Drivers headed east from Lucas to Chariton on U.S. 34 these days probably aren't aware that the big hill they're climbing just beyond the Whitebreast Creek bridge has a name --- Whitebreast Hill --- and a reputation that goes back to the county's earliest days. Modern highway engineering has lessened the grade and turned what once was a precipitous incline into a far gentler curved one.
Although the double tracks of the mainline Burlington Northern & Santa Fe --- one of Iowa's busiest railroads --- parallel the highway across the Whitebreast bottoms, the rails curve north before the bridge and disappear into woodland, dividing into separate tracks to climb the hill parallel to the highway. One track follows closely the original route established during the mid-1860s; the other, built during the 1930s, swings to the north before following a gentler, less precipitous grade up the hill and rejoining the other track near a point once known as "Indianola Junction" before heading into Chariton.
Back in those woods during the early morning hours of Saturday, Aug. 17, 1918 --- a century ago now --- five men died near a telegraph relay station called "Troy" in what was described as the "worst wreck ever witnessed" in Lucas County. As it turns out, that's a slight exaggeration, but reporters of the day had forgotten that five men also died in Chariton during mid-June, 1875, when a speeding freight train slammed into the rear of a stationary freight near the depot. Here's a report on that earlier disaster.
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It's a little difficult to understand, from the report that follows (published in The Herald-Patriot on Thursday, Aug. 22, 1918), exactly what was going on, so here's a little background: The trains involved were two halves of what was known as a double-header freight --- each with its own engine --- traveling in tandem across southern Iowa during the darkness. At the time, because of the grade on the single track that then climbed Whitebreast Hill, an auxiliary engine was needed to pull heavy freights up.
The auxiliary engine, waiting east of Lucas, was attached to the first half of the double-header and the twin engines began to pull it up the hill, but the towbar linking the first and second freight cars pulled loose, stranding the rest of the cars on the incline. Air brakes set automatically when this happened, so all seemed well as the locomotives pulled the first car into Chariton, then returned for the rest. The second time around, the twin engines made it almost to the top of the incline when another towbar pulled loose, separating the lead cars attached to the engine from 22 others, including the caboose, near the top of the incline. This time, the air brakes set but did not hold. Those 22 cars rolled backward at an ever-accelerating rate and slammed into the engine of the second part of the train waiting at the bottom of the grade.
At that time, it was customary for farmers sending livestock to market in Chicago to accompany their stock, riding along in the caboose --- my dad did this on occasion when he was a kid, invited to join the excursion. So four of those killed on Aug. 18 were stockmen riding in the caboose when it slammed into the engine of the second train. The fifth was the train's brakeman. Here's The Herald-Patriot report. The somewhat battered images of the aftermath are from the Lucas County Historical Society collection.
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FIVE MEN KILLED IN RAILWAY CRASH
Twenty-two Freight Cars Demolished; A Big Wreck at the Foot of Whitebreast Hill Saturday Morning
The worst wreck ever witnessed in this county was that which occurred on Whitebreast hill Saturday morning at 2:37 when four men were instantly killed and another was (so) seriously hurt that he died shortly after arriving at Ottumwa for medical care. The men who were killed, with the exception of Brakeman Boltz, never knew their danger and were hurled into eternity without warning of any kind whatever. Their mangled bodies were mute evidence of the awful crash, and even at this time there are portions of human flesh in the wreckage which will never be recovered.
Whitebreast hill is one of two places on the C.B.&Q. railroad through this state which is not double-tracked, the heavy grade making it necessary for trains to have a helper engine in going up the hill. When this engine was attached to the stock train, No. 70, the drawbar pulled out of the first car, the balance of the train being left on the track while the damaged car was hauled into Chariton.
When the engines were attached a second time, a second drawbar was pulled out and though the automatic air brake was set when the engines left the train for Chariton again, railroad men say that there must have been a slow leak in the air hose, the air gradually escaping until the brakes were released and the heavy train started slowly backward, gaining momentum with every foot traveled until it reached a speed of eighty miles an hour. While running at this speed the brakeman was seen to go from car to car twisting the brakes with his stick in an effort to slow or stop the runaway cars, but his efforts were wholly without effect and when the crash came he was instantly killed.
The twenty-two cars traveled perhaps two miles before they met the second section of their own train, No. 78, the latter waiting until the block was cleared before running for Chariton. This second train was standing with all brakes set and when the wild cars hit the engine the latter was completely covered with wreckage, the forward part of the engine being badly demolished, although it never left the track. The caboose (of the first train) was so badly wrecked that it was unrecognizable, while cars were piled 40 feet in the air, all the wreckage being piled in a space perhaps 150 feet in length, both sides of the track being littered with the contents of the cars.
