Iowa Old Press

Burlington Hawkeye
Burlington, Des Moines co. Iowa
April 8, 1875

DEATH ON THE RAIL
Further Particulars of the Tyrone Accident.
The Sunday HAWK-EYE gave substantially all the points of the Tyrone
accident, and there is nothing left to relate, save a few additional
particulars that have been received from the lips of reliable witnesses.  As
usual in these cases, the report of the disaster has been supplemented by
the wildest rumors, and the stories that have been floating around in this
instance would discount Baron Munchausn's most extravagant vagaries.
Voluble eye witnesses, who were never in their lives any nearer Tyrone than
they are to heaven, have talked on the corners to open mouthed listeners, to
whom they have described the heartrending spectacle of the engines running
through each other, and clambering madly over the roofs of the trains,
carrying death and devastation in their track, as if the reality were not
more horrible than the most vivid fiction could present it.  The Chicago
papers represented the operator whose unhappy forgetfulness brought the
trains together, as flying into the depths of the primeval forest to conceal
his emotion and escape justice, whereas the young fellow never left his post
until properly relieved two days after the accident.  And so far rom the
officials of the road being, as the 'Times' alleges, "in extreme ignorance
of anything regarding the accident," they were promptly informed by official
reports from the Division Superintendent, who was at the scene of the
accident, and the dispatches were sent by the very operator whose momentary
thoughtlessness had been attended with such fatal results, and who is,
instead of "an inexperienced boy", an experienced telegrapher, and a young
man possessed of an amount of nerve and self possession of which few men can
boast.

THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT
W.L Harrington, operator at Tyrone, is the unfortunate man upon whose head
rests the responsibility of the accident with all its terrible results.  As
long as there are men, so long there will be accidents, and if poor
Harrington is not disturbed until the man without the sin of forgetfulness
or absentmindedness throws the first stone at him, he will live out the even
tenor of his days without annoyance or molestation.  He is not an
"inexperienced boy," but a young man of about twenty-four years, in Ottawa,
Illinois.  He entered the service of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railway in January last, and has carried the reputation of a good, careful
and trustworthy operator, a reputation which was fully sustained by his
conduct after the accident.  We have no words of censure or reproach to heap
upon him.  And to the people who have, we would simply say, we are all very
frail and forgetful, and accidents are happening in the every day affairs of
all men.  Sometimes a very great and good man will, in a moment of
forgetfulness, write very startling "letters of contrition" and very vague
letters of "confession," and sometimes a telegraph operator will forget to
deliver to a conductor a scrap of paper with ten words or less written on
it.  And as we ask for charity for the one, we must extend charity to the
other.

Harrington had received orders holding train No. 2, coming east, at Tyrone,
which is the usual place of meeting, although occasionally, when the train
westward bound is a little late, they pass at Albia.  He had his green
signal out all right, and No. 2 Conductor H.L. Miller, stopped.  Miller went
into the office and Harrington handed him the wrong orders, which were sent
him holding other trains.  Miller read them and asked, "Is this all?"
Harrington replied, "Yes, that is all."  A.J. Rugh, leaning from the cab
window caught sight of Miller's signal, a few strokes of the bell responded,
the heavy train set itself in motion, and in a few moments the red lamps on
the sleeper had dwindled down to sparks that burned tiny holes in the night,
then they were swallowed by the gloom of the intensely dark night.

