Obituary

Thomas Whelan, One of the Oldest Employees of the Rock Island Road, Killed by a Train

Thirty-six Years on the Road

  A telegram was received last night by Mrs. Whelan, who was visiting her son-in-law, Pat Burns, stating that her husband had been killed at about 4:20 p.m. by the second section of train No. 96, an east bound freight. The poor woman went almost wild with grief. She had just finished saying that she intended staying here a month when the telegram came.
  The accident happened about two miles west of Columbus Junction. He and his gang had just put the hand car back on the track after letting the first section of 96 past, when the second section came around the curve upon them without giving a signal of any kind. The men quickly grabbed the car and started to set it off the track and Mr. Whelan seeing they had not time to do so, said, "Let it go boys, save yourselves," and the car was dropped. In dropping, it caught one of the men, a young fellow, and held him tight. Mr. Whelan came to his rescue and lifting the car freed the boy but was himself struck by the engine before he could get away. The blow he received knocked him about 90 feet and he lit on a pile of timbers. When the men reached him life was extinct. Both of his legs, both arms and all the ribs on the right side were broken besides a large hole in his back and a couple gashes on the head.
  Mr. Whelan was a former resident of Washington and has been on the Rock Island road for 36 years and this is the first time he has ever had an accident of any kind.
  The funeral will probably take place tomorrow, and we understand he will be buried in Washington.
(1893)

from a different newspaper:

  Last Friday evening Thomas Whaelan was killed near old Clifton. He had been section boss for the Rock Island for more than thirty years, and never before met with a mishap. That evening freight train No. 96 had passed him and crew, the hand car was put on the track and followed the train. They did not notice the second section of the train following close behind. In attempting to remove the car, Whaelan was struck by the engine and thrown ninety feet and was picked up dead. Both legs and both arms and all the ribs on his right side was broken, and his skull was crushed. His body was interred in Washington.
(Sep 15/93)

Note: Other records indicate that Thomas Wheelan was killed on 8 Sept 1893.