LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA

Morning Sun News-Herald, June 13, 1935, page 1
Transcribed by Lynn McCleary, November 13, 2018

TRAIN WRECK

    A bad wreck occurred at the crossing of the Rock Island and M. & St. L. roads at about seven o'clock this Thursday morning when a west bound double-header freight telescoped the north bound passenger and mail train on the Rock Island. The reason for the confusion of signals (the block system is used at the crossing), does not seem to be clear. Enginemen of both trains claim to have a "clear board."

    The passenger train was running a little late and was going at about a 35 mile clip as the train neared the crossing. The double-header freight crew seemed to think they had the right-of-way and it was very soon apparent to both crews that a bad collision was inevitable.

    The two engine crews on the St. L. set their brakes and proceeded to jump to safety just before the freight struck the passenger train. A St. L. brakeman who ws in the cab of one of the engines, failed to jump and went through the wreck but came out with only slight bruises. The engineer on the Rock Island train succeeded in getting his engine and the first car over the crossing, and then the double header engines struck the third car, an express and baggage car, near the center. Both engines and two freight cars on the St. L. train and two baggage and express cars were piled up in a miscellaneous jumble across the Rock Island track and right-of-way. The passenger coach kept the rails. As viewed by the average layman it would seem that it was a mighty expensive wreck. Several feet of track, especially on the M.& St. L., was torn up. It is said that it will take at least twelve hours to clear the wreck and repair the damaged tracks.

    Five Rock Island trainmen and one woman and two men passengers were injured in the smashup, one of the baggage men, Eli Myers, being critically injured.

    Those injured were:

    Eli Myers, 50, baggage man, Oelwein, a fractured skull. Died at the Burlington hospital later.

    M. C. Taylor, 51, express messenger, Marion, Iowa, Head cut.

    S. S. J. Peck, 48, brakeman, Cedar Rapids, fractured elbow and lacerated arm.

    T W. Stonebraker, 60, conductor, Cedar Rapids, badly bruised arm.

    Simon Marquess, news agent, Kansas City, ribs broken and badly cut about body.

    Marie Hochman, St. Louis, a passenger, mouth bruised.

    W. H. Brewer, St. Louis, bruised about head and shoulders.

    Wm. Sellers, Morning Sun, arm injured.

    Immediately Drs. Tandy and Plowman were called to the scene of the wreck and gave first aid. The trainmen injured and woman passengers were rushed to Burlington hospital in the Pierce and Whitham ambulances for treatment.

Myers Dies from Injuries

    Word from the hospital at two o'clock this afternoon was the Eli Myers, the baggage man, died from his injuries. The others will get along all right. Myers did not regain consciousness.

    Those who passed through the wreck and came out alive say that it was a harrowing experience. The express and baggage men were of course at work in their cars and no doubt were not aware that the heavy freight was upon them until the crash came.

    Considerable stuff from the express and baggage cars was strewn about the right-of way by the wreck, and some of it damaged of course.

    Hundreds of people from town and country have been down to see the wreck. Wrecking crews are now at work clearing up the wreck.