THE MISTAKE DISCOVERED
Scarce had the rumble of the departing train died away, hardly had the red
lamps that marked its course been lost to view, when Harringtons's eyes fell
on a dispatch lying on his table.  An exclamation of horror fell from his
lips as he picked it up and discovered that it was the order he should have
handed to Miller, holding him at Tyrone until passenger train No. 1, going
east, should meet and pass him there.  A freight train was standing on the
side track, held by the same orders which should have detained Miller's
train.  In less time than it has taken to write this, the ponderous engine
was cut off and flying after the passenger train that had got at least one
mile the start of it.  Fast as the wheels could roll it thurndered over the
level rails, whirling around curves with the sweep of a meteor, thundering
over straight stretches of truck, dashing with resonant roar through pieces
of forest that caught up and sent back every click of machinery and clash of
wheels; with all the speed that the strength of steam could urge and sinews
of brass and steel could stand; it sped on its errand of hpe and fear until
the very panting engine seemed to throb and thrill with terror and anxiety
that made it fairly spurn the rails, while the screaming whistle called in
vain to ears that never heard it, and the swaying lantern, swinging from the
cab vainly offered life for one glance from eyes so soon to be closed in
eternal sleep.  The chase was a short one.  The engineer, leaning half his
body out of the cab window, eyes and ears and every nerve of his body ona
tension, heard in the darkness ahead of him a crash as if a train were
dashing through an iron bridge, and he shut off steam and reversed his
engine.  Back to Tyrone.  Back with the same mad speed over the road just
traversed by their flying wheels, swift as the flight of time.  No use to
follow the flying train any longer.  No use to pursue the dead with orders.
No use to tell trains that had bee hurled together like flying meteors where
to pass.  No use to go on and ask what that crash meant.  No use to go on
and see what it was they had only heard.  The engineer's unfailing instinct
knew better than that.  Back now, to Tyrone, and send them word at
Burlington what had happened.  So the freight engine ran back to Tyrone, and
No. 2, ---- lay where she met No. 1.

HOW THEY MET
Out of Tyrone, east, for three miles is a splendid piece of track, well
ballasted, smooth, and steel rails.  The rest of the way the track is full
of curves, winding along a creek bed, the track is not so good, and there
are bridges over which the trains must run rather slowly.  So No. 2 which
had left Tyrone some fourteen minutes late and was running on its rights,
having waited there five minutes, was running as rapidly as possible over
the steel rails in order to make up all the time that would be lost in
getting over the poorer piece of track between there and Albia.  No. 1,
which had got over the bad stretch of track, was on the steel rail and
straight reach of road, and making all time to reach Tyrone, running on
orders, to meet No. 2.  The night was intensely dark.  Only the rumble of
the heavy trains and the quick panting of the ponderous engines; two miles
out of Tyrone and No. 2 had thundered over bridge 88, and No. 1 had swept
with resonant roar through bridge 87, and the trains struck opposite ends of
a sharp curve.  Leafless trees, stretching and waving thsir gaunt, ghostly
arms after them, the long vista of the track, the inky, starless skies, the
sombre earth and the rolling clouds of smoke merged into one gloomy
impenetrable mass behind the flying trains.  Ahead the far reaching rays of
the headlights cut a great swath in the night, and in the circles of light
they shot ahead, each horrified engineer saw an engine whirling down to meet
his own, and caught a hurried glimpse of a white face that drew in at the
cab window.  The air brakes are set, the engines reversed, but only a
stone's throw apart and both trains sweeping along thirty miles an hour?

THE CRASH
With the shock of an earthquake the engines came together.  They were thrown
upright in the air and fell back on the baggage cars.  Both engines were
wrecked, but the air brakes and Miller's platform had saved to a great
extent the rest of the trains.  The baggage on train No. 2, was badly
demolished, while that on No. 1 was barely injured at all.  The first coach
on No. 1, partially went into the debis, the west end of the car being
somewhat damaged, the platform jammed and some glass broken, and this was
the only coach damaged to any extent, and with the one exception just
stated.

NOT A COACH LEFT THE TRACK
Passengers in the coach on No. 2, next to the sleeper, bardly felt the
shock, and to the passengers in the sleepers it was just perceptible. The
track itself was not broken or displaced in the least.  A heavy mist was
falling and Cedar creek was close at hand, and the fire buckets which are
carried on all trains on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, handled by a
speedily organized fire brigade, quickly put an end to all apprehensions of
the horrors of a burning train.

THE CASUALTIES
Conductor H.L. Miller was standing in the baggage car when the shock came.
He was near the center of the car, holding on to nothing, and was huled
against the end of the car with fearful force, killing him instantly.  It is
not at all probably that he suffered or spoke after the first shock.  Henry
Robinson, baggageman, was standing near at the time, but had his arms around
two upright posts, and when the crash came he held to them, and escaped with
a few bruises.  He was out yesterday, and will take his run again Friday
morning.  W.A. Gardner, express messenger, and C.M. Pickle, fireman, No. 1,
were killed, as announced in the Sunday HAWK-EYE.  Pickle's body was
dreadfuly mangled; he was thrown among the machinery of the wrecked engine,
and one of his legs was caught and wrapped completely around the axle of the
still revolving drive wheels.  He was a single man, twenty-two years of age,
and resided at Ottumwa, in which city his funeral took place yesterday.

