Felix Hiram Alkire - Obituary Added by RungSat on 13 Jun 2009 FELIX H. ALKIRE: A former Meigs Co. Boy Meets Tragic in Railway Accident. The Democrat is gratefully indebted to Mrs. S. M. Castle of Salt Lake City for the following account of the sad and tragic death of Felix H. Alkire whose life was snuffed out while bravely and faithfully performing his duty. Under date of March 2nd of the Herald-Republican of Salt Lake City we take this account of the death of Mr. Alkire who was a Meigs County boy and has many relatives and friends in the County: While making what was to have been his last trip before taking his annual vacation, Felix H. Alkire, a locomotive engineer on the Denver & Rio Grande, was caught beneath his engine when it overturned near Grizzly at 6:30 o clock this morning and was scalded to death. His fireman John Moore also was badly burned, but was able to assist in taking Alkire from the wreckage. The overturning of the locomotive was due to a broken rail caused by a rock slide in the canyon following a heavy windstorm which blew down trees and carried giant boulders down the steep sides of the canyon. The engine which struck the broken rail was hauling passenger train No.2, which was taken back to Glenwood Springs, where it was held for eight hours awaiting track repairs. The mail and baggage cars were derailed, but no one other than the engineer and fireman was injured. Had it not been for Alkire s presence of mind probably the entire train would have been wrecked and many passengers injured. Alkire, however, realized what had happened when his locomotive struck the broken rail and set all the brakes, bringing the train to a standstill and then jumped from his cab. In stopping to set the brakes, Alkire sacrificed his own life, as the engine toppled over just as he jumped and pinned him against the face of the cliff. He was still alive when taken from the wreckage, but died shortly afterwards. Engineer Alkire was a brother of A. A. Alkire, a cigar merchant of Salt Lake; S. E. Alkire, a machinist at Garfield, and G. S. Alkire, an engineer at the Garfield smelter. He was 50 years of age and began his railroad career on the Great Northern. He has been in the employ of the Denver and Rio Grande about twenty years and was planning to leave with his son Wednesday morning on a seven weeks vacation. Mr. Alkire was a Knight Templar, a member of the Elks Lodge and an officer in the local chapter of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Arrangements for the funeral have not been completed. He was born in Pomeroy, Ohio.