck amidships, rolled under the engine wheels, and the entire train with the exception of the sleeper, went off the track.

After ploughing up the track and making splinters of the ties for over a couple of hundred feet, the engine took for the ditch and brought up alongside the east side of the right of way with her nose buried four feet deep in the prairie sod. The tender turned turtle and was pushed along the grade by the momentum of the cars following. The mail car lost every truck from under it and was pushed almost crosswise of the track, with one end extending almost to the west side of the right of way, while the baggage car was almost turned over onto its side when it came to a stop. The smoker and ay coaches were off the track and remained right side up. The sleeper did not leave the rails.

The engineer and fireman both remained at their post and escaped uninjured. Some of the train crew ran to the farm house and telephoned the news of the accident to Hawarden. The First repots were the four person were killed and a dozen or more fatally injured. In a short space of time several hundred people and all of the city physicians hurried to the scene of the accident. While it presented a frightful looking sight, fortunately the casualties were not as great as at first reported.

Grant Bowers of Ashland NE was killed. He was a lad about 15 years of age and was beating his way from Canton to Sioux City. He was riding in the vestibule on the rear end of the mail car and was caught between that and the baggage car. His face and head were crushed into an unrecognizable mass and his identity was only discovered through letters upon his person. He ran away from home three weeks ago rather than go to school and went to Belle Plaine IA, where he worked a short time in a canning factory. His parents sent for him to come home and told him they would not make him go to school if he would only return. They wrote for him to pay his way home, but it was evident that their wishes were disregarded. At Canton he told a couple of boys that he was on his way home, but as he had come from Bell Plains this was considerable out of his way. The remains were brought to Summers’ undertaking rooms and Superintendent Bearsley notified his parents at Ashland. The boy’s father arrive Sunday and took the remains home Sunday afternoon.

The article goes on with more descriptions of the accident.