The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1891-10-03
BURNING TRAIN.
AStock Train Ran Into a Runaway
Car Loaded With Oil at Buff
alo, N. D., Taking
Fire Burning Sixteen Cars Of Cat
tie, Killed Two Meu, and
Injured Two Others.


Injured Two Others.
Further details are now to hand, and
an intelligent idea can be formed OF how
the accident occurred. Freight train
No. GO was going west and reached Buf-
falo about 1880. where they had orders
to sidetrack to meet an extra stock train
coming east. The train ran in on the
switch, where car Of oil was standing.
This they meant to bump and push it
along the track to give room for the
train to clear the switch at the east end.
BRAKEMAN GALLAGHER RAN
forward and climbed on the oil car " hen
the freight engine struck it, intending
to set the brake and stop it as soon as it
had gone far enough. When he tried
to do SO, he found that the brake would
not work, and the car rapidly began to
gather momentum MS it rolled down the
grade toward the main track. Un-
fortunately as it turned out, the switch
ut the west end of the side track is what
railroad men call split switch, which
allows car to pass over it without leav
irg the trt OK. Had the oil car left the
track OF the switch the accident would
never have occurred. AS soon As Ii,
found that the car was getting beyond
his control, Brakeman Gallagher. who
had rluckily stuck to his post on the
Cur, tignslled to the engineer of the
freight train, who quickly cut ofi his en-
gine and started on a lace to
catch the runaway car. This
having pa1sed the switch in
ty was rapidly ginning speed as il
rolled down the steep grade, while
LESS THAN FOUR MILES
awny was the heavy stock train coming
east all unconscious OF tie hidden dan.
ger which awaited them. Again and
again did Brakeman Gallagher tug at
the brake-wheel in o vain endeavor to
check the speed of the flying car but
bis efforts we're of no avail. Equally
hopeless was the attempt of the freight
engine to catch it from behind All
that could be done was done, yet every
second brought tho illfated crew of the
stock train nearer to their doom.
In about three minutes from the time
of starting, the brakeman on the top of
the flying car saw the headlight OF
the coming train tWinkling in the dis.
tance. The Car had then run nearly q
mile but was still on the down grade
aud increasing in pace with every click
of the wheels as they passed the rail-
joints. Brakeman Gallagher knew that
in two minutes more the smash must
come, yet he still stuck to his post, and
waved his lantern as the dis.
tance between them
RAPIDLY LEssENED,
and the light from the rapidly ap.
preaching headlight began to glimmer
on the converging rails in front, and
the flying telegraph posts.
At last he saw that he had done all that
man could do. and that remaining
longer at his post could do no good, but
would be only throwing away his own
chance for safety, SO giving one last
twist to the useless brake wheel he
jumped to tile ladder and leoped from
his car when about three lengths from
the engine.
Almost as he struck the ground the
crash came, and simultaneously with
the sound of the collision, came roar
of flames, as the gasoline with which
the oilcar was loaded caught fire, and a
billow of flame twenty feet high mounted
above the doomed stock train as it
passed over the ruined car before stop
ping. Engineer Curtis, who is as care
full mon as ever ran an engine on the
Northern Pacific, had seen the car and
shut off his engiue and applied the air
brakes. though the
ENGINE WAS not REVERSED.
In the cab, besla .p6Iiineer Cn1aa1y
we're Fireman Npdes "a Hsske \
posts till the craat Sliisn III 6
was still running d H2tt
leave the track. When - 6b1 III
struck the car in an instant the cab Nas
filed with flame, and the mems clothes
were soaked with the scattered oil. Fire
man Dodge jumped on the north side Of
the engine, but lie had not run more
than fifty yards when he fell, the
flames having completed their deadly
work. When found he was lying on
his face on the prairie, his hands
in front of his face in the vain endeavor
to protect his eyes. Hls whole body
was fearfully burnt, the flames having
continued their work till there was
nothing left to feed up,n.
Engineer Gun tbs jumped on the oppo-
site side. and as soon as he got outside
the circle of burning oil on the ground,
THREW HIMSELF DOWN
and rolled on the gre und in the vain
endeavor to put out the flames, but as
fast as be smothered them on one side
of his body tie saturated clothes would
burst into flame again in another place,
though he managed to protect his eyes
and mouth to some extent, ard SO did
not inhale the flame.
Brakeman Beaton also tried to put
out his burning clothes by rolling on
the prairie. but with no better success
than his unfortunate companion. 1n
rolling owe, and over, however. he came
to the dge of the ditch at the side Of
the track, and began rolling in the sand
and throwing it on his head and face
by which me ans he succeeded in putting
out the fire, although not until his head
had the greater part Of his body was
fealfully burned.
The Other man injured was named
Charles Bailey, and is said to be one of
the men in charge of the stock. He was
cen at the county hospital yesterday
afternoon. He was riding on the
TOP OF THE THIRD CAR
from the engine. and the next Instant
after the car was struck, the one on
which he was passed through the roar
ing mass of flames. He jumped from
the top of the car and struck the ground
within the circle of burning oil, getting
some of it on his clothes. but was able
to tear them off, and 80 only got one leg