Catherine and Margaret died in a train wreck in Logan, Iowa on 11 Jul 1896. Sent by James Patrick Casey of Florida, my brother, he got this information from his cousin, Don Casey of Omaha, Nebraska.
Logan, Iowa Railway Wreck of 1896
Extracted from the 1915 History of Harrison County, Iowa, by Hon. Charles W. Hunt, Logan; published by B. F. Bowen & Co., Inc., page 276.
Transcribed and submitted by Mona Sarratt Knight
On July 11, 1896, occurred one of the most disastrous railway wrecks that ever took place in the state of Iowa. The Union Pacific Pioneers, of Omaha, were holding their annual picnic at Logan on that day, having a special train of their sixteen passenger cars and one baggage car. Towards evening, when they were returning home, a misconstrued train order caused the special to collide with a fast freight train, just around the sharp curve southwest of Logan and about half a mile from the station. The train they met was No. 38, fast freight and return mail coaches, east bound. The excursion train was to wait for No. 2, and the passengers were all occuping their seats. A freight had passed them, which they supposed was the fast freight, but which proved to be another train. The train orders for No. 38 had been overlooked or forgotten by the agent and train crew; hence the awful disaster. W. R. SHAFFER, an old-time agent at Logan, was then stationed at that town. The two trains met full speed, and the result was fearful. The baggage car was driven entirely through the first passenger coach. Several passengers were beheaded and many were badly mutilated. The meeting of the fated trains was plainly seen by John F. SMEADLEY, a farmer living three miles north of Missouri Valley, who was near the curve at the time of the collision. He stated at the inquest: "When I saw the two trains, they must have been fully twenty rods apart. I realized that nothing could prevent a collision. I stood up in my buggy, swung my hat and cried out in an effort to signal the engineers of the two trains. That my signs were not observed is apparent to my mind for the reason that there was no effort made to stop either of the trains, or at least not as far as I could see. I screamed at the top of my voice, but still the two trains moved toward each other. Then I waited. It seemed like an hour. The cold sweat streamed from my face as I stood there waiting for the crash which must have been but a few seconds later. I was but a few rods ahead of the excursion train and not to exceed five hundred feet from the track when the two engines came together." COLLISION GRAPHICALLY DESCRIBED. "The moment the two iron monsters struck was the most trying of all my life. I had served in the Civil War and was in twelve battles, but never did I experience such a feeling as I did when I stood upon the Iowa prairie, knowing that in a very short time scores, and perhaps hundreds, of brave men, dedicated women and innocent children would be killed, and that no power could prevent the catastrophe. At last the end came and that strange spell passed from me." "As the two trains continued toward each other, there was a dull, heavy shock that seemed like the rumbling of distant thunder. This was followed by a hissing sound and in an instant the two engines and the front car of each train became enveloped in clouds of steam, completely obscuring them from view. Soon the clouds cleared away, and as it did, I saw the engine of the freight train climbing on top of the one attached to the excursion train. Behind the engine of the excursion train there seemed to be cars crowding and pressing together. The floors of the baggage car seemed to rise almost at the same instant it struck the body of the coach immediately behind. As the floor struck, it plowed into the coach, just above the windows and continued on in its course until it reached within a few feet of the rear end, when it seemed to waver, topple and then settle down upon the coach, crushing it to what seemed to be but a mass of kindling wood. As the noise of crashing timbers subsided, there arose upon the air the cries of men, women and children, mingled with groans of the maimed and dying." There were forty-two maimed for life and twenty-five killed outright. The rescue work commenced within ten minutes after the wreck occurred. The sides of the passenger coaches were broken in and the work of taking out the dead and injured begun. Dr. I. C. WOOD, of Logan, was near the scene, and after giving instructions, went hastily back to town to prepare the old skating rink for the reception of the dead and injured, as they should be brought in. Doctors WATT and WEISE were on the grounds directing the rescue work. The wrecking train reached the place at 10:30 p.m. A Special from Missouri Valley, with Doctors COIT, McGAVREN, MASON and TAMISIEA arrived before the wrecking train. Doctor BEATTIE of Dunlap, and other