DISASTROUS WRECK ON MILWAUKEE NEAR RHODES

Eleven People Are Killed -- Nearly Two Score Are Injured -- Several May Die

Worst Wreck on the Milwaukee in Many Years.

Special Train Left Perry For the Scene of the Disaster and Returns Here with Dying and Maimed Unfortunate Victims of the Wreck -- Sufferings of Injured are Indescribably - The Blame for the Accident Not Definitely Known.

The killed --
S. D. Marckres, engineer 92, of Perry.
F. M. Braman, of Perry, engineer of work train.
Jack Richardson, laborer
Unknown laborer.
Dan Sullivan, laborer
"Long Slim" - so-called
Frank Ray
Pat Sullivan, laborer
Three Unknown Laborers.

The injured -
Will Thorpe, fireman, Perry, leg mashed off.
John Allen, Finland, head injured.
John Nodine, Bridgman, Mich., head injured.
John Donavan, Kansas City, arm fractured.
Unknown, serious internal injuries.
John Maher, internal injuries.
John Mackey, Round Springs, Wyo., chest mashed.
Tom Morgan, Peoria, left leg broken.
Mike Kearns, no home, head, back and shoulders injured.
Tom Hunt, Chicago, head, face and arm bruised.
Unknown, broken arm, serious chest injury.
Otto Klinger, Rock Island, arm broken, hip wrenched.
Thos. Moon, no home, left leg broken, scalded, head hurt.
Herman Huns, Carthage, Ill., bruised all over.
Henry Blackwood, injured about the head, back and shoulders.
F. Wadsworth, Chicago, collar bone fractured.
Tom Casey, Omaha, injured about the chest, will die.
James Dacy, Chicago, head injured.
James Sullivan, Baltimore, injured about the head and neck.
J. Collins, Omaha, collar bone fractured, shoulder and wrist bruised.

The following were among the injured most seriously, but the extent of their injuries could not be learned: Chas. Warner, Silas Harmon, Mike Austin, John Walker, Ed. Donovan, John Hart, Geo. Heffner, and James Roland. A number of others were more or less seriously injured whose names and the nature of their injuries are not known.

Wednesday afternoon at 1:23 o'clock, two miles west of Rhodes, occurred the most disastrous wreck ever known on this division of the Milwaukee. The dead so far are eleven and thirty-five are injured, many of them severely.

No. 92, the way freight going east was four miles east of Collins. When rounding a sharp curve in a deep cut, it crashed into a work train coming west at full speed. No 92 was in charge of Conductor L. C. Newell, brakemen John Searls, Dan Reel and Joe Slater, engineer S. D. Marckres and Fireman Kyarsgaard. On the work train were Conductor W. S. Craig, brakeman Gus O'Day, engineer Fred Braman and fireman Will Thorp. After the crash the scene was one that cannot be described. Strong men cried and others fainted away at the sight of the spectacle.

Fireman Kyarsgaard saw the work train and yelled at Marckres to jump, himself leaping from the engine as he spoke. Marckres being on the outside could not see how close they were and he was caught in the crash that followed, being instantly killed. He was found down next to the boiler head with a bad gash in his head and was badly scalded. His lever had been thrown to center. The fireman escaped with some bad bruises and he worked hard to help the unfortunates. Engineer Braman evidently jumped and was killed in the fall or by the wreckage striking him. His fireman, Will Thorpe, jumped as they struck, but his leg was caught and when found he was sitting on the bank with his leg hanging at the thigh by a strip of flesh.

On the work train were 68 men riding on three flat cars, and in two box cars. The havoc wrought among these men was awful. They went into the crash without the slightest warning. Nine are now dead, one is sure to die and 31 of them were badly injured, while not a man among them escaped without some bruises.

Engineer Marckres' watch was stopped at 1:23, showing the exact time of the accident, and it was two hours before some of the suffering men were released from there places in the wreckage. Brakeman O'Day was riding on the tank box, and seeing the danger jumped. He ran at once to a farm house, got a horse and rode with all possible speed to Rhodes to telegraph to Collins to hold passenger No. 2. On receipt of word at Collins the engine and baggage cars with doctors when out at once to the wreck. They soon returned to Collins and got the sleeper for the use of the injured. A wrecking train had been picking up a car at Huxley and were at Cambridge on there way to Perry when they got word to go to the wreck. Another wrecking train come from Marion. It was not until these crews had had moved away the wreckage that the injured and dead men could be extricated. At 7:15, while hunting for a lost watch, the boys found the feet of a man in the wreckage under the tender of the work train engine. He was dug out and placed with the other victims and brought to Collins where all the bodies were held pending the coroner's inquest. The coroner drove from Marshalltown, arriving about midnight.

A look at the wreck would cause anyone to marvel that any escaped. The little 14114 was telescoped into the ten wheeler, the 124. The little engine is so completely covered by its tender and the other engine that only a few feet of its boiler are in sight. The first car on the way freight was the bridge gang's tool car. The gang, consisting of W.J. Prior, A. Anderson, John Peterson and one other, were riding on the way car. Nothing but kindling wood remains of the tool car. A car of paving brick went thru the tool car and was left high in the air on the north side of the track and cross ways of the track directly over 124's tender. There were six men in this car of brick who had quit work at Cambridge and were riding home. Not one was severely hurt. Brakeman Slater was seven cars back and fell between the cars, rolling out without much injury. Dan Reel and Conductor Newell were in the cupola of the caboose and were both thrown to the floor, the latter suffering an injury to his knee.

The first flat car of the work train was covered with laborers. It was broken in two, the rear half being left wrong side upon thee top of the engine tender, while the front half stood almost straight up in the air against the end of the tender. Two men were riding on the box behind the tender. They were crushed to death on the spot and others were pinioned fast against them. The moans and shrieks of the injured men among these were heart rending.

The injured who were able to walk were taken to the opera house at Collins and given every care possible, being left in the care of Dr. Allen. Fireman Flannigan, a son-in-law of Martin O'Malley of Perry was taken to his home at Woodward. The others were taken to Des Moines and placed in the hospital. Among them was fireman Will Thorpe. The chances against his recovery. Last week his father was run over and killed at Manilla. His brother is night lunch room clerk at Manilla. Both Thorpe and Kyarsgaard are new firemen. The latter had asked for the local freight run and this was his first trip. George Brown had had this run to that day, when he was given the run west. Taylor Harris also asked for this run. Engineers Hanner and Orvis went to Des Moines with Thorpe. Dr. Trout accompanied the car also. Two men died on the car on the way from the wreck to Collins.

A special under charge of Conductor Ritchie left Perry at four o'clock arriving at Collins at 5:30.

Many doctors were early on the scene, including Bean of Huxley, Allen of Tama, Scott, MIngle and Joor of Maxwell, Thompson, Hanson and Keath of Cambridge, Dickey of Rhodes, Skinner of Marion, Brown of Madrid.

Division Supt. Earlling was early on the scene taking charge of everything. No. 2 came back to Slater and ran over to Northwestern to Tama. No. 1 also went around that way.

Conductor Craig was one of the lucky ones. He was riding on engine 1414 and jumped in time to save his life.

S.D. MARCKRES leaves a wife and two sons.

FRED BRAMAN leaves a son who is [illegible - ?ring] here, and a wife and son who are visiting in Missouri at this time.
The whole city of Perry mourns this catastrophe, but the people have hardly had time yet to realize the awfulness of the disaster.

The Perry Daily Chief, Perry IA 7 Aug 1902