FATAL ACCIDENT - German Carpenter May 1869

GERMAN

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 2/25/2016 at 17:42:22

Dubuque Daily Times Journal, May 30, 1869

FATAL ACCIDENT – On Sunday night the passenger train coming east came upon a man stretched across the track about half a mile east of the station at Independence. It was impossible to stop the train, on the down grade, before it had entirely passed over the body of the man, mangling it in the most horrible manner. As soon as possible, the train was halted and backed up to the place of the catastrophe. The unfortunate man was quite dead when he was reached. One of his legs was completely severed and his other badly crushed. His head was also crushed in a terrible manner. The remains were taken to the station and there it was found to be the body of a German carpenter who had been employed about the station for some days. During the day he had been drinking freely, and at night was seen very much intoxicated. He probably wandered down the railroad until completely overcome by the liquor and fell down o be crushed to death by the first passing train. We understand he was about forty years of age and had a wife and child in Germany for whom he had recently sent.