There were thirteen cars of hogs and cattle and one car of live poultry, and the stock could be seen all about the wreck, although much of it was killed. A car of butter, one of black pepper, another of pickles, and a car of eggs were to be seen scattered about, and a car of arsenic and two of merchandise with the caboose made up the total of 22 cars. Experienced railway men say they never saw a wreck where there was as little salvage as this one contained, and scores of dead animals were to be seen on every hand. The stock which escaped death was quickly disposed of, the poultry being sold to the Hawkeye Produce Co., the eggs and butter going to the same concern. Farmers bought much of the livestock at low prices, some animals doubtless being lost during the early hours of the wreck.
Two wrecking crews were early on the job and though they worked hard and had plenty of help it was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon before the track was clear. The bodies of the wreck victims were carefully removed from the debris and taken to the Melville undertaking establishment (in Chariton), where they were prepared as well as possible for shipment to their relatives. One body was completely severed and others were badly mangled, the grewsome bits being found at different places in the wreck; fortunately, however, no fire broke out to make matters worse and method was used in cleaning up the wreck.
The men who were unconscious victims were George W. Houck, of Corning, married, aged about 60, who died in the hospital at Ottumwa; his nephew, Harry Houck, married, aged about 45 years, of Carbon; George McNeill, single, aged about 49, of Bridgewater; Al Rudat, aged about 50, of Hastings, Neb.; and Brakeman Fred Boltz, single, aged 24, of Ottumwa. All the shippers (the two Houcks, McNeill and Rudat) were accompanying their stock to Chicago.
No blame seems to attach to any member of either train crew, though the air brakes are automatic and supposed to hold after being set, until released by the engine drawing the train. It is said that with the shortage of labor now existing in every branch of business it is often impossible to have freight cars properly inspected, though passenger coaches receive strict attention by experts. The wreck and loss of life and money are to be deeply deplored, but accidents of this nature are to be expected occasionally, especially at a time when so many demands are made upon every branch of the railway service. The Burlington has been peculiarly free from wrecks of this sort and when serious losses are reported on this road the public is shocked. It is estimated that the financial loss involved will reach $350,000, and, inasmuch as the government now controls the road (because of World War I), matters must be adjusted with representatives of Uncle Sam.
The remains of Brakeman Fred Boltz were removed to the home of his father in Ottumwa where funeral services were held on Monday afternoon. Relatives of George Houck, a farmer of near Corning, went to Ottumwa after his remains and accompanied them home Sunday evening on No. 9. Harry Houck's son, J.O. Houck, of Carbon, and a brother-in-law, Mr. Reese, of Corning, came to Chariton and identified his body and accompanied the remains to Corning Sunday evening. The remains of Al Rudat, of Hastings, Neb., who had charge of the car of poultry, were shipped to Hastings on Sunday evening. The remains of Geo. McNeill, of Bridgewater, were shipped to that place on Sunday morning on No.3.
The work of caring for the unfortunate victims and preparing their bodies for shipment to friends was in charge of Clarence Melville and his thoughtfulness and thoroughness is deeply appreciated by relatives. Everything was done which could be accomplished to lessen the shock, and Mr. Melville, Chas. Stanger and those who helped them received the earnest thanks of sorrowing relatives.
The wrecked train, No. 70, was in charge of Conductor Charles Ball, of Ottumwa, who, while he was in no way to blame for the awful accident, was overcome and suffered a nervous collapse and was removed to the hospital in Ottumwa. The second train was in charge of Conductor Geo. Lambertson, who escaped uninjured. His fireman, Arthur Isaacson and the head brakeman, who was a new man and whose name we were unable to learn, had a miraculous escape from death. They were in the cab of the engine when the runaway train crashed into them. The engineer, who was standing on the ground, oiling the engine, heard the rumble of the approaching cars and after shouting a warning to the fireman and brakeman, who stayed with the engine, leaped to a place of safety. Fireman Isaacson was slightly injured and was removed to the hospital in Ottumwa.
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| Lucas County rail lines as shown on a 1915 railroad map of Iowa. Orange represents C.B.&Q. tracks; green, Rock Island tracks. This map mistakenly reverses the locations of Lucas and Cleveland. |
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For those interested, Iowa's worst rail disaster occurred on March 21, 1910, near Green Mountain, east of Marshalltown, when 50 lives were lost in a passenger train crash.
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