KARSCH, J. H., Beeville Bee, Friday, 12 Apr 1901

J. H. KARSCH, a former resident of Skidmore where his father now lives, met with an accident in 
San Antonio on Tuesday night, resulting in his death on Wednesday morning. His remains were 
shipped to Skidmore for interment yesterday afternoon.  

The following account of the accident is taken from the San Antonio Express.

About 10:55 o'clock Tuesday night a rather serious collision occurred on the Southern Pacific tracks 
one block east of New Braunfels avenue, in which a fireman by the name of J. R. Karsch had his left leg 
badly crushed and his arms, legs and back severely scalded.

The cause of the accident as near as could learned was ax follows: The regular east-bound freight, 
consisting of two engines numbered 657 and 580, having in tow some fifteen loaded cars, left the yards 
of the Southern Pacific company about 10:45 in charge of Engineers C. B. Murphy and "Fatty" Terrell, 
the former handling engine 657, which was in front. Karsch, the injured fireman was on Murphy's engine. 
By the time the train reached the place where the collision occurred, which is about a mile and a half from 
the yards, it was going at a pretty good clip, probably twenty miles an hour. 

At the place of the accident two switches or "rips" connect with the main line, and on rip No. 2 some 
loose freight cars had been "kicked" in, but owing, perhaps, to the wet rails, had slipped back on the 
main line. It was these cars that the double¬header ran into. Engine No 657 was knocked from the track 
and turned over on its side, the boiler on the left and the tender on the right of the track. None of the cars 
or the other engine left the track, the pilot only on 580 being broken. Karsch was found on the main track, 
beneath the pilot of engine No. 580, although being on 657 when the collision occurred. On being dragged 
out, his left thigh was found to be crushed and he was also scalded badly by the escaping steam from the 
boiler of 657.

A special engine and a caboose were immediately sent out to the scene and the injured man was brought to 
the depot, where a carriage was in waiting which took him to the Santa Rosa Hospital. Engineer Murphy had 
a miraculous escape, suffering only a few slight bruises from the fall. None of the other members of the crew 
suffered any injury whatever.

Whether the collision was caused by negligence or whose fault it was, could not be determined Tuesday 
night, as no information tending to throw any light on the accident was being given.