Published on May 14, 2013, in an article titled “130 Years Ago”
130 YEARS AGO (1883)
Special freight train, drawn by engine No. 257, with Jerome I. Getty as engineer and Mr. Millspaugh as conductor, was on its way to Omaha, when, about two miles above Florence, it struck a cow on the track. The engineer reversed his engine, but the train continued to move down the grade for some distance pushing the cow ahead of it and the animal got under the pilot. The forward trucks were raised up and then the engine tipped over into the ditch, taking with it two freight cars, one loaded with bran and the other with lumber. Engineer Getty stuck to his post to the last and was killed. It is supposed that about the time the accident occurred, he got out on the running board and made a jump as the engine was tipping over. He didn’t jump far enough, and was caught by the dome of the engine, and was held fast by his pantaloons, and while held in this way he was scalded to death by the escaping steam. The flesh of the body was literally boiled, hardly a spot being left untouched by the steam. The fireman escaped uninjured by jumping out on the opposite side. The head brakeman also jumped off and was not hurt. When the accident occurred the train had almost come to a stop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings are on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska
130 YEARS AGO (1883)
Special freight train, drawn by engine No. 257, with Jerome I. Getty as engineer and Mr. Millspaugh as conductor, was on its way to Omaha, when, about two miles above Florence, it struck a cow on the track. The engineer reversed his engine, but the train continued to move down the grade for some distance pushing the cow ahead of it and the animal got under the pilot. The forward trucks were raised up and then the engine tipped over into the ditch, taking with it two freight cars, one loaded with bran and the other with lumber. Engineer Getty stuck to his post to the last and was killed. It is supposed that about the time the accident occurred, he got out on the running board and made a jump as the engine was tipping over. He didn’t jump far enough, and was caught by the dome of the engine, and was held fast by his pantaloons, and while held in this way he was scalded to death by the escaping steam. The flesh of the body was literally boiled, hardly a spot being left untouched by the steam. The fireman escaped uninjured by jumping out on the opposite side. The head brakeman also jumped off and was not hurt. When the accident occurred the train had almost come to a stop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings are on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska
Published on May 14, 2013, in an article titled “130 Years Ago”
130 YEARS AGO (1883)
Special freight train, drawn by engine No. 257, with Jerome I. Getty as engineer and Mr. Millspaugh as conductor, was on its way to Omaha, when, about two miles above Florence, it struck a cow on the track. The engineer reversed his engine, but the train continued to move down the grade for some distance pushing the cow ahead of it and the animal got under the pilot. The forward trucks were raised up and then the engine tipped over into the ditch, taking with it two freight cars, one loaded with bran and the other with lumber. Engineer Getty stuck to his post to the last and was killed. It is supposed that about the time the accident occurred, he got out on the running board and made a jump as the engine was tipping over. He didn’t jump far enough, and was caught by the dome of the engine, and was held fast by his pantaloons, and while held in this way he was scalded to death by the escaping steam. The flesh of the body was literally boiled, hardly a spot being left untouched by the steam. The fireman escaped uninjured by jumping out on the opposite side. The head brakeman also jumped off and was not hurt. When the accident occurred the train had almost come to a stop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings are on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska
130 YEARS AGO (1883)
Special freight train, drawn by engine No. 257, with Jerome I. Getty as engineer and Mr. Millspaugh as conductor, was on its way to Omaha, when, about two miles above Florence, it struck a cow on the track. The engineer reversed his engine, but the train continued to move down the grade for some distance pushing the cow ahead of it and the animal got under the pilot. The forward trucks were raised up and then the engine tipped over into the ditch, taking with it two freight cars, one loaded with bran and the other with lumber. Engineer Getty stuck to his post to the last and was killed. It is supposed that about the time the accident occurred, he got out on the running board and made a jump as the engine was tipping over. He didn’t jump far enough, and was caught by the dome of the engine, and was held fast by his pantaloons, and while held in this way he was scalded to death by the escaping steam. The flesh of the body was literally boiled, hardly a spot being left untouched by the steam. The fireman escaped uninjured by jumping out on the opposite side. The head brakeman also jumped off and was not hurt. When the accident occurred the train had almost come to a stop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings are on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska
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