Cahill v. Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co.

121 N.W. 553, 143 Iowa 152
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 5, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 121 N.W. 553 (Cahill v. Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cahill v. Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co., 121 N.W. 553, 143 Iowa 152 (iowa 1909).

Opinion

Deemer, J.

The action was originally brought against the Davenport, Rock Island & Northwestern Railway Company and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company. We shall hereafter call one the “Davenport Company” and the other the “Milwaukee Company.” It appears that the Davenport Company’s road runs east from Davenport to Clinton, and that the Milwaukee Company was using the same line for the conduct of its business between these two places. When running on the Davenport Company’s line, the Milwaukee Company was subject to the rules of the former company and to the orders of its train dispatcher. Plaintiff was in the employ of the Davenport Company as an engineer of its work train, which was known as “No. 21,” and on, the day of the accident in question, May 1, 1907, he was out on the road with his train’ and at Princeton station, [155]*155which is about twenty miles east of Davenport and about five miles east of a station known as Le Claire. When at Le Claire at about 1:45 p. m., he received the following train order: “Work extra No. 21 will work 1:45 p. m. until 5 p. m. between Princeton and Le Claire, protecting against extra 849 east after two ten (2:10) p. m., and against extra 1021 east after two forty-five (2:45) p. m., and protect against 841 west after two thirty (2:30) p. m. I. A. S.” After receiving the order, plaintiff took his train west from Princeton to Le Claire and ran it upon a siding at the latter point; the engine being at the west-end of the train. The train consisted of nine or ten cars with the engine. It was run in upon the side track so as to clear. As we understand it the train arrived at Le Claire and was registered at 2:10 p. m. Plaintiff’s engine was short of water, and the conductor of the train, who was on the engine with plaintiff, said, “We will back up and get water.” Pursuant to this direction, the engine ■was cut off from the train and started west to the water tank. In moving west it was coupled onto a coal car which stood upon the siding, and the engine, pushing the coal car, moved backward onto the main track and stopped at the water tank. Collister, the conductor, then said to plaintiff that he would see where 849 was, and he walked back, eastward toward the depot, which was two hundred and twenty-five feet from the water tank. lie reached the depot, and had but time to ask the operator where the train was, when he heard the whistle of the engine on that train which was coming from the west. Upon hearing this he started to run toward the west, but soon turned round and started toward the engine of his own train. When plaintiff saw train No. 849 coming toward him, he started his engine toward the east to avoid the collision, but had gone only a little’ way when the engine of 849 struck the coal car, and plaintiff, who was leaning out of the cab window of his engine, was thrown therefrom and [156]*156received severe injuries. It is for these that he seeks to recover damages.

It is claimed that when Wiegand, the engineer of train No. 849, saw plaintiff’s engine, he did all in his power to stop it, and that when he saw a collision was inevitable, and that the, water spout at the tank was across the track, both he and his fireman jumped in order to save themselves from injury. Train No. 849 passed the Le Clair depot at 2:14 p. m. The negligence charged against the Milwaukee Company is: (1)' That it ran its train 849 into Le Claire at a high'and dangerous rate of speed; (2) that it violated a rule requiring trains to reduce speed in jpassing through yard limits and to proceed only as the way is seen or known, to be clear; (3) that it violated a special rule as to Le Claire station to the effect that in approaching said station the engineer was to reduce speed and have his train under control until the engineman saw that the way was clear; (4) that train No. 849 went by a stop signal at Le Claire, against a rule providing that a train must not pass while the “stop” signal is indicated; and (5) that the engineer of No. 849 negligently failed to stop his train before the collision. Certain rules of the Davenport Company which were also applicable to the Milwaukee Company are important to the case, 'and we here set them out. The first is known as “No. 99,” reading as follows: “When a train stops or is delayed under circumstances' in which it may be overtaken by another train, the flagman must go back immediately with stop-signals a sufficient distance to afford protection. When recalled, he may return to his train, first placing two torpedoes on the rails, when the conditions require it. The front of a train must be protected in the same way, when necessary, by the front brakeman, or in his absence by the fireman.” Other rules read:

“No. 105. Both conductors and enginemen are responsible for the safety of their trains, and under condi[157]*157tions not provided for by the rules must take every precaution for their protection.
No. 106. In all cases of doubt and uncertainty, the safe course must be taken and no risks run.
No. 20J. Train orders must be addressed to those who are to execute them, naming the place at which each is to receive his copy. Those for a train must be addressed to the conductor and engineman and also to any one who acts as pilot. A copy for each person addressed must be supplied by the operator.
No. 2.10.- Conductors must show their train orders to flagman and engineman to fireman, who are required to read them.
No. 220. Train orders, once in effect, continue so until fulfilled, superseded or annulled.”

In addition to these were the following: “All trains approaching Le Claire and Princeton in either direction will reduce speed and have trains under control until engineman can see that the way is clear, and all trains will reduce speed in passing through yard limits and proceed only as the way is seen or known to be clear. A fixed signal must be used at each train order office which shall indicate ‘Stop’ when there is an operator on duty, except when changed to ‘Proceed’ to allow a train to pass after getting train orders or for which there are no orders. A train must not pass the signal while ‘Stop’ is indicated. The signal must be returned to ‘Stop’ as soon as a train has passed. It must be fixed at ‘Proceed’ only when no operator is on duty.”

On the issues joined the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Davenport and against the Milwaukee Company, and in answer to special interrogations made the following findings: “(1) Was Cahill’s engine protected as required by rule No. 99 while it was at the tank taking water? Ans. No. (2) Did Cahill, while his engine was at the tank taking water, rely upon the protection given [158]*158him by the stop signal and by tlie rules limiting the speed of trains through Le Claire? Ans. Yes. (3) Did the ■ collision occur after 2:10 p. m. ? Ans. Yes. (4) After Wiegand discovered plaintiff’s peril, did he do all he reasonably could in the exercise of ordinary care to avoid the collision? Ans. No. (5) After Wiegand discovered plaintiff’s peril, could he by exercising ordinary care have avoided injury to plaintiff? Ans. Yes.”

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Bluebook (online)
121 N.W. 553, 143 Iowa 152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cahill-v-chicago-milwaukee-st-paul-railway-co-iowa-1909.