Wilton, IA Train Collision, Nov 1898

SERIOUS WRECK.

WRECKING TRAIN MEETS DISASTER.

PLUNGED INTO BY FAST MAIL AT WILTON -- MANY LABORERS MORE OR LESS INJURED.

Davenport, Iowa, Nov. 18. -- Two freight trains on the Rock Island road collided this morning at Moscow, Iowa. One man was killed and one hurt.
A wrecking train about to start to the scene from Wilton was run into by the fast mail. Sixteen men on the wrecking train were hurt, some seriously. The fireman of the fast mail was badly hurt.

Wilton Junction, Iowa, Nov. 18. -- The east-bound stock train and No. 99, west-bound through freight to Cedar Rapids, struck head end on at Moscow at 7:45 this morning, wrecking both engines and nine freight cars, killing Head Brakeman JACK DONAHUE of the east-bound and seriously injuring Head Brakeman MARSH MILLER and Engineer HIBBARD of the west-bound and slightly injuring several others.
A wrecking train was immediately ordered from Wilton, consisting of a caboose and engine. At this juncture the fast mail No. 21, coming at a high rate of speed, could not see the order board on account of the fog.
When the wheels struck the torpedoes placed on the track the engineer applied his air, but the brakes failed to hold at first and the train slid into the rear of the wrecker which was not yet out of the yards. The caboose was smashed into kindling wood, both engines wrecked and fourteen of the twenty laborers were seriously injured. Conductor ROBERTS of the work train and Fireman JOHN NEISWANDER of the fast mail are probably fatally injured. Of the fifteen passengers on the fast mail none were killed but all were more or less shaken and bruised.
The names of the killed and injured are as follows so far as it is possible to learn:
JACK DONAHUE, brakeman, Rock Island, killed.
MARSH MILLER, brakeman, Rock Island, hip broken and otherwise bruised.
SUMMER ROBERTS, conductor, Rock Island, badly cut and unconscious.
Engineer DUNCAN, Rock Island, burned and bruised.
TEDDY EGAN, laborer, Wilton, injured about head and hips.
WM. DUPLE, laborer, Wilton, injured.
MIKE HICKEY, laborer, Wilton, injured internally.
GEO. SPENCER, laborer, Wilton, leg broken and foot mashed.
WM. McINTYRE, laborer, foot crushed and head cut.
FRANK ANKER, laborer, bruised and hemorrhages.
CHAS. HOTEN, laborer, badly injured.
CHAS. BAKER, laborer, badly injured.
JAMES HONEY, laborer, badly injured.
JAMES FITZPATRICK, laborer, badly injured.

Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette Iowa 1898-11-18
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!