from nearby towns, soon responded to calls for help. The scene at Omaha, upon the arrival of the train at the Union depot at 8:30 o'clock the next morning, when two cars -- a passenger coach and what seemed to be a "chamber of horrors," the other car of the train -- beggars all description of pen and tongue. The entrance was guarded by police, and seventeen bodies covered with muslin shrouds and laid on pine boards were carried, one at a time, to the baggage room and placed in a long row on the floor. The silent forms gave evidence of the awful collision at Logan the day before. Headless trunks, bodies without limbs, and limbs without bodies, a gruesome spectable, were all gathered in that small space. The coroner's inquest (Dr. MacFARLANE being coroner) had as jurymen, J.A. BERRY, Albert LOSS, and T. F. VANDERHOOF. Suits for damages amounting to almost a million dollars were worrying their way through the courts for nearly, if not quite ten years after the wreck. Counting the large amounts received by friends of the deceased, and by the injured, together with the large amount of property destroyed, it was one of the most financially expensive wrecks that ever occurred on Iowa soil. It was also the worst in way of loss of life and limb. THE CORONERS' INQUEST Extracted from the Harrison County News newspaper, July 17 1896, Logan, Iowa (Transcibed and Contributed by Vicki King)
Now being held at Logan ostensibly to ascertain the causes of that wreck seems really to be designed to give a per diem to the coroner, as only three or four witnesses are examined in a two days session. The first witness examined was the station agent, SCHAFFER, at Logan who testified in part as follows: The excursion train pulled out at 1:42, the conductor, REID, received an order delivered by me for him to run special from Logan to Council Bluffs. I have no copy of the order, as the train agent took it. The order would imply to a crew to look out for all regular trains. Then No. 2 is due at 6:44 and No. 38 at 6:44. It was the conductor's duty to remain here until after No. 38 had gone. I saw the conductor and engineer at various times during the day in the yard. I did not see anything which would indicate that either of them had been drinking. I don't know that either of them drinks and understand that they do not. When I received the order for REED I went up to him, handed it to him in duplicate and said 'That don't help you out much on 38 does it?' and REED answered 'No'. It was about 6:35 when I received the order and when I gave it to REED the engineer, MONTGOMERY was oiling his engine. Dr. KNOWLES testified to dressing Engineer MONTGOMERY's hand. During the operation the sad man kept moaning and groaning and exclaiming that he was to blame as he had forgotten No. 38. The feeling is growing that the trainmen have suffered enough and nothing more should be done as to them.
Logan, IA Train Wreck, Jul 1896 - Dead and Injured
Posted July 5th, 2010 by Stu Beitler
Roll Of The Dead: The roll of the dead belonging in Omaha numbers eighteen names, the complete list being as follows: JOHN McDERMOTT, Sixteenth and Nicholas Streets; machinist at the Union Pacific shops. JOHN KINSEY, 4603 Corning Street. ROBERT CLAIR, 1839 North Eighteenth Street; son of John Clair, ex-assistant boiler inspector. JOHN H. JACK, Sixteenth and Webster Streets; newsboy employed by the Omaha News company on railway trains. JOHN LARSON, 1113 North Eighteenth Street; aged about 16 years; was employed as a carrier for the World Herald. FRED NIELSON, 222 South Thirty-third Street; son of Andrew Nielson, who is in St. Joseph's Hospital. JOHN B. KILKER, 880 South Seventeenth Street; member of Seventh Ward Band. OWEN CAVANAUGH, 1562 North Eighteenth Street; aged about 18 years. HUGH DODSON, 4314 Emmett Street; aged about 12 years. MRS. KATE BRADLEY and BABY, 1410 North Eighteenth Street. MRS. P. J. CARROLL and BOY, the latter aged about 6 years. PATRICK SCULLY, 2524 Center Street; stationary engineer at the Union Pacific shops. MISS MARY TRACY, 1107 North Eighteenth Street. JOHN COSGROVE, 1111 North Eighteenth Street; aged 18 years. WILLIAM COSGROVE, same address; aged 14 years. MISS MARGARET COSGROVE, same address, aged 24 years. In addition to these the following residents of other towns were killed, incrasing the list to twenty-four, but there are still several not accounted for, two of the doctors who went to the scene from Omaha stating that they counted the dead bodies, one placing the number at twenty-eight and the other at twenty-nine. The list, so far as it has been obtained, is as follows: CHARLES HEIMAN, Missouri Valley. WALTER JENNNGS, Missouri Valley. GEORGE WININGER, Morrison, Ill.; brakeman on the excursion train. LAWRENCE PETERS, 914 Ninth Avenue, Council Bluffs. MISS OLLIE WILSON, 1511 Ninth Avenue, Council Bluffs. MRS. TAYLOR and BABY, Council Bluffs.
