The most disastrous accident that has happened on the Northwestern road for years and the worst that has ever occurred on the Iowa division took place last Thursday, two and a half miles this side of Marshalltown. Four lives and from $50,000 to $60,000 worth of property was sacrificed to the momentary forgetfulness, the criminal carelessness, of a train dispatcher. Four men are cut down in the prime of life, brought home dead to their stricken families. The man upon whom this shocking disaster rests, who will go through life with this burden on his conscience, is Train dispatcher Titus, of Belle Plaine, who gave one of those "lap" orders that justly inspire terror in train men. No. 14 is the accommodation train that leaves Boone for Clinton at 7:45 in the morning. It has a passenger car attached, and has the right of way over freight trains. It left on time Thursday morning, but was somewhat behind on reaching La Moille. Here it had orders to meet a train going west. No. 14 pulled to the east of the yard and waited until the train it had orders against pulled in, and then, having once more the right to the road, immediately pulled out for the east. In the meantime train No. 21, which was being run by telegraph, was being kept up with and just behind the train ahead, which had safely run in to La Moille. It was at Marshalltown, and Dispatcher Titus gave it orders to run to La Moille regardless of No. 14, giving No. 14 orders to remain at La Moille for No. 21. So far all was right, but here the carelessness came in. No. 21 reported from Marshalltown that its orders were received, the dispatcher O.K.'d the order—and the train pulled out. Then the agent at La Moille telegraphed that No. 14, which the dispatcher had ordered held for 21, had pulled out before the orders could be delivered. The error consisted in O.K.ing No. 21's order before No. 14 had received its orders. The train dispatcher knew immediately what would happen. He telegraphed Marshalltown to send its switch engine after No. 21. This was done, but it was too late. The trains met less than three miles out of Marshalltown, and the engine sent arrived soon after the wreck but not in time to stop it.
Both trains were running fast – one to make up lost time, the other to make the meeting point with as little delay as possible. About two and a half miles this side of Marshalltown, at a curve where the road cannot be seen for over a quarter of a mile ahead, they met. The engineers did not see each other in time to do anything. They were caught in a crash and perished at their posts. With the engineer of No. 21, his fireman died also. The fireman of No. 14 escaped almost miraculously, merely being scratched up some from being thrown into a barbed wire fence.
The crash was terrific and the wreck terrible. Both engines were completely demolished and piled together in a shapeless mass. Thirty cars were mixed up and strewed around in all stages of destruction, and the track itself twisted and torn up.

P.J. Ashton, engineer of No. 21: He died at his post and was not taken out of the wreck for several hours. He was the son of Jack Ashton, a young man of about 30, and leaves a wife and two children. His home was Boone. The remains were brought here next morning at four o'clock.

W. H. Linebaugh, also of Boone, was fireman of the fated train No. 21, and died with his engineer. His body was not gotten out of the wreck until late that night and arrived here at nine the next morning. He was a married man, having been married a year or two ago. His age was about 28.

Thomas Howes, of Clinton, engineer of the No. 14: his body was sent to Clinton the next day.

W.E. Carlan, of Powell, Michigan: he was taking a car load of fine bred sheep west. The car was next to the engine. He had a portion of the car fixed up for quarters for himself, staying with the sheep to take proper care of them. He was instantly killed, as were most of the sheep in his charge.
Those that escaped death were but slightly injured. Fireman Conrad Tuessing, who was on the engine with Thomas Howes jumped into a barbed wire fence and was badly scratched but not seriously disabled. The conductors and brakemen on both trains were not hurt to speak of. The passengers on No 14 were shaken up but escaped injury.

The funeral of P.J. Ashton took place Saturday afternoon, from his late residence, and was largely attended. The various railroad organizations were present, as also the Knights of Pythia, of which deceased was a member.

W.H. Linebaugh's funeral took place Sunday afternoon. Besides the railroad organizations, the A.O.U.W., of which he was a member, was present in a body.
John Dosark, one of the wrecking crew at work clearing up had a leg broken while at work.
A temporary track was built around the wreck Thursday night for trains to pass. The passenger trains due before it was ready were sent around by way of Jewell Junction and Tama.
Fireman Tuessing's escape was because he jumped off on the south side, on the outside of the curve. The wreck was piled up on the inside, catching those that jumped on the north.
The bleating of the sheep caught in the wreck and not killed was pitiful.
Carlan, the man with the sheep, was picked up in a terrible shape. The escaping steam and boiling water from the engines literally cooked him. His remains were shipped to his home in Michigan with instructions to under no circumstances open the casket.
A peculiar coincidence of the accident, and one which will lead to the belief in dreams, is the reported dream of the engineer who was called to take the ill-fated run of 14. While sleeping the night before he had dreamed that his engine had been in a wreck on the same run and four or five people were killed. He did not take the run, so Engineer Howes was called for it. Stranger still the dream-warned engineer, while at the Belle Plaine round house about twenty minutes before the wreck occurred, was engaged in rehearsing his dream to another railroader.
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