Iowa Old Press
Iowa Recorder
Greene, Butler co. Iowa
September 11, 1907
Fearful Wreck at Cedar Falls -- Fourteen Die as Result.
Many are Injured. Caused by Trucks of the Tender Jumping the
Track. Train Crashes into Freight.
There is perhaps no one in this community who has not already
heard of that frightful catastrophe that occurred near Cedar
Falls last Friday morning. The Rock Island tran wreck has
occupied the attention of many people and has been the subject of
conversation of the people in this part of the state ever since
the terrible event took place. The dailies of neighboring cities
have given detailed accounts of the tragic happening and
telephone and telegraph have co-operated to give intelligence of
the death and injury to human life. For the sake of those,
however, who have not had access to the daily newspaper we print
the list of the dead and injured. The terrible disaster inwhich
fourteen lost their lives and eight others were injured was
caused by the forward trucks on the tender of the C.R.?.P.
passenger engine jumping the track at Norris, a siding north of
Cedar Falls. Upon a side track near by stood a freight train
waiting for the northbound passenger to pass. The train was
running at the rate of 50 miles an hour. The engine kept the
track but when the tender struck a split-rail switch it jumped
the track. This threw the engine off, and the terrible velocity
of the train drove the big locomotive deep into the ground. the
mail coach was thrown from the track, and the baggage car
completely demolished, and the smoking car which carried nineteen
passengers shattered into a pile of broken irons and timbers. It
was in this part of the train that the terrible havoc was
wrought. Of the occupants of the smoker eleven were killed, the
others injured. The rest of the cars remained on the track and
outside of a violent shaking up none of their passengers were
injured. The dead are B.B. Cliver, Joshua Newell, J.H. Douglas,
Will Goodwin, John N. Watson, all of Waterloo; J.D. Lamphere,
Shell Rock; H.I. Barron, Dewar; Henry Coleman, El Reno, Okla.;
Wm. H. Myers, Burlington; Leslie Lovejoy, Hastings, Minn.; Arthur
Tyrell, Hamilton, Ill.; Roy Thomas, Hamilton, Ill., and two
unidentified. The injured are John Shaw, Waterloo; Wm. Smith,
Burlington; Dr. O'Keefe, Marble Rock; A.L. Welliver, Cedar
Rapids; O.H. Martin, West Liberty. Most of the dead were buried
Sunday. The injured are receiving the best of care and treatment
at the hospitals in Waterloo and it is believed that all will
recover.
Marriage Licenses.
H.M. Voglesoners, 35 and Annella L. DeBeer, 25
Anton Lomen, 22 and Sina C. Lund, 20
Rock for Sale
I have opened a quarry of good building stone on Wyatt Greene's
farm, and sell them at $3.50 at the quarry. A. Sturtz
Announcement.
We have purchased W. Munson's dray and transfer business and are
prepared to do all kinds of draying and hauling. We earnestly
solicit your patronage. All orders telephoned to 38, Palmer's
Livery, will receive prompt attention.
N.H. Palmer and Chas. Starkweather
Vilmar Butter-Maker Wins Honor
One of the features of the Iowa State fair recently closed at Des
Moines was the annual buttermakers contest. This was won by L.C.
Peterson, of Story City, with a score of 97 1/2 points. F.H.
Fisher, of the Villmar creamery made a close second with 97 1/4
points. There were a great many entries made and it is a distinct
honor for Mr. Fisher that he was able to rank so high among so
large a number of competitors. His tub of butter secured for him
a certificate of excellence in the art of buttermaking, in
addition to a pro-rata share in the $350 offered as prizes.