List Of The Injured: The injured who were in such condition as to require medical attendance were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital. There were twenty-nine of these and the hospital force was kept on the jump by the sudden influx, but by noon all had been attended to and the physicians reported that all of the victims were doing well. Regarding those injured internally the doctors said at least two or three days would be required before their fate would be determined, but all of the others were said to be doing well and several were expected to be able to leave the hospital within the next day or so.
Logan, IA Train Wreck, Jul 1896 - Dead and Injured
Posted July 5th, 2010 by Stu Beitler
The list of those in the hospital, together with a few others who were severely injured but able to get to their homes, is given below. In addition to these there were a large number who sustained severe injuries, such as bruised heads, mashed fingers, etc., but these made their way to their homes as quickly as possible, ad it was impossible to locate them. The following list includes all who were seriously injured: ROBERT BUCHTEL, of 622 North Seventeenth Street; his left leg is fractured. MRS. BUCHTEL, wife of the above; sustained a number of severe contusions in the face and forehead, her nose is broken and her arm badly injured. KATE COSGROVE, of 1111 North Eighteenth Street; sustained a contusion over the right eye, and was generally and badly bruised. WILLIAM J. SUMMIT, of Missouri Valley; sustained a fracture of a leg and was generally buised. MRS. SCULLY, of Sheeley; sustained fractures of several ribs and also was injured in the chest. She is not expected to live. SAM DODSON, of 4214 Emmett Street; ribs broken, badly injured internally and bruised about head. BLANCHE HENDER, of Clifton Hill; most seriously injured. Her right arm is fractured in two places and both her clavicle bones are broken. ROBERT J. PEARSON, of 1711 South Ninth Street; knee badly lacerated. J. P. KALER, of Council Bluffs; very badly cut about the head and face. MARGARET COLVIN, of 2829 Decatur Street; very badly bruised. ANNIE COLVIN, of the same address; shoulders badly bruised and was severely cut. OLIVER COLVIN, also of the same address; sustained a number of severe cuts about the head. JOHN SCHNEIDEL, of 1732 South Ninth Street; injured in the sides, arms and head. EVA NEILSON, of 222 South Thirty-Third Street; very badly injured internally and in addition her right leg is badly hurt. Her condition is serious. LEONARD MACK, of 1707 South Tenth Street; injured in the abdomen and groin; received a number of wounds in the head and had his right leg hurt. His condition is also critical. ANDREW NEILSON, of 222 South Thirty-third Street; arm broken, both sides injured and received a number of cuts in the face. HENRY C. CONRAD, of Dayton, O., a tramp, who was on the train; injured about the right hip. C. W. JOHNSON, of 2415 Lake Street; contusions upon both legs. WILLIAM CHRISTIANSEN, of 3418 Grant Street; sustained contusions upon the right thigh and left leg. P. J. CARROLL, of 1410 North Eighteenth Street; injured in the chest and head, and is also suffering from an injured hand. JEROME A. LILLIE, of 1808 Webster Street; ribs fractured and sustained internal injuries, besids receiving contusions upon the face and chest. It isfeared that his injuries are fatal.