A.J. Rugh, engineer of No. 2, received some bruises, but was not seriously
hurt.

UNDER THE ENGINE
Mark Strassler, the engineer of No. 1, had his leg broken and was badly
bruised and thrown under the wreck of his engine in such a way that his
hands were pinioned and his face turned upward.  His injuries consisted of
fractures and bruises, and his escape was miraculous, but for a long time he
was in danger of drowning.  Two streams of water were pouring upon his face,
one hot and the other cold, and the water came in such a way that both
streams fell upon his mouth.  Every time he opened his mouth to breathe, he
thinks he swallowed a tea cup full of water, and naturally enough he didn't
breathe any oftener than he had to.

WEDGED IN THE STOVE
N.J. Miller, register mail agent, Chicago to Omaha, was discovered
immediately after the crash with his head in the stove and both arms
pinioned by the timbers.  He was cut out of that as speedily as possible,
but was badly burned and will lose one, if not both of his eyes.  Two
passengers were slightly injured; one, R.H. Moody, of Cedar Rapids, was
acting as train boy, and had his big toe badly mashed.  It is nothing
serious, however.  The other, George L. Worshawki, of San Francisco, on his
way to New York, was on No. 2, with Moody.  He was cut up a little about the
hands and face, but not to amount to anything.  There was

NOT A PASSENGER KILLED
or even severely injured.  If passengers on the C.B.& Q. will stay where
they belong, in the coaches, they will get along safe enough.  It is the
proud record of this company that since it rolled its first wheel it never
killed a passenger.  Its employees, faithful to their duty even to death,
have died at their posts, but no passenger ever lost his life onthe C.B. &
Q.

AFTER THE ACCIDENT
Division Superintendent T.J. Potter was in the rear sleeper of No. 1, and
was engaged in conversation with Col. Hepburn at the time of the accident.
He instantly set about caring for the wounded, extricating the bodies of the
dead, and seeing to the comfort and convenience of the passengers.  The
shock had put out all the lights in the train, but fires were built along
the wreck, and the passengers of No. 2 were transferred into the cars of No.
1, those of No. 1 into No. 2, and the trains pulled away from the wreck at
four o'clock that morning.  Wreck trains were brought from Burlington,
Ottumwa and Creston, and the track was clear for the stock train to pass at
eleven o'clock.

Soon as possible after the accident, Drs. Horace and James Ransom of this
city, attended by Capt. Burtch and Baggage Master McGinn, left on a special
train for Tyrone, picking up Capt. Beckwith at Mt. Pleasant on their way.
Physicians from Albia were promptly aroused and sent forward by Mr. Coleman,
Station Agent at that point.

The most perfect discipline which prevailed among the train men soon brought
order out of chaos, after the accident.  Not a mail sack was lost or town,
and although the register mail agent, Mr. Miller, had charge of letters
containing over $150,000, and the express car contained two boxes of gold
coin and several tons of silver "bricks", in transfer from the western mines
to the government mints not a dollar's worth of anything was lost, no
baggage whatever, save what was demolished by the crash.  Every car on the
line is supplied with a saw, sledge hammer, axe, and fire bucket, and the
train men were speedily organized into a working force which nothing but the
most perfect discipline could have brought about.

HARRINGTON'S NERVE
After all was done that could be done at the train, Division Superintendent
Potter started to walk to Tyrone, accompanied by Col. Hepburn.  They were
met by a freight engine which picked them up and ran back to town with them.
Mr. Potter found Harrington at his place in the office.  He began to make
excuses which were instantly checked for there was no time for excuses.  mr.
Potter did not even speak of the extent of the accident, but quietly said,
"You have got us into trouble, now you must help get us out of it,"  He then
dictated a great number or dispatches, at least six hundred words, which
were written by Colonel Hepburn, and Harrington sent them off.  Cool,
collected and steady, he sent off these accounts of his own forgetfulness
and its fatal consequences.  Never a mistake in his sending or a tremor in
his writing; surely a man with such perfect control of himself at a time
when one would imagine he was in a perfect agony of excitement, cannot be a
habitually careless or forgetful man.

