Allegany County MD Archives Obituaries.....Martin COSGROVE, 1901
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"Idaho Daily Statesman" Pocatello, Idaho, Sunday 17 Nov 1901: 
"Two Men Killed by a Collision of Helper Engine with a Freight-MARTIN COSGROVE AND 
CHARLES WALLACE DEAD-Fireman H. W. Knox Loses a Leg and Is In a Precarious Condition-
Accident Caused By a Mistake in Reading Orders-Peculiar Performance of the Helper 
Engine After the Smash-"It was my fault entirely" were the words that came from the 
white, compressed lips, quivering with pain, of brave and dying Engineer Martin 
Cosgrove as he spoke of the disastrous wreck which occurred on the Short Line 
yesterday morning about 4 o'clock a mile and a half east of Orchard station. The old 
adage "that in the midst of life we are in death," never had a truer exemplification, 
for Thursday night Engineer R. J. Cosgrove, who had charge of engine No. 617 was not 
feeling well and requested his cousin, Martin, also an engineer to take his run out 
of Huntington, It was on this run that Martin Cosgrove met his death, and in the 
terrible wreck, Charles Wallace, head brakeman, was also killed and H. W. Knox so 
severely injured as now to be hovering between life and death. HOW ACCIDENT OCCURRED 
Engineer Cosgrove was in charge of engine No. 617 hauling an east-bound freight under 
Conductor Davis, and had orders to stop at the siding at Orchard station to let helper 
engine No. 301 pass returning from a run. Engineer Cosgrove forgot his orders and went 
on beyond the siding for a mile and a half running at full speed. He recalled his 
orders and started to reverse the lever as the collision occurred. The helper engine 
in charge of Engineer Eph McDowell and Fireman Frank Onan had no thought of danger, 
until they heart the rumbling of the approaching train, and both jumped just as the 
collision occurred, as McDowell grasped the lever to reverse, which was thrown back 
against him as he jumped. Neither McDowell nor Onan were injured beyond slight bruises. 
They state, and the statement is confirmed, that the headlight of the freight engine 
was not burning. It had gone out a few miles beyond Nampa. NO TIME TO JUMP Engineer 
Cosgrove, his fireman, Knox and Head Brakeman, Wallace, who was riding in the freight 
engine, had no time to jump, and the engine was frightfully wrecked, the boiler being 
upon one side of the track and the tender upon the other, the engine being practically 
overturned. Horribly mangled beneath the engine, with both legs cut off was found the 
body of Wallace. Cosgrove and Knox were both caught beneath the wreckage, but managed 
to extricate themselves. Knox in his dreadful pain, managed to crawl 50 feet to the 
north side of the track, while his dismembered leg, which was torn off at the knee was 
found on the south side. Engineer Cosgrove was so caught in the wreck that the escaping 
steam literally roasted him. THE WRECKAGE The freight engine, as stated, was almost 
completely demolished, while eight or 10 of the freight cars were piled in a heap, 
making one of the worst wrecks of the character that has occurred on the Short Line for 
a long time. The helper engine, besides damage to the cab, was hardly damaged at all, 
and did not leave the track, but with the fact that Engineer McDonald had started to 
reverse the lever, it jumped forward and ran wild for a distance of eight miles, before 
coming to a stand-still. HELP SENT FORWARD Immediately after the accident Conductor 
Davis hastened with all speed to Orchard station and telegraphed the news to Nampa, and 
the Owl train, which leaves Boise at 3:25, upon its arrival at Nampa, was sent at once 
to the scene, carrying Drs. Murray and Kohler of Nampa, who had been at once aroused 
from their beds. HIS BODY UNDER ENGINE Head Brakeman Wallace of the freight was still 
under the wreckage. It could be seen that both his legs had been cut off near his hips 
and that he was dead. It was impossible to remove his body until the wrecking crew 
arrived. Wallace's body had been roasted frightfully. His remains were lying at a point 
near the boiler, where the scalding steam had enveloped him as in a furnace. As soon as 
possible Cosgrove and Knox were placed on the train to be brought to Boise. The train 
arrived here with them at 8:55. Dr. Murray of Nampa came in with the injured men, who 
were taken to St. Alphonsus' hospital. Dr. McCalla, the Short Line surgeon at this place, 
was summoned and he at once called Dr. Collister to assist him. Later Dr. Springer and 
Dr. Bowere were also summoned. On the road to Boise Cosgrove and Knox told their stories 
between gasps Cosgrove admitted he had misread his orders, as stated in the foregoing, 
and that he had discovered his error too late. Knox said he crawled out of the wreckage 
into the sagebrush, where he remained some time before being found. DIED AT HOSPITAL 
Shortly after arrival at the hospital Cosgrove died of his injuries. His death was due 
to the awful scalding he had received, he having been enveloped in the escaping steam 
from head to foot and great strips of skin and flesh had peeled off of him. KNOX RESTING 
EASILY Fireman Knox has withstood the shock of his leg being torn off with remarkable 
grit and fortitude. The physicians in charge amputated the stump a few inches above the 
knee. At a late hour last night he was sleeping. He is very weak and has lost a great 
deal of blood. SOMETHING OF THE MEN Martin Cosgrove was 26 years of age and was a native 
of Maryland, his widowed mother living at Western Port, that state. His father was an 
engineer, and he has a brother who is now an engineer on the Baltimore & Ohio. He came 
to Idaho in 1893 and had been employed on the Short Line ever since. He has no relatives 
in this state, excepting, as stated, his cousin, Engineer R. J. Cosgrove. He was an 
intimate friend, however, of D. J. Malone, Oregon Short Line mechanic, at Pocatello, who 
knew his family in the east and who arrive last evening to aid in the funeral arrangements. 
Mr. Cosgrove was a member of the B. of L. E. of Pocatello division No. 228, and the body 
will be shipped to his old home by his fellow members and will be accompanied by Engineers 
Jack Hiler, Frank Dryden and R. J. Cosgrove. Charles Wallace was about 38 years of age 
and has a wife and child and widower sister at Ogden. His remains were brought to this 
city last night and will be shipped to Ogden, by the order of the B. of R. T. of which he 
was a member. Mr. Wallace was an old-time railroad man, having been employed on the Utah 
& Northern some 20 years ago. Fireman Knox is a new man at railroading, having been 
employed on the Short Line, his first experience, for a matter of three of four months 
only. His parents live at Keokuk, Iowa."

Note: He was the son of Martin Cosgrove and Catherine Connolly


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