| Name |
Meehan, Michael |
| Birth |
Abt 1855 |
Port Washington, Ozaukee, Wisconsin, USA  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Biography |
 |
Meehan, Michael
Biography |
 Moved |
Abt 1883 |
Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA |
- 1883 Moved to Denver about 1883.
|
| Occupation |
Bef 25 Apr 1900 |
| Engineer - Denver Rio Grand Railroad |
- Engineer - Denver Rio Grand Railroad
|
| Death Record - Civil |
25 Apr 1900 |
- The following is taken from the personal injury records of the Denver & R io Grande Railroad Co.:Date: April 24, 1900Train: Ex (express)Michael Meehan, Engineer, Denver Place: Toluca Fatally injured. Died the following day. In head end collision between l ight engine #804 that he was running and train #11. It is claimed that en gine #804 could not be stopped owing to airbrakes being defective, no whee ls on hand brakes in tank and piston head coming off in right cylinder, re ndering water brake reverse lever and throttle practically useless. Proba bly caught between corner of tanks and cab of engine in attempting to s et hand brake with monkey wrench.
Claim paid: July 14, 1900 $1500 Louise Meehan, wife
|
| Family History Researcher |
- Email Date: 4/15/2004 5:17:23 PM Pacific Standard Time From: ejcoutts@sbcg lobal.net Hello Jay,My name is Ellen and I recently came across your family genealogy onlin e. I see you have posted information concerning the family of Michael Meeh an and Louisa Ruppert. Michael was my great-grandmother's brother. I ha ve gathered some of the same information you have posted, but also ha ve a little more that may interest you. Michael was the son of Irish immi grants, John and Catherine (nee Walsh) Meehan, who settled in Port Washing ton, Ozaukee Co. WI. I can find no record of his birth, but census recor ds would seem to indicate he was born about 1855. Newspaper accounts of h is death give 1883 as the year he left WI and settled in Colorado. As y ou know, he married Louisa Ruppert there on Oct. 22, 1887 and they beca me the parents of 5 children. Michael, who worked as an engineer for t he Denver Rio Grande Railroad met an untimely death on the job April 2 5, 1900, leaving Louisa a widow at age 29 with 5 young children. I ha ve a number of Denver newspaper articles describing the accident in gre at detail. If you are interested, I would be happy to send them to yo u. He was originally buried at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Denver, but in 191 0, Louisa had his body reinterred in the Ruppert family plot at Fairmou nt Cemetery in Denver. My great-grandmother corresponded with Louisa f or many years and later my grandmother and their daughter, Annie C. Meeh an Monahan wrote letters and sent pictures back and forth too. I also ha ve several snapshots of Louisa and her children that she sent to my grandm other. Again, if you are interested, I would be happy to email or snail m ail copies of them to you.I look forward to hearing from you. Ellen Coutts ejcoutts@sbcglobal.ne t
Michael & Louisa's oldest child, Annie, married Henry L. Monahan on Ja n. 17, 1908 in Denver, CO. The priest performing the ceremony was Fath er Leo Heinrichs. Just one month later, on Feb. 23, an Italian immigran t, Guiseppe Alio, shot and killed F. Heinrichs while he was administeri ng Holy Communion at St. Elizabeth's Church in Denver.The photo at rig ht of Fr. Heinrichs appears on a holy card found in Anna (Meehan) Gorman 's photo album. (See Picture of FR. Heinrichs)
|
| News Mention |
25 Apr 1900 |
| Michael Meehan lost his own life saving others, read his heroic story. |
| Obituary |
25 Apr 1900 |
| Rocky Mountain News |
- FACED DEATH FOR OTHERS; Engineer Mike Meehan of the Rio Grande Saves Liv es of PassengersA Rio Grande engineer stood at his post of duty yesterday afternoon and fa ced a horrible death, in order to save the lives of over 150 passengers. E ngineer Michael Meehan of light engine No. 804 was trying desperately to s et the auxiliary brakes with a monkey wrench when his locomotive was runni ng wildly down the hill north of Sedalia, the ride ending with a terrib le crash as the engine struck passenger train No. 11, ascending the hil l. The air brakes were disabled and the eccentric would not work to rever se the engine. A last chance lay in setting the auxiliary brakes. A coll ision with the passenger at full speed meant terrible loss of life and t he engineer took the chance of being killed in order to do all in his