John W. Ray Dead
Last Sunday morning at 7:30 in Excelsior Springs, Mo., occurred
the death of John W. Ray, one of the most prominent men of Butler
county, who had gone to the south in the hopes of benefiting his
health. The news of Mr. Ray's demise will throw a shadow of
sadness over the entire community, for he was a man beloved in
this locality and one who had a statewide acquaintance. His death
was due to stomach and liver trouble, from which he had been
suffering for a long time. Deceased was born in Youngstown, Ohio,
66 years ago, and came to Blackhawk county in 1859. At Cedar
Falls he ran a mill until the war broke out and in 1862 enlisted
in the 31st Iowa. He served until the close of the war, and in
1865 he went to Shell Rock and bought a mill that he ran for many
years. During the year 1879 he was elected to the office of
county treasurer for Butler county and went to Butler Center to
fill the position. After he had been there one year the county
seat was moved to Allison and he transferred his residence to the
latter place. He filled the office of county treasurer for four
years and in 1884 he purchased an interest in the bank of
Slimmer, Perrin & Co. For thirteen years the business was
conducted by these men, but in 1897 he purchased the stock held
by Messrs. Slimmer and Perrin and associated with hiim his two
sons, W.F. and F.J. Ray. In 1902 the bank was incorporated as the
State Bank of Allison with J.W. Ray as president. Besides his
wife, Mr. Ray leaves the following children: W.F. Ray, director
of the State Bank of Allison; F.J. Ray, cashier of the same
institution; Mrs. H.J. Foote, of Bristow; Mrs. C.G. Burling of
Clalksville; and Mrs. Mary Secor of Cedar Falls. W. F. Ray went
to Excelsior Springs immediately upon hearing of the death of his
father, and has no doubt by this time returned with the remains
of his father. The funeral will be held tomorrow or the next day.
The deceased was a Knight Templar and a member of the commandery
at Cedar Falls. He was a member of the G.A.R. post at Allison.
Clarksville.
-Mrs. J.E. Neal is still very sick.
-John Boyd was in Waverly Sunday.
-Harley Calease was in Waterloo Saturday.
-Mrs. Priestly has gone to Dixon, Ill. for an extended visit
-C.G. Burling went to Postville Friday to visit his parents
-Miss Carma Poisal visited in Rockford several days last week.
-Elder D.L. Norris of Shellsburg visited C.E. Dorman last week.
-Miss Alice Miller of Waterloo is visiting her parents Geo.
Miller and wife.
-Mrs. L.M. Valentine and John Taylor of Mason City will attend
Clarksville Autumn Fiesta
-Mrs. M.N. Taylor and daughter Ada visited M.J. Perrin and family
from Saturday till Monday.
-Mrs. Grant Gibson of Hextor, Minn., and Charles Mott are
visiting their parents John Mott and wife.
-Grant Moulton and family arrived Tuesday from Alamagordo, New
Mexico where they have been during the past year.
-H.T. and H.S. Routon, Ed Lahmon, Ed Ross and R.H. Waugh viewed
the wreck of the C.R. I. and P. near Cedar FAlls, making the trip
in the formers auto.
-G.H. Hickel, J.H. Hickel and daughter Alma, A.C. Wilcox and
Hiram Poisal and wife attended a reunion of the 32nd regiment in
Eagle Grove Wednesday and Thursday.
Dumont.
-Ross Bloom moved to the eastern part of town Monday.
-A son is reported to have come to the family of Tako Ubben
Saturday.
-Rev. Chaffee returned Friday from a week's stay with his wife at
Lake Geneva, Wis.
-F.W. Watson and wife attended the funeral of Marion Parrott at
Aplington Monday afternoon.
-John Kightlinger, who has been employed by N.E. Finn the past
few months, severed his connections here Friday. He and his wife
packed their household goods and moved to Marshalltown.
-Miss Lillian Beach arrived home Saturday from Cedar Rapids where
she has been employed at a wholesale millinery house. She was on
the Rock Island train that was wrecked at Cedar Falls Friday.
Minor State Items.
-While playing in the Glidden railroad yards Arthur J. Cannon,
the 13-year-old son of M.E. Cannon, was struck and instantly
killed by west-bound Northwestern train No. 11
-Peter Paulsen, living near Correctionville is benefitting from
the short fruit crop in Iowa. His apple orchard has yielded 2,000
bushels, which he has disposed of to a Sioux City commission firm
for 60 cents a bushel.
