St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-28
FIVE men KILLED
And Over a Score Injured in
I. a Horrible Railroad Ac-
cident.
A 500 Train Plunges Through
a Bridge Near Barrett,
Minn.,
And Two Coaches Are Hurled
Into the Pomme de Terre
River.
Bridge Supports Loosened by
the Sudden Rising Of
the Stream.
Special Relief Train, With
Surgeons, Sent Out
From Here.
Everything Possible Done to
Care for the Injured
Everything Possible Done to
Care for the Injured
Survivors.
The Killed.

JAMES L. LANNIA. Cyrus. Mimi.
ED SMITH, Dunbar, Wis.
MICHAEL CROCKETT, Ironwood, Mich.
JOHN MCMILLAN, Minneapolis.
Out on the 500 road, half mile be-
yond Barrett station. the Pomme da
Terre river is roaring torrent. The
railroad bridge that once crossed the
river at that place is gone-went down
yesterday afternoon. When it feif it
carried with it two loaded passenger
coaches, leaving an engine and bag
gage car on the bank. Four men are
dead. Another IS expected to die. Thirty
are reported as slightly injured.
The wrecked train was Train IS. which
left the union depot at Minneapolis at
S:35 yesterday morning for Oakes and
at Hapkirson. The train was
due at Barrett at sos D. M.
and was on time. Half a mile beyond
Barrett the road crosses the Pomme de
Terre river on pile bridge, twelve
feet above the river and 346 feet loug.
1t did cross the river on bridge,
but the bridge had given place to
A Xaxvning Chasnn,
before Train No. 65 had reached the
other side. The engine had crossed tho
bridge and the baggage and mail car
were half off the bridge on solid ground
when the structure fell. With it, into
the swollen stream, went the Two pas
senger coaches with their load of 1O{
people. The baggage car was left hang,
ing on the verge Of the bank.
The POmme de Terre is not deep
river, but recent rains had swollen the
current. However, the wreckage of the
bridge prevented the submerging or
drifting of the coaches. The passen-
gers clambered from windows and the
roof of the train, aud assisted one
another to land. The baggage
man, mail clerk. engineer and
supply the excited occupants of the
wrecked coaches with directing intelli-
gence. Both ears were badly smashed,
Help was summoned from Barrett and
Hoffman, the stations OH either side of
POmme de Terre river. Surgeons came
with them, and the occupants of the
coaches were soon OH dry land and have
Ing their injuries attended to.
The Fatally Injured.
The list of killed was found to nums
Der four, as follows:
GUST BERGQUIsT, Hoffman, MINI.
JAMES l.. LANNIA, Cyrus, Minn.
ED SMITH. Dunbar, Wis.
MICHAEL CROCKETT, IrOnWood. Mich.
Nothing is known about tie first two
mentioned men beyond their names aud
addresses. The other two had Just been
hlred by the 500 company, and were
being sent out TO work. Nothing is
known of them further than that.
The list of slightly injured is said to
number thirty. although few of them
were so badly hurt that they could not
continue their journey after little at
tentiOn from the surgeons.
To tI.e Rescue.
A special train of sleeping cars and
diner, carrying corps OF surgeons in
charge of Dr.. G. L. Allen, of Minneapo-
lis, left yesterday afternoon and arrived
at the scene of the wreck at last
night. This train will return to Min
neapollS some time this afternoon. and
until then the details of the wreck can
not be learned. Everybody at the
scene is now busy looking after the in
jured.
The man who was seriously, and it is
thought fatally injured, was John Nc
MILAN, of Minneapolis, roadmaster of
the Soo He was on the train in the
discharge of his duty. When the train
went down he was crushed. The fsur
killed met their death in like manner.
Mr.. Mcmillan is one of the best known
railroad men in the Northwest.
For twenty-five years he was in
the employ of the Milwaukee road, and
has been with the 500 since it was
built. He has brother, Frank McMil-
Ian, tranmaSter for the Great North
ern, in st. Paul.
The cause of the accident can only be
,onjectured. The bridge was regularly
Inspected by the bridge inspector Fri
lay morning, and yesterday morning it
was Inspected by the track crew. Five
rains crossed it safely Yesterday before
he accident. Being pile bridge, il
could have fallen only through
being undermined. That is the
,heory of General Manager Underwood.
)y waterspout Friday night. Ten
inches OF water fell at Brrrett. 1t is be-
ieved that the water undermined the
)ridge and shifted the piles.
Some of the Wounded.
Late last night the following partial
ist of the injured in the bridge disaster
vas received at the 500 office in Mime.
lpolis:
Kin Kader, laborer. en- route Valley
Jity, injured internally.
ID. q. Vail, banker, st. Paul, cut and
bruised about the face.
George Haywood, Elk River. laborer,
IL route to Valley City, legs bruised.
George Kilsell, Charleston, S. c.,
aborer. en- route to Valley City, badly
haken up.
Matt Kelly, Ashland, laborer. en- route
or Valley City, cut about the head and
ace.
The other men who were injured
vent to Elbow lake and scattered, SO
hat it was impossible to get their
lames. They are not seriously injured
lOthing can be learned in Minneapolis
bout the family of John Mcmillan.
The officials Of the 500 do not
new where he lived. The loss to the
500 road by the accident will be. on the
ride and track. about Sl0,000. The
ridge will be replaced today and ready
or traffic by this evening. Until then
nail and passengers will be transferred.