pow er to save others. With a crash the monsters struck, head on, and the bra ve engineer was crushed between the tender and engine. It was 4:05 o'cl ock yesterday afternoon when the accident happened, the passenger having d eparted from Denver about an hour earlier. Although the efforts of the en gineer did not prevent the collision, his heroism in doing more than his d uty mitigated the accident. None but the engineer were hurt. Henry Hanse n, fireman on the light engine jumped, as did the men on engine 527, whi ch was drawing the passenger. All were slightly bruised. Given Best Atte ntionEngineer Meehan was attended by Dr. J.B. Devlin, the company physician, w ho went to the scene of the wreck with the crew sent out to clear the roa d. He was placed on the Santa Fe train and arrived in the city at 8 o'clo ck last night. The injured engineer was taken to his home at 568 South Wa ter Street and given the best of medical attention.Meehan's injuries are considered serious because the exact nature of th em cannot be determined. He complains of pains in the pit of the stoma ch and in the abdomen and is undoubtedly hurt internally. The only visib le injuries are a few cuts and bruises about the face. Meehan did not lo se consciousness and suffered a great deal of pain. An encouraging sign w as the absence of hemorrhage.Both locomotives were derailed and badly smashed. None of the coach es of the passenger train left the track, however, and no one was hurt exc ept the engineer who tried to avert the collision. The rails were to rn up for some distance and traffic stopped about six hours.It was 300 yards east of Toluca switch that the wreck occurred. The engi ne was scheduled to pass the passenger at this point. Being without a tra in, it was going at a high rate of speed to make the switch. No. 11 was c limbing the hill rather slowly. Engineer George Root did not understand t hat there was something wrong with the other locomotive until it was almo st upon his train. Then he realized the danger indicated by the warning b lasts of the whistle and reversed his engine and jumped.
Dodged Approaching DeathWhen Root saw the light engine coming it was several hundred yards beyo nd the switch. The occupant of the cab of the runaway, however, was bu sy trying to stop. He cast frantic glances ahead, knowing that the passen ger was about due, and expecting every moment that the valve would yie ld to his wrench and apply the brakes. Finding it was too late, howeve r, he began pulling his whistle with the most agonizing shrieks imaginabl e. It required at least thirty seconds for Root to catch the full signifi cance of the blasts and then there was hasty work on his engine. Yanki ng the sand lever wide open, he shut off steam and opened the air val ve at the emergency point, at the same time pulling back the reverse lev er to form an air cushion in the steam cylinders. All this was done so ra pidly that it required probably two seconds for the whole performance. Ro ot's fireman was down in the gangway and was warned with a yell to jum p. Out he went and just an instant before the crash Root followed.Meehan did not attempt to jump. He had pulled into the siding and Firem an Hansen was behind closing the switch. The engine was rolling along abo ut as fast as a walk, when the fireman came up and started to climb aboar d. Meehan suddenly told him he could not stop the engine and thought th at by running he could get down below the north end of the switch and fl ag the approaching express. The fireman started to run ahead, but the eng ine increased its speed and soon caught him. Then he jumped up on the pil ot and began waving his arms and finally his jacket in an effort to warn t he engineer ahead. This was unsuccessful and Meehan began to toot the whi stle and the fireman jumped. Meehan remained on board, and tried to get o ut of the way of the sides of the tank, which were certain to crush him a gainst the boiler when the crash came. He could not get quite far enou gh and was caught and squeezed in bad shape when the engines came togethe r. The two machines met and wrestled in mighty throes for at least fifte en seconds, and during all this time - it seemed like an hour - the passen gers were wondering what was coming next. They were almost thrown o ut of the windows by the sudden reversing and application of air, but t he heavy coaches in the rear were tightly locked to the rails and to ok up much of the buffing.