-Clifford Atwoood, 3-year-old son of the proprietor of a hotel at
Montour, was instantly killed by a Northwestern freight train at
the Main street crossing. Paiquadi Zella, 35, laborer, who
attempted to rescue the child, was also killed.
-A.A. Dukba of Waterloo was kicked on the head and severely
injured while shoeing a vicious horse in his shop. It was the
first time the animal ever had shoes on, and breaking the tie
strap he cleaned out the establishment in a hurry.
-Alleging that when he tried to get off at Saylor, the conductor
wouldn't stop the train, but only slowed up, Roy J. Betts of Des
MOines, by his next friend, J.L. Betts, has rought suit against
the Northwestern railroad for $3,000 damages.
-Despondent over the departure of his sister to her native
country, Sweden, and because his sweetheart, Miss Martha Chubbock
refused to associate with him, Carl Linquist, a car oiler at the
street railway company's street barn at Des Moines, committed
suicide at his boarding house by drinking carbolic acid.
-After an insane fight with Jefferson officers and a day of
raving in the Greene county jail, Pat Mullan of TAma hung himself
in his cell with a towel. He fastened one end of the towel around
his throat, tied the other to a door knob and then deliberately
choked himself to death. His body was discovered when the jailer
took his supper to him.
Poultry Queen of Iowa
Mrs. D.C. Johnson, christened the "Poultry Queen of
Iowa" hatched the largest brood ever brought into the world
at one time when she hatched 1827 chickens. Mrs. Johnson lives
four miles north of Maxwell. Strange to say it took thirteen
incubators to do the trick, and thirteen in this case did not
prove unlicky. Mrs. Johnson set thirteen incubators with 2,000
eggs. When the hatching day arrived, farmers and their wives came
for miles to see the coming off. The yard looked like a Fourth of
July picnic. The wiggly, downy little chaps completely covered a
place on the lawn sixteen feet one way and twenty the other.
Married.
The news of the marriage of Fred C. Ayer to Miss Agnes Keating,
of Florence Arizona, on September 5th, will come as a surprise to
our readers. Fred spent his vacation here with his parents but
all the time he was here he never "let on" that
anything unusual was going to take place upon his return. Fred
Ayer is professor of Animal Biology and director of athletics of
the normal school located at Tempe, Arizona. We understand the
bride is a former pupil of the professor, and a graduate of the
normal school. The best wishes of the groom's many friends here
are extended to the newly married couple.
Confirmation.
At the German Lutheran church Sunday evening confirmation
services were held at which five of Greene's estimable young
people renewed the covenant of baptism. The confirmants were
Raymond Stober, Walter Stager, Harry Ruffridge, Lillie Stolte and
Anna Behnke.
Painful Accident
Robert Robertson was the victim of an accident that caused him
painful internal injuries Friday. He was building a pen or doing
some carpenter work on Runyen's slaughter house, and in assisting
to drive in some cattle for Runyen he was violently jammed
against the fence by a cow. Several of Robertson's ribs were
broken.
Advertised Letters.
The following letters have been uncalled for at the post office
for the week ending Sept. 7th.; by W.A. McClure P.M.
Mrs. Mary E. Smith
B.L. Beaily
Samuel Mayes
Babeyeior Frinangezoiegor
Miss Madge Roder (card)
Joe Sigmund
Big Parade in Davenport to Protest Against Move
Two thousand members of the German-American Alliance and allied
societies in Davenport paraded behind a band of 150 musicians the
other night in protest against the present attempt to put the
Davenport saloons under the Iowa mulct law. Transparencies
carried in the procession proclaimed that "Sane laws we
uphold, but insane restrictions we will fight." "Our
liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain." and
"Davenport is not the place for tyrannical Sunday
laws." A monster open air meeting was later addressed by
prominent citizens.
[transcribed by C.J.L.; June 2004 and S.F., Feb. 2005]