CAME TO BURLINGTON
Harrington came to this city last evening, having previously sent, in his
resignation Sunday.  He remained here last night and will probably be in the
city to-day.  No blame can be attached to the Company for this distressing
affair.  The man that it depended on at Tyrone is an experienced, capable
and careful man, for one mistake does not and cannot destroy the hard earned
reputation of a life time.  The officials of the Company did everyting in
their power for the injured men and the comfort of the uninjured passengers,
and about 150 of the latter were given breakfast by the Company at the Albia
hotels.  The wreck is entirely cleared now and trains are running as usual.

THE FUNERALS TO-DAY
The funeral of Gardner, the Mail Agent, will take place to-day.  He was a
soldier and it was understood the members of the Grand Army of the Republic
would attend his funeral in a body.  A call for a soldiers' meeting this
morning to make arrangements to attend his funeral will be found elsewhere.
The arrangements for the funeral of Mr. H.L. Miller are announced elsewhere.
He will be buried with masonic honors, and lodges from Ottumwa, Mt. Pleasant
and other points will be here to assist in the ceremonies, transportation to
and from the city being furnished by the C.B. & Q. Railway Company.

Trouble Killed Her
The residents of Burlington living in the vicinity of Fifth and Elm streets
were startled yesterday morning to hear of the sudden death of a neighbor,
Mrs. Crusen, who died while sitting in her chair and who was apparently well
and hearty but a few minutes before.  Mrs. Crusen has led a life of trouble
and misery ever since her marriage.  Her husband, John Crusen, having abused
and mistreated her, finally deserted her because she refused to keep a bawdy
house.  Woman-like, she clung to him to the last, and her thoughts were all
centered upon reclaiming the man, who should have sustained and comforted
his wife, who, left with a family of children, endeavored to obtain a living
as best she could.  The loss of husband, and the death of a favorite child
by scarlet fever, with her other cares, proved too much for one frail body
to bear.  So Tuesday night, her burdens overwhelming her, and being
predisposed to heart disease, she felt an attack coming on, called on Mrs.
Griffith, and kind hearted neighbor, for assistance, and died while sitting
in her chair, remarking, "I know my heart will break, I can stand it no
longer."  Several ladies, possessed of of true Christian spirit, took charge
of the body, and prepared it for burial.  Mrs. Crusen being without means,
was buried at the expense of the county.  That is, she was placed in the
city vault preparatory to being interred in the lots belonging to the
county.  Dr. Little who has attended Mrs. Crusen says, that it was nothing
but trouble which killed her.  She broke her heart grieving for a wretch who
was not worthy of a moments thought from such a true woman.  Mrs. Crusen
leaves a family of three children, the youngest but six months old, and as
it is not probable that the brute whose name they bear wil ever reclaim
them, it is thought they will go on the county.  We hope our generous and
large hearted citizens will not allow this family to suffer, and we also
hope that just retribution may overtake the so-called, man, John Crusen.
-----

Western Patents.
The following Western Patents were issued from the United Sates Patent
Office, for the week ending March 16, 1875, as reported for the HAWK-EYE
from the Western Patent Office Agency, by W.B. Richards, Solicitor of
Patents, Galesburg, Illinois:

Illinois.
Lanterns - L.F. Betts, Chicago
Lubricating cans - same
Pan forming machine - Geo. A. Bowers, Chicago
Water metre - A. Guthrie, Chicago
Car starter - D.D. Hardy, Delevan
Steam pile driver - T.t. Loomis, Chicago
Safety valve - A. Orme, Chicago
Egg beater - M. Cline, Chicago
Casting steel-face & anvils - Jno. Donovan, Carpentersville
Distance measuring machine - W.W. Harrech, Chicago
Music leaf turners - F.G. Johnson, Chicago
Mangles - Henry Tamms, Bartlett
Windmills - O.B. Blakeslee, Rankin
Lime kiln - F.Cole & D.D. McCulloch, Kankakee
Harvesters - M.L. Gorham, Rockford
Burglar alarm - N.E. Lasher, Champaign
Wind mills - G.H. Lucas, Pekin
Sawing maching - M.M. Miller, Moline
Pipe wrenchers - Henry Otto, Bloomington
Unloading & dumping grain - J.B. Whitcomb, Farmer City

