Article from Omaha Daily World, 1st April 1886
Submitted by Sixten Magnusson
Killed on the tracks.
Terrible fate of A. Hovando.
While Going From a Neighbor´s He is Run Down and Instantly Killed. His Wife in a Critical Condition Calls him.
The mangled remains of Andrew Hovando, a Swede blacksmith, were dragged from beneath a switch engine at 7th street an the railroad crossing about 8:30 last night. Hovando lives at 7th and Jones street and early in the evening had been over to a friend´s by the name of Ben Johnson, being on his way home when killed. When Hovando reached the track two engines were slowly backing towards each other. From the side of the track on which Hovando stood he could see but one engine, that one closest to him. Engineer Thayer saw him run around the first engine and start to cross the track. That was the last he saw of the fellow. This seemed strange to Thayer and he spoke to the fireman about it. The latter said he thought he saw a man´s legs down on the ground below, but was not sure. They pulled on a short distance, when a switchman was send back to see if there had been an accident. Then the body was discovered. Coroner Drexel was notified and took the remains to the undertaking establishment of Drexel & Maul, where an inquest was held this morning. The mans head was severed from his body. His back was also broken.
The saddest feature of the accident is the fact that the dead man´s wife gave birth to a child to-day, and is so sick that the death of her husband cannot be revealed to her. It is feared the shock, in her weak condition, would kill her. She continually calls for him, and is in great distress at his absence.
Ben Johnson, a neighbor, knew Hovando in the old country, and says he was a good honest hardworking man. He arrived in America two years ago and came direct to Omaha, where he has since continually worked at his trade. The switch engine that struck him was No. 1394 and the fireman was not ringing the bell at the time. The coroner´s jury returned a verdict in accordance with the above facts.
The funeral took place at Prospect Hill Cemetery 3d of April. I know that they purchased a plot of 6 grave spaces, but only Andrew is buried there.
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Article from Falls City News, Friday, September 17, 1909
Death’s Record - Will Bohrer Killed in Rail-Road Wreck Head-On Collision on Burlington Sunday Near Lincoln.
Will L. Bohrer of this city was killed Sunday morning in a railroad collision three miles west of Lincoln. The press dispatches gave the following account of the awful tragedy:
Two Burlington trains met in collision half a mile west of Burnham station at 11:30 am Sunday, and two men were killed and five seriously injured. The accident was caused by passenger train No. 89 failing to take the siding at Burnham station to permit a heavy stock extra eastbound to pass. The collision took place a quarter of a mile west of the west end of the Burnham passing track and near the center of a long curve, three miles west of Lincoln.
The dead:
W.L. Bohrer, Falls City, head crushed, chest badly bruised. William Griffin, colored, Wymore, head crushed.
The injured:
W.F. Spahn, Beatrice, left leg broken, cut on head. Will recover.
S. Seaman, Beatrice, back wrenched.
H.G. Warner, 2119 T. street Lincoln, head hurt, back wrenched, serious but not fatal.
A.P. Watson, Albany Texas, severe contusions, hand cut.
Ben Witchey, Mansfield, O, shoulder broken.
Mrs. Louis Feldman, Burwick, Kas, badly shaken up.
E.G. Bignell, Lincoln, engineer of stock train, slightly injured.
J.J. Powell, Burchard, shoulder and right leg bruised.
William Kempke, Crete, right leg bruised.
Mrs. M.E. Hills, Liberty Neb., slightly bruised.
While emergency brakes had been applied on both engines the trains met with terrific impact. The lighter passenger engine was badly wrecked the tender was shoved into the front end of the mail car and the front end of the smoking car was crushed in. It was in the smoker that two lives were lost and most of the passengers were injured. It was said that passenger W. L. Bohrer was sitting in his seat when the breaks were set. He put his head out the window to see what was going on. When the car side was crushed he received fatal injuries, dying soon after. William Griffin, a colored porter, was killed instantly.
