Mike Canny

CANNYH, BUNCH, THIEHOFF, CLIFFORD, FUNK, SKILLMAN, CONE

Posted By: Deb Barker (email)
Date: 8/6/2025 at 19:00:27

Ottumwa Courier May 25, 1886
Engineer Mike Canny and Fireman William Bunch injured in head-on collision near Tyrone this Morning.   Extra No. 2079 permitted in same block with Time Freight no. 78 - passenger and fast mail detour. The failure of the operator at Maxon to deliver orders to extra 2079 this morning precipitated a head on collision between the extra and time freight no. 78 at mile post no. 312, a mile and a half east of Tyrone, at 6:23 o'clock.  Engineer M. J. Canny and Fireman Bunch were injured, the former sustaining a bad scalp wound while fireman Bunch had one of his legs broken.  Both engines and sixteen cars were badly used up in the collision and the two tracks blocked to such an extent as to stop traffic for several hours.  Passenger train No. 3 and fast mail train No. 7  were held for a time at the Union depot here and later sent to Albia and thence detoured via Des Moines and Osceola to Creston.  No. 7 changed engines here and left with engine No. 1001 about 9:40 a.m.  The tool cars and wrecking crew left the local yards at 7:45 a.m. and stopped at the depot for Superintendent Thiehoff and Assistant Superintendent F. Cone.  master Mechanic I.N. Funk with Traveling Engineer Tim Clifford was in charge of the train. Doctors S.L. Hauck, A.O. Williams and S.A. Skillman also accompanied the officials.  The exact cause of the accident is difficult to ascertain, owing to the great press of work in the telegraph department incident to such trouble on the division.  Information from Albia stated, however, that the operators at Maxon, where the road has a cross-over to avoid a hill, failed to deliver an order to the extra, No. 2079, in charge of Engineer Henry Shafer, thus leaving both trains in the same block.  The time freight coming from the west entered the block and proceeded east until about a mile and a half east of Tyrone at mile post No. 312, where the trains collided.  A report wired from Conductor Strong and Engineer Canny to general office of the Burlington in this city, stated: " No. 78 and extra No. 2079 met head on at mile post no. 312 at 6:23 a.m.  Engineer Canny has bad scalp wound and Fireman Bunch has leg broken.  The tender of No. 78's engine is reared up by the contact with the train, while six cars of stock and four cars of dead freight on No. 78, with six cars of gravel on the extra are scattered over the tracks. Both tracks are badly blocked.  have sent to Melrose for doctor".  "Strong & Canny"  A later report from the scene of the wreck stated that the cars were beginning to burn and advised that train No 78 be pulled back to Melrose out of the zone of the accident.  The injured men were taken on a hand car to Tyrone and brought home to Ottumwa on No. 178 this afternoon nearly four hours late.  Engineer Canny resides at 528 Cooper avenue and Fireman Bunch at 207 North Sheridan Ave.