Logan, IA Train Wreck, Jul 1896 - Dead and Injured
Posted July 5th, 2010 by Stu Beitler
FRED KINSEY, of 4603 Cuming Street; sustained an injury to the right arm and contusions upon his face. MRS. O'HEARN, of Council Bluffs; severely cut about the face. Her right arm and shoulder were also injured. THERESA TRACEY, of 1107 North Eighteenth Street; sustained a number of severe cuts upon the head. MAGGIE SCULLY, of 2425 Center Street; sustained contusions upon the left shoulder and arm. JOHN PERKINS, of 1442 North Nineteenth Street, 17 years of age; badly cut about the face and received an injury to his right leg. JOHN McKENNA, of 1534 North Twentieth Street; injured internally; his injuries are serious. MIKE SHANNON, of 1622 Nicholas Street, 14 years old; sustaned a badly sprained ankle. STEVE MEANEY, of 1113 1/2 Pacific Street; badly cut about the left leg and was generally bruised. JOHN MEANEY, same address; cut about the face. ELSIE KALER, of Council Bluffs, age 3 years. Child of J. F. Kaler, who was also injured. E. MESSERSCHMITH, 3306 Franklin, age about 18 years; bruised about both legs from the middle of the thighs to the ankles. C. J. FITZGIBBON, Missouri Valley; left leg amputated between ankle and knee; badly bruised about head and face. HENRY SLAVIN, age about 16 years; wrist sprained and slightly bruised about the body. His parents live in Indianapolis. The following were sllightly injured: BLANCH HENDER, head and chest bruised. ANNA COLVIN. MYRTLE COLVIN. OLIVE COLVIN. JOE FLYNN, foot injured.
Omaha Daily Bee Nebraska 1896-07-13
From family records of Cliff Hiatt, Vale, OR, says the maiden name is Ollas, verses Crompton, I have no notes to base any decision on further. Larry Anderson
Chris says that Alice was died in 1825.! In the IGI, there is a reference to Priscilla Little which might be this person.Letter written by Goodwin Taylor on October 14, 1880 to his daughter Letha Ann gives his family history. States his grandfather on his father's side was Thomas Taylor; grandmother was Alice Richey. His grandfather on his mother's side was William Singleton; grandmother Lucy English. States his father, William Taylor and mother Susan Singleton were married April 26, 1798. States his father died June 11 1813 at Norfolk, Va. in the service of the US in the war of 1812.States that his mother moved from Brunswick Co, VA to Surry Co., NC in 1818. States that he married Jane Griffith on September 30, 1824 in Surry County, NC.
Lists his children as:
Rebecca born Nov. 15 1825
Lewis born July 15, 1827 - died of burn 13 Jun 1829
Letha Ann born August 1, 1829
States the above born on Southern soil (evidently Surry Co., NC)Then further lists children as:
Justian born Dec ? ?? in Indiana
Malinda born Feb 27, 1834 in Indiana
Lucinda born Aug 7, 1836 in Indiana
William born Oct. 6, 1839 in Iowa
Son born dead Nov. 28, 1841 in Iowa
Levi born Oct 13, 1842 in Iowa - died of cancer3 Sep 1847
Son born dead Jan 8, 1846 in Iowa
Minerva born Feb. 11, 1849 in IowaFurther states that on October 14, 1830 he and his wife left Surry Co., NC with $11.25, one horse and an "old rattle-trap of a one-horse wagon" and headed 700 miles west. He states that the money gave out, but he did not and that he worked, worked, worked on. He states that the noble part of his move was that his wife "took to help" him on. States he "used the axe and she used the needle".
Goodwin lists his siblings as:
John born 4 May 1799
Stirling born 6 Jul 1800
Francis (Female) born 5 Jul 1801
Benjamin born 3 Oct 1804
Thomas born 8 Jun 1808
Susan born 21 Oct 1809
Jones 20 Feb 1812 - later states that Jones died on 15 Dec 1835 in his home in Belville, Hendrick Co., IndianaStates that his mother, Susannah Singleton Taylor died in Surry Co., NC on 15 Feb 1829.
Goodwin states that both of his grandfathers and grandmothers were all born and raised in Brunswick Co., 40 miles SW of Petersburg, VA, where he was born on 29 May 1806.