Will Alexander (-1880)

ALEXANDER

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 4/25/2010 at 18:26:00

The Nevada Representative, Nevada, Story County, Iowa, July 7, 1880.

Killed by the Cars.

On Thursday evening of last week, as we started for home a few minutes after 10 o'clock, we heard the remark that some one had been run over by the cars near the depot cutting the head nearly from the body. Upon inquiry we learned that it was Mr. Will Alexander, a nephew of Mr. U. Alexander, who formerly resided here.

Upon going to the place of the accident we found it to be a few rods east of the old location of the depot. The body was still lying as when found, face downwards, head upon the outside of the track, north, and left arm also across the track, the entire balance of the body between the rails. According to the best judgment of the railroad men, of his train, seven cars had passed across the neck and left arm. He was breakmen on a freight train between Boone and Belle Plaine which position he had held about two months. Upon Thursday night his train was going east, he had turned the east switch here for the engineer to set off eight empty cars, and then, with lantern in hand, started along side of the cars as they were being backed west on the switch, expecting to climb upon them and set the breaks when they had rolled far enough back. The other breakman pulled the coupling pin and let the eight cars roll along gently, of their own momentum. This was the last that was seen of Mr. Alexander. When found he was in position as above described, seven of the empty cars to the west of him and one east. Upon examination pieces of glass from his lantern were found on one of the cars where it was supposed he had climbed up. Here it is calculated the lantern went out and he, in walking to the break of the rear car in the dark, walked off one end and was caught under the wheels, all but one car passing over him before they stopped. Mr. Alexander came to this place from Ohio, not quite a year ago, and had been stopping the most of the time at Mr. McCord's. He was taken to Mr. McCords residence where he was prepared for burial, and upon the 5 o'clock express of Friday afternoon was sent to Ohio, his former home, for interment. Mr. Alexander was a young man of excellent habits, well liked, and his tragic death at the station of the home of his adoption, one of the inscrutable mysteries of Providence.