Obituary Record

Jacob L. Goos
Died on 7/31/1893

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Pilot 3 Aug 1893

Jacob L. Goos Meets His Fate Beneath Locomotive Wheels

Jacob Goos, who was a resident of Blair some eight or ten years ago, and was in the employ of Geo. Smith, E. A. Johnson and others, was killed by an engine in Omaha last Monday night. The Omaha Bee contains the following particulars:

Jacob L. Goos a driver in the employ of Christopher Sharnweber, was run over and almost instantly killed by the cars at the B. & M. crossing on South Seventeenth street at 7:50 o’clock last evening.

The deceased was returning from his daily work in his wagon and was attempting to cross the track when killed.

According to Earnest Karnatz, who resides at 1214 South Seventeenth street, in the immediate vicinity where the accident occurred, the unfortunate man never noticed the approach of the B & M freight train 82, drawn by engine 417, with P. C. Hawkins as engineer.

Karnatz claims that it was purely an accident as the train was going at the usual rate of speed within the city limits and that Goos was nearing the crossing on the decline put the stake brake on the wagon as hard as possible.

The horses attached to Goos’ wagon were already on the crossing when the cowcatcher of the engine struck the front end of the wagon, throwing the doomed driver about ten feet in the air. He landed on the track where the ponderous wheels of the engine crushed the life out of him. One of the horses was thrown along-side the track, while a portion of the wagon and the other horse were carried to the Sixteenth street viaduct, about one block distant, before the train was finally brought to a stop. The eyewitness aforesaid said he ran to the spot where the body was thrown. After gasping a few times Goos expired. Karnatz then notified the police by telephone from the Paxton & Vierling Iron works.

Another person claiming to have been an eyewitness is a young man named Eugene Richter, residing at 815 Leavenworth street. He stated that the flagman at the crossing was not at his post, having gone home for supper. He related substantially the same story as the first witness.

Still a third man, who claims to have seen the accident from a motor train on the Sixteenth street viaduct and who claims to have notified the authorities first, is Jerry Murphy, a block watchman. He says he heard the engine whistle several times and, looking in the direction of the crossing, saw the accident.

According to keys found in the dead man’s pockets he belonged to Lodge No. 4, Knights of Pythias.

He was about 38 years old and unmarried. The victim had no relatives in this country. His employer describes him as a sober and industrious man who had worked for him about two years.

Pilot 3 August 1893

The Jacob Goos whose death at a RR crossing in Omaha is noticed elsewhere, was raised by the parents of Mrs. Hans Grimm, of Blair. Mr. Grimm went down yesterday to bury the body and look into the matter of the liability of the R.R. Co.

Blair Courier 2 Aug 1893

Jacob L. Goos Dead

Many Blair people will remember Jacob L. Goos who resided in Blair some ten or twelve years ago, and will read with sorrow the fact of his unfortunate death Monday afternoon, July 31st. ? publish the following clipping from the Bee:

Jacob L. Goos a driver in the employ of Christopher Sharnweber, was run over and almost instantly killed by the cars at the B. & M. crossing on South Seventeenth street at 7:50 o’clock last evening.

The deceased was returning from his daily work in his wagon and was attempting to cross the track when killed.

According to Earnest Karnatz, who resides at 1214 South Seventeenth street, in the immediate vicinity where the accident occurred, the unfortunate man never noticed the approach of the B & M freight train 82, drawn by engine 417, with P. C. Hawkins as engineer.

Karnatz claims that it was purely an accident as the train was going at the usual rate of speed within the city limits and that Goos was nearing the crossing on the decline put the stake brake on the wagon as hard as possible.

The horses attached to Goos’ wagon were already on the crossing when the cowcatcher of the engine struck the front end of the wagon, throwing the doomed driver about ten feet in the air. He landed on the track where the ponderous wheels of the engine crushed the life out of him. One of the horses was thrown along-side the track, while a portion of the wagon and the other horse were carried to the Sixteenth street viaduct, about one block distant, before the train was finally brought to a stop. The eyewitness aforesaid said he ran to the spot where the body was thrown. After gasping a few times Goos expired. Karnatz then notified the police by telephone from the Paxton & Vierling Iron works.

Another person claiming to have been an eyewitness is a young man named Eugene Richter, residing at 815 Leavenworth street. He stated that the flagman at the crossing was not at his post, having gone home for supper. He related substantially the same story as the first witness.

Still a third man, who claims to have seen the accident from a motor train on the Sixteenth street viaduct and who claims to have notified the authorities first, is Jerry Murphy, a block watchman. He says he heard the engine whistle several times and, looking in the direction of the crossing, saw the accident.

According to keys found in the dead man’s pockets he belonged to Lodge No. 4, Knights of Pythias.

He was about 38 years old and unmarried. The victim had no relatives in this country. His employer describes him as a sober and industrious man who had worked for him about two years.

~~~ Obituaries courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska. ~~~

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