Iowa.
Straw twisting machine- Sol Kuh, Jefferson City
Clamps - same
Shearing metal - J. Walsh & J. Dutot, Newton
Brick kiln - R.F. Marshall, Liscomb
Bedstead - C. Sayder, Belle Plaine

Missouri.
Harrow - W.T. McGhee, Wheeling
Device for moving RR cars - B.F. Phelps, Kansas City

Re-issue.
Drills for well boring - J.M. May, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
-----

List of Letters remaining in the Post Office at Burlington, Iowa.

Ladies List.
Austin, Miss Nellie
Brinon, Miss Mary
Burns, Miss Nellie
Boyce, Miss Ella
Coons, Miss Florance
Danforth, Miss Allice, 2
Dee, Mrs. William P.
Flynn, Miss Mary L., 2
Griffith, Miss Anna
Kimball, Miss Elizzy
Kimball, Miss Mary F.
Lafontain, Mrs. Isabelle
Long, Mrs. Ellen
Lanalse, Miss Ida
McClimans, Miss Dora
Miller, Miss Jane
Miller, Miss Susan, 2
Maxson, Miss Ruly, 2
Painter, Mrs. Nancy
Paxoson, Mary H.
Robinson, Mrs. H.S.
Ray, Miss Cory
Webster, Mrs. Harry
Work, Mrs.
Warren, Miss Bessie
Walker, Miss Mary

Gentlemans List.
Allen, F.N.
Burnham, Jas. F.
Brown, John
Brown, John L.
Beggs, William J.
Brayton, Geo. W.
Buchanan, M.R.
Coyne, John
Elears, Y.
Fosby, A.
Fields, Wesley
Farr, Johney
Franklin, J.W.
Frazee, Joseph J.
Garrett, Geo. W.
Gilbert, Mort
Gifron, Charles
Gosling, Albert
Guion, L.
Hodger, E.
Hehir, Michael
Jarnal, Jas
Jordan, John
Logan, Richard
McKeegan, Dan
McLoflen, John
Miller, H.W.
Miller, Geo
Meeker, L.L.
Manson, James II
Maxwell, Allen
McCue, Daniel
Mull, Charley
Motor, David E.
Marrs, H.R.
Naemer, J.N.
Nott, Grant
Nobel, Absalom
Plume, James
Peck, W.H.
Reynolds, R.K.
Roberts, T.M.
Regan, T.
Rollins, Frank
Rodgers, Thomas
Shomer, Charles
Setrr, William
True, Edward L.
Van Kranlengen, Arie
Vanivert, S. Charles
Williams, Henry
Wilson, R.J.
Wheaton, G.

Swedes.
Johnson, C.A.
Johnson, J.H.
Johnson, Jas. C.
Jonson, N.E.
Lundquist, Miss Josie
Nilson, O.S.
Peterson, Svon
Peterson, Axell Andau
Renquist, Johan
Syolamlin, L.
Swanson, S.
Wychman, N.P.


[Submitted by S.F., Jan 2004]

