H. M. Marsh (-1905)

MARSH

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 12/30/2011 at 23:33:28

From Story County Watchman February 10, 1905

Thursday morning at 5:20 a. m., one mile and a half west of Melbourne an accident occurred on the Milwaukee railway owing to the breaking of one of the rails on the track, some twenty-five were either killed or hurt the main portion of them being injured. Nearly every passenger on the train was injured more or less and the small number so hurt is simply owing to the number on the train. The train was the Overland Limited and one of the finest on the road. The cars were badly broken up and piled up in a mass that was hard to distinguish. Conductor H. M. Marsh was the only one killed although some twenty odd were dangerously injured. The cars were piled about indiscriminately and when the result has been reached it may be there will be others who may not survive the injuries received, there being several in a dangerous condition.

The wreck occurred at bridge 1018, a split rail being the cause. No. 1 was west bound, tearing along at the rate of fifty mile an hour when it struck the bridge. Two engines were used on the train on account of the cold weather and heavy trip and both passed over the broken rail successfully, passed off the bridge and remained on the track.

The cars crushed into the bridge with fearful results. The first four cars flew through the air and landed in the gulley on the south side of the bridge. The four heavy Pullmans fell on their sides ouside of the right-of-way.

The scene following was a terrible one. Coaches jammed and shattered were filled with a crowd of injured. Cries and groans filled the air. Those with broken arms and shattered limbs crawled the best they could from the broken berths and coaches and lined themselves in the snowdrifts beside the wreck. The darkness and the heavy drifting of falling snow prevented early aid.