, 1889-11-07
THEY MET BY CHANCE
A Terrific Collision on the North
ern Pacific, Few Miles
From This City.
A Number of the Trainmen In
jured, but None of Them
Seriously.
The West-Bound Express Delayed
for Several Hours in This
City-Particulars

A disastrous collision occurred between
two freight trains five and one-half
miles west of this city and two and
one-half miles this side of Marshall
junction ut 9:15 yesterday morning
The colliding trains were the first sec.
tion of No. Ia, east bound, in charge of
Conductor King and Engineer Nc.
Clurken. and the third section of No. Is,
west bound in charge of Conductor
Reagan and Engineer swain.
The trains met on curve and were
not more than 200 feet apart when they
came into view of each other The en-
gineers at once reversed their engines
and all hands jumped for their lives
Both trains were running at least twenty
miles an hour and the collision was fear
ful. The engines were telescoped so
thoroughly that they were literally
welded together, the driving shafts were
doubled and bent like pieces of tin and
there was scarcely piece of either of
them that was not destroyed. There
were five cars in No. l3 and seven In No.
Ia AMI these were piled up in heap of
ruins, while the track was torn up for u
distance of 100 feet,
Engineer Swain received broken arm
IN the lull anu CHBIiccr MCSiuTheh
and one of the brnkemen on his train
received severe bruises. All the others
escaped with slight injuries. There
were five mon ON each train-the engin-
Ger, fireman, conductor and two brake
men, and it is mystery that no one
was killed.
Some of the men walked to Marshall
Junction, from which place news of the
wreck was telegraphed along the road.
A wrecking train was at once sent from
Sprague, arriving at the scene of the
wreck at II 80.
Both the wrecked engines were half
buried in the ground ON the track, and 1t
was necessary to- build temporary
track around them. While this was
being done, the Pacific express, which
reached here on time, at 10 AS, was held
at this place, and did not get away until
o'clock IN the evening The passen-
gers who were on the Spokane Il Pal
ouse train, due here at 1915 A. NJ,
were carried on the wrecking train from
Marshall TO the scene of the wreck, and
were brought to this city on q construc-
ton sent down from here in the after
noon. DIR. Pomeroy, who accompanied
the wrecking train from Cheney,
attended to the injuries OF the injured
men.
Engineer Swain was seen by REVIEW
reporter Tuesday evening. He did not
appear to mind his broken arm and said
not killed. The other train was about
200 feet away when he saw it. eve were
running twenty miles an hour. The
fireman and forward brakeman and my
self jumped. ! went right through the
window and struck on my left arm
against the bank. Here's all that Is left
Of my engine" he said, exhibiting the
clock which he found uninjured lying
on top Of the boiler.
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT
The cause of the collision was mis-
Interpretation of their orders by Conduc
tor King and Engineer McClurken. They
received their orders when they ief,
Sprague, and the orders were to the OF
feet that they were to meet the third sec
tion Of No. Is at Marshall aud wait at
| Spokane Falls for orders. Both the en-
gfneer and conductor got 1t into theil
heads that they were TO meet No. l3 NJ
spokane Falls; They were given sheil
clearance card by the operator at Mar
shall when they reached that place, and
pulled out. The operator did his duty
in clearing the train, as he had no orders
| for them.
Conductor King has been yardmastel
at Spokane Falls for some time. He
was given a train and was on his first
trip. Charley MoClurken, the engineer
has been on the road for nine years
He was raised on the Northern Pacific, v
said well.known railroad man 10 a RE
VIEW reporter last night, ''and ho is ont
of the best boys that over lived. He has
always been a careful, faithful engineer
but he made q mistake such US the bes,
and most experienced engineers arr
likely to make. Such mistakes viii
continue to occur as long as the miser
able order system now IN vogue on thu
Northern Pacific continues 20 exist. q
course Charley will have to go, ant
sorry for him. All considered, there arr
very few wrecks on the Northern Pact,
| a ttar all "