Joseph Keenan (1866-1910)

KEENAN

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 1/28/2017 at 23:13:21

From Nevada Representative March 11, 1910 (front page)

WRECK ON SHORT LINE

Engineer Keenan Killed

The St. Paul & Des Moines railway was the scene of a sorry accident a few miles this side of Iowa Falls Wednesday morning. About nine o'clock a special train consisting of two engines and a caboose started south, having the right of way to Cambridge. When within a mile of Racine both of the engines left the track and rolled into the right of way. Engineer Joseph Keenan of the foremost engine falling underneath his engine. Hissing steam issuing from broken pipes struck the man pinioned fast, and ere he could be removed he was cooked to death. Frank Powell, fireman, and Engineer Sims and his fireman of the other engine escaped with slight hurts, and Conductor Johnson with the caboose remained on the track.

The wreck is an illustration of the troubles which a new and somewhat struggling railroad has often to deal with. Manifestly the occasion for the wreck was that the frost in coming out of the ground made the road-bed soft, and when an extra heavy load came along the bed simply slumped and let the load into the ditch. An old road probably would not have had the trouble, merely because its grade would be settled. Notwithstanding all such troubles, it is to be said that the Short Line is rebuilding its more important bridges, generally improving its track and manifesting a most commendable spirit of enterprise. But it is a pity that a good engineer should have been sacrificed, just because one piece of track was too soft.