Cameron, William, 1850-1917

CAMERON

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/27/2012 at 06:18:31

KILLED BY TRAIN
Former Hawarden Resident Meets Death in Tragic Manner

William Cameron, a former well known deaf and dumb shoemaker of this city, was instantly killed a week ago Sunday afternoon when he was struck by a Northwestern freight train on a bridge over the Iowa river, a short distance south of Belle Plaine, Iowa. It was Mr. Cameron's frequent custom to go for a long walk on Sunday and he was returning from one of these trips when the fatal accident occurred. He had started acrss the bridge and was facing the approaching train. Being deaf, and probably from the fact that he was watching the ties to keep from falling through the bridge, he did not observe the train until it was almost upon him. The engineer gave a danger whistle, and then realizing that for some reason the pedestrian did not leave the track, he applied the brakes, but too late to prevent the engine striking Mr. Cameron, who had crouched down on the bridge timbers. He was knocked off the bridge to the hard frozen ground twenty feet below and was dead when picked up by members of the freight crew. He had suffered a fractured skull and a broken neck. A coroner's inquest was held the following morning and the railway company was absolved from all blame for the accident. The funeral was held at Belle Plaine on Wednesday of last week and interment made in the cemetery at that place.

The deceased was a native of Ireland and was born in County Antrim on May 22, 1850, and was nearly 67 years of age at the time of his death. In early life he attended a school for the deaf and dumb at Belfast, Ireland. When 20 years of age he came to the United States. He learned the shoemaker's trade in Belle Plaine and later came to Hawarden, where he operated a shoe repair shop for quite a number of years. He will be remembered by nearly all of the older residents of this city. He was a man of good habits and was generally respected. About eighteen years ago he left Hawarden and returned to Belle Plaine, where he has made his home with his brother.

He is survived by three brothers and three sisters: Mrs. James Matland of Chicago; Mrs. Eliza Dunlap of Chicago; Mrs. Alexander Rogers of Lynx, Neb.; Daniel Cameron of Montreal, Can.; Thomas Cameron of County Antrim, Ireland; and Alexander R. Cameron of Belle Plaine, Iowa.

Source: Hawarden Independent, March 8, 1917.