Burlington Hawkeye
Burlington, Des Moines, Iowa
April 22, 1875

THE IOWA METEOR.
An Iowa City Professor Tells All About it .
Iowa City Republican.
    From a somewhat careful discussion of the observations of the meteor made in different parts of the State, and in Illinois, I am able to give the following as the most probable path of this body. I expect to revise my calculations before embodying them in a permanent form, but have some degree of confidence that, as presented to-day, they are as near the truth as can be expected from data obtained under such unavoidable disadvantages as attend the sudden and unexpected flight of a meteor.
    The true course of the meteor was from s.w. to n.e. and at an angle of about 22 degrees with the meridian. It therefore passed nearly over the towns of Sigourney and Batavia, having, when over the latter place, an altitude of less than thirty miles. My method of ascertaining this was by drawing on a slate globe eighteen inches in diameter the course of the meteor, as seen from many different stations. The point in which any two of these intersect would be a radiant, if the observations were perfect, and in the case of imperfections their average may be considered approximately correct.
    As seen in Iowa City, the length of its path to the place of falling was not much more than 56 miles, and, as many observers seem to think its flight occupied ten seconds, its average velocity was 5 miles per second.
   ...Certain irregularities in the course of the meteor are mentioned by two reliable observers. Mr. G.Holm of Marengo, who had a good view of it just previous to its disappearance said that its descending path was wave like. Mr. Frank McClintock, of West Union, says that at one time it gave a sudden thought slight dart to the east.
    The portions of the meteor found thus far, fell in T 80 N R 9 W and principally along the line separating the two western tiers of sections in that township. The area on which they fell is about four miles long by one-and-three-fourths miles in breadth. The largest pieces fell in sections six and seven. I visited this vicinity on the thirty-first of March and found that a half a dozen small pieces whose aggregate weight was about 9 pounds had just been found. I secured these and employed an enterprising young man, Mr. Frank Greely, to search the district which I mapped out for him. In pursuance of our arrangement, he secured the assistance of a number of men and boys and made a systematic search which resulted in the finding of 150 pounds, of which I have secured 141. Other parties in this city have from somewhere from 25 to 50 pounds; an I know of 25 pounds more not yet brought to the city. I suppose, therefore, that the whole mass may have amounted to as much as 250 pounds.
    ... The length of this article forbids the mention of many other matters of interest.
    In conclusion, my thanks are due to the gentlemen named in this communication, who have assisted me in collecting the material upon which these calculations have been based, and to others for like favors, among whom I particularly mention, Mr. L.C. Ingersoll, of Keokuk, Mr. Leggett, of Fairfield, Prof. S.J. Buck of Grinnell, Prof. J.T.K. Macomber of Iowa Agricultural College and Prof. M.L. Comstock of Galesburg, Ill. County Superintendent Frank Moore of Eldora, Dr King of Steamboat Rock, and last but not least to Mr. H.E. Fairall of the Davenport Gazette, and the editors of the Iowa City Republican who have furnished me with a large collection of newspaper extracts in regard to the meteor.
    Iowa State University, April 7, 1875.
        N.R. LEONARD.

Burlington Hawkeye
Burlington, Des Moines, Iowa
April 29, 1875

MONEY IN METEOR.
How the Iowa City People are Speculating on a Celestial Basis.
Iowa City Press, 12th.
    On Saturday we visited the meteor field in Iowa township, Iowa county, in company with Prof. Hinrichs, and brought away nearly a hundred pounds of beautiful specimens, showing, in nearly every case, integrity of the primary coating of metals melted in the friction of flight through the atmosphere.
    These specimens were collected by Mr. John Donaldson, in whose hands we found letters from Prof. Leonard, the ablest astronomer of the State University, offering any price for them, so superior did he seem to regard them to any "find" yet developed.
    As the collection was made especially for us, however, we brought the prize home, feeling that its large cost was made more justifiable by the anxiety of Prof. L. to possess it at any advance upon the already extravagant market fixed by the University.
    That country reminds one of the South African diamond fields. When the fragments were first found lying in the meadows, people attached no idea of value to them, and beyond keeping small pieces in the cabinet of household curiosities, were willing to surrender the rest for the purposes of science or for place in more pretentious cabinets. From this condition of indifference they were aroused when a young man sold to Prof. Leonard fifty pounds of fragments for $100, which had cost him $7 to collect. At once the fields were filled with meteor hunters, and local brokers went around buying up stone, bidding against each other, until they got to paying $2.00 per pound on the ground. Then came Prof. Leonard's letters offering an indefinite advance upon the collections made for us, accompanied by private intimations that he would pay as high as $5.00 per pound. The result is that the people are in a high state of excitement, understanding that all the resources of the University treasury lie behind these extravagant offers. This price is four times the price of the richest gold ores of Colorado, for it is at the rate of $4,000 per ton.
    Prof. Leonard's theory is that these meteors fall from the moon.

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