Roar of Awful ConflictThe final crash was terrifying, for with the grinding and breaking of ste el and iron was added the roar and hiss of escaping steam, which lasted f or several minutes and hid from view the awful scene up ahead. Then the wo rk of relief started and to the astonishment of everybody the brave engine er was alive, although badly hurt and suffering great agony.A great deal of work was required to open the road because the two heavy e ngines were so badly smashed ad interlocked. Trains No.2 and No. 19 we re due at the scene of the wreck soon after it occurred. Both were compel led to stop because of it. The passengers and baggage on the two trains w ere transferred to No.11, which brought them to Denver, arriving at 9 o'cl ock. The load of No. 11 was taken on by the trains on the other side of t he wreck.The injured engineer has been in constant service with the Rio Grande f or seventeen years. He had never been injured before, and was consider ed one the best men in the employ of the company. He has a wife and fi ve children.
Denver Post; April 27, 1900; FUNERAL OF MICHAEL MEEHAN; Many Frien ds Pay Tribute to a Brave EngineerA large crowd of friends gathered at St. Joseph's Church at 9:30 o'clock t his morning to do honor to Michael Meehan. The services were held for th is brave engineer, who met with the accident that caused his death, whi le at the post of duty, were held under the auspices of the Brotherho od of Locomotive Engineers, Division No. 451 and the Brotherhood of Locomo tive Firemen, Division 273. The coffin was heaped about with beautiful fl oral offerings. Reverend Father Brandt officiated. The pall bearers, a ll of whom were members of one of the two orders in charge, were Patrick K eneran, Frank Hockenburger, Henry Henson, James Slattery and John Dale.A short service was conducted at the grave by the lodges. John T. Brow n, chaplain and J.W. Rice, chief engineer officiating.(The Denver Daily News lists his place of burial as Mount Calvary Cemetery .)
Port Washington Star; Saturday, May 12, 1900; Michael Meehan, an engi neer on the Rio Grande railway, who 17 years ago was a resident of this ci ty, heroically stood at his post and saved the lives of 150 passengers ne ar Sedalia, (about 15 miles south of Denver) on Tuesday, April 24 and ga ve up his own. The cause of the accident was the disabling of the air bra kes, but instead of trying to save his own life he remained on the engi ne and set the auxiliary brakes with a wrench. The speed of the train w as slackened, but the engine crashed into another and Meehan was kille d. No other person was hurt. He left a wife and five children. The fun eral was held Friday, April 27 and was largely attended.
|
| Death |
25 Apr 1900 |
Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado, USA |
| Cause: Railroad Accident - Aged 45 Years |
| Burial |
Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colorado, USA |
| Person ID |
I45656 |
1FamilyTree | JaysRelated |
| Last Modified |
12 Oct 2015 |
Family  |
Ruppert, Louise, b. 9 Oct 1870, Port Washington, Ozaukee, Wisconsin, USA d. 1 Mar 1922, Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA (Age 51 years) |
| Marriage |
22 Oct 1887 |
Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado, USA |
| Marriage Record (Family) |
22 Oct 1887 |
- 1887 Colorado Marriage Record #5416; Meehan, Michael married Ruppert, Loui sa on 10/22/1887 in Denver, by T. H. Malone a Catholic Priest.
|
 |
Meehan, Michael and Louise Ruppert Marriage Record
|
| Children |
| | 1. Meehan, Michael George, b. 10 Sep 1887, Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado, USA d. 25 Nov 1918, Vallejo, Solano, California, USA (Age 31 years) |
| + | 2. Meehan, Annie C., b. Abt Feb 1888, Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado, USA d. 11 Jun 1954, Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA (Age ~ 66 years) |
| | 3. Meehan, John Henry, b. 21 Jan 1892, Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado, USA d. Abt 1953, ?, Unknown Location (Age 60 years) |
| + | 4. Meehan, Catherine Louise, b. 1 Jul 1897, Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado, USA d. 25 Nov 1915, Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA (Age 18 years) |
| + | 5. Meehan, Margaret, b. 19 Dec 1898, Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado, USA d. 30 Nov 1977, Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA (Age 78 years) |
|
| Family ID |
F14590 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
26 Jan 2015 |
Abt 1855 - 1900 (~ 45 years)