Immediately following the wreck there was much confusion. Passengers rushed out of the coaches, helped out the maimed and carried out the dead. Then a relief crew was sent out from Lincoln and the passengers were brought back to the city in the cars that had not left the rails. Friends of the injured were called, ambulances ordered to take the victims to the hospitals, and the Coroner Matthews took charge of the dead.
The freight engine, a big heavy machine of the largest type, was not badly wrecked, although the front end of the pilot was crushed and some damage was done to the boiler and cylinders, but it was able to move under its own steam when the wreckage was being cleared away. Four cars, loaded with hogs and cattle were wrecked, and eight or ten head of hogs and four calves were killed. Stockmen on the freight train immediately began to release the imprisoned animals that were able to walk and soon these were got out of the way. The stock cars crushed were about four cars behind the engine. Stockmen on the freight train escaped injury.
Burlington officials moved with promptness and the dead and injured together with the survivors were brought to Lincoln by an engine sent to the scene of the accident. The dead were taken to Castle, Roper & Matthews undertaking rooms. The injured were cared for at Everetts’ sanitarium.
Bohrer was crushed about the right side of the chest and had a clean cut in the left side of the forehead. The negro seemed to have no other serious injuries than a deep gash in the right side of his forehead. Both apparently were well forward in the smoking car and when the baggage car was lifted from its truck and thrust into the smoking car the bottom of the car caught the men who were killed. Mr. Bohrer was also hurt about the neck. It is said that he stuck his head out of the window and was caught in this position. He had time to call a warning, but did not draw back from the window before the collision came. W.F. Spahn sat just in front of the man who was killed, and the wonder is that he did not receive greater injuries.
Bohrer:
There was general regret in this city last Sunday, when it was learned that Will Bohrer had met death in the terrible wreck which occurred that morning at Burnham a little over three miles out of Lincoln. There seemed to be some trouble at first in identifying Mr. Bohrer, but his fiance, Miss Nellie Thompson, whom he had been in Lincoln making the final arrangements for his marriage to Miss Thompson which was to have taken place early in October. He left Lincoln on the illfated train Sunday morning and in a few short hours his bruised and crushed form was returned to the friends he had left so recently in the best of health and spirits. He was at work in Red Cloud with his brothers Milton and Clem and these with his mother and sister, Miss Bessie were immediately notified. Rev. Bailey went to Lincoln Sunday night, for the mother and there met the brothers. Arrangements were made to bring the body to this city Monday night and Tuesday at three o’clock p.m., the funeral services were held from the family home condneted by Rev. Bailey of the Presbyterian church and attended by a large assembly of friends who followed the remains to their final resting place in Steele’s cemetery. Many beautiful floral designs were offered by sympathizing friends.
William Le Roy Bohrer was born February 28th, 1989 in Foreston Ill, when about then years of age he was brought to Falls City by his parents. He acquired his education in our public schools and when he reached mans estate, followed the professions of his older brothers and became with them a contractor and builder. AT the time of his death they were engaged in work upon a large school house in Red Cloud.
Will Bohrer has always been an industrious and exemplary young man with hosts of friends who held him in high esteem and truly regret his untimely death. Of his immediate family left to mourn him are his mother, Mrs. Jane Bohrer, and his sister, Miss Bessie, and two brothers, Milton and Clem of this city, a sister Mrs. W.H. Sipe of Lanark Ill, and a brother H. O. Bohrer of Hazelburst, Il., and his adopted sister, Miss Ethel, to all of whom sympathy is extended from the community. Those from a distance who came to attend the funeral were Miss Nellie Thompson and her mother, Mrs. Thompson of Lincoln, H.O. Bohrer and wife, Hazelburst, Ill., and Mr. And Mrs. Sipe of Lanark, Ill, Mr. And Mrs. Will Stiffens, Rowen, Ia., and Mrs. Sam Stuart of Reserve.
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