Draft:John Burton Watkins

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Declined by Dan arndt 3 seconds ago. Last edited by Dan arndt 3 seconds ago. Reviewer: Inform author.

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John B. Watkins (1831-1873) was the Superintendent of the Iowa Divisions of the Chicago & North Western Railway from 1870 until he was killed in a tragic railroad accident on 30 October 1873. Nearly the entire C&NW Rwy. management team was witness to the accident. "...Albert Keep, President of the road; James Howe, General Manager; Marvin Hughitt, General Superintendent; John B. Watkins, Superintendent of the Iowa Division; M. Johnson, Chief Engineer; W. Ferry, Director, and Horace Williams, President of the Chicago, Iowa, and Nebraska Railroad Company, who were on a tour of inspection over the road." ^[1]

The accident occurred a few miles west of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The town of Watkins, Iowa was named for him.^[2] The town was platted in 1874 near where he died.^[3]

During the early morning hours on 30 October 1873 the managers of the company were eastbound on the road from Council Bluffs, the western terminus of the division, headed back to Chicago when the train became stalled. It was overtaken by a freight train that was unable to stop in time to avoid a collision. Supt. Watkins was crushed between the Director's car and the Pullman sleeping car, expiring after about 20 minutes.^[4]

Watkins was previously Master of Transportation for the Iowa Division under Division Supt. Isaac B. Howe. ^[5] Subsequently he replaced Howe as Supt. when Howe became Chief Engineer. ^[6] After Watkins death Howe covered the Supt. position in addition to his other duties. In the early morning hours Howe received the following telegraph from Supt. Hughitt:

"C. Rapids 30 ... Isaac Howe ... Mr. Watkins is dead. Will you break the news to his wife in your own way. M. Hughitt"

References

^ https://www.nytimes.com/1873/10/31/archives/shocking-railroad-accident-a-railroad-official-caught-between-two.html | quote= SHOCKING RAILROAD ACCIDENT A RAILROAD OFFICIAL CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO CARS, AND CRUSHED TO DEATH. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Oct. 30. The following are the circumstances of the accident on the Chicago and North-western Railroad near here this morning, by which John B. Watkins, Superintendent of the Iowa Division, was almost instantly killed. The regular Pacific express train from the West, due here at 5 AM, had attached to it the General Superintendent's car, in which were Albert Keep, President of the road; James Howe, General Manager; Marvin Hughitt, General Superintendent; John B. Watkins, Superintendent of the Iowa Division;, M. Johnson, Chief Engineer; W. Ferry, Director, and Horace Williams, President of the Chicago, Iowa, and Nebraska Railroad Company, who were on a tour of inspection over the road. When the train arrived at a point 3 miles west of this city the engine broke down, and the engineer stopped the train so as to disconnect one side of the engine. Immediately upon stopping he sent a brakeman up the track with a lantern, it being quite dark, to signal freight train No. 14, which was about 10 min. behind the passenger train, but the former soon came thundering round the curve, about a quarter of a mile back of where the express stood. The engineer, seeing the danger ahead, at once reversed his engine, but being on a downgrade the wheels slid along the track, throwing out a blaze of light all the way down until it reached the passenger train, which it struck with such force as to drive the coaches about 200 feet along the track before they stopped. The freight engine was a total wreck. The tender and first freight car were completely telescoped. The engineered jumped off just before the collision, and escaped unhurt. The fireman stayed on the engine and was thrown into the tender, narrowly escaping with his life. Mr. Watkins, hearing the freight train approaching, jumped from his sleeping berth, and, calling upon Mr. Keep and others to follow him, opened the door, and while standing on the third step of the front platform of the Director's car the engine struck it, and the platform breaking to pieces Mr. Watkins was crushed between the Pullman and Director's car, the iron rail striking him just above the hips. He lived about 20 min., and was conscious almost to the last. He could not be extricated from his fearful position, and breathed his last pinioned between the two cars. Mr. Keep had a very narrow escape. He followed Mr. Watkins onto the platform, and was thrown with great force through the door of the Pullman car, receiving many injuries on different parts of his body. The rest of the party escaped unhurt. Published: October 31, 1873; © the New York Times
^ Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 136.
^ The History of Benton County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, &c. Western Historical. 1878. p. 328.
^ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81650180/john_burton-watkins
^ https://iagenweb.org/clinton/records/directories/1869/clintonbusinesses.htm
^ https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=UY0pAAAAYAAJ&pg=GBS.PA154.w.157.0.0&hl=en

[1] ttps://www.nytimes.com/1873/10/31/archives/shocking-railroad-accident-a-railroad-official-caught-between-two.html | quote= SHOCKING RAILROAD ACCIDENT A RAILROAD OFFICIAL CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO CARS, AND CRUSHED TO DEATH. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Oct. 30. The following are the circumstances of the accident on the Chicago and North-western Railroad near here this morning, by which John B. Watkins, Superintendent of the Iowa Division, was almost instantly killed. The regular Pacific express train from the West, due here at 5 AM, had attached to it the General Superintendent's car, in which were Albert Keep, President of the road; James Howe, General Manager; Marvin Hughitt, General Superintendent; John B. Watkins, Superintendent of the Iowa Division;, M. Johnson, Chief Engineer; W. Ferry, Director, and Horace Williams, President of the Chicago, Iowa, and Nebraska Railroad Company, who were on a tour of inspection over the road. When the train arrived at a point 3 miles west of this city the engine broke down, and the engineer stopped the train so as to disconnect one side of the engine. Immediately upon stopping he sent a brakeman up the track with a lantern, it being quite dark, to signal freight train No. 14, which was about 10 min. behind the passenger train, but the former soon came thundering round the curve, about a quarter of a mile back of where the express stood. The engineer, seeing the danger ahead, at once reversed his engine, but being on a downgrade the wheels slid along the track, throwing out a blaze of light all the way down until it reached the passenger train, which it struck with such force as to drive the coaches about 200 feet along the track before they stopped. The freight engine was a total wreck. The tender and first freight car were completely telescoped. The engineered jumped off just before the collision, and escaped unhurt. The fireman stayed on the engine and was thrown into the tender, narrowly escaping with his life. Mr. Watkins, hearing the freight train approaching, jumped from his sleeping berth, and, calling upon Mr. Keep and others to follow him, opened the door, and while standing on the third step of the front platform of the Director's car the engine struck it, and the platform breaking to pieces Mr. Watkins was crushed between the Pullman and Director's car, the iron rail striking him just above the hips. He lived about 20 min., and was conscious almost to the last. He could not be extricated from his fearful position, and breathed his last pinioned between the two cars. Mr. Keep had a very narrow escape. He followed Mr. Watkins onto the platform, and was thrown with great force through the door of the Pullman car, receiving many injuries on different parts of his body. The rest of the party escaped unhurt. Published: October 31, 1873; © the New York Times

[2] Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 136.

[3] The History of Benton County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, &c. Western Historical. 1878. p. 328.

[4] ttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81650180/john_burton-watkins

[5] ttps://iagenweb.org/clinton/records/directories/1869/clintonbusinesses.htm

[6] ttps://play.google.com/books/reader?id=UY0pAAAAYAAJ&pg=GBS.PA154.w.157.0.0&hl=en

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