The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-19
EIGHT LABORERS KILLED
And Five Seriously Injured in q Wreck
on the Great Northern Railroad.
CsbOOss Filled with Sleeping Men Struck by
Alright T~rain-Three of the Victims
Hurned, One Beyond Recognition.

ALEXANDRIA. Mimi, Dec. 18.-A fright
full accident occurred on the Great North
ern railroad this morning. at Nelson sta
ton, five miles east of here. IL which eight
men were killed and five seriously injured.
There had been a collision Friday morning
at Nelson, and q number of cars were
wrecked. The wreck train had been there
two days clearing up. and was making up
preparatory to pulling out for the east.
About &c o'clock this morning the wreck
train csboose was left standing on the main
track with n number of cars. An east
bound freight was due about 10 o'clock,
and had orders to side track for the pas
sen ger train. The fireman of the freight
tells the story as follows:
There is q heavy grade west of the sta
ton, and, as the freight, with thirty-six
Dads. under charge of conductor William
Mickey and engineer James Maloney. ap-
preached the switch, the engine was shut
perceptible DEGREES of speed, and conduct
or Mickey climbed out of the caboose.
where he was, and began setting brakes,
within u trains length of the aboose they
saw the track was full ahead, and both the
engineer and fireman jumped. The engine
struck the wreck train and threw the
caboose on top of the next car. setting both
on ire. There were fourteen men in the
csboose. One jumped, of i've were hurt,
three were burned, one beyond recognition,
and four were killed. One was burned up,
not a sign of his remains being 0und." The
names of the killed are: Nels q. Dokken,
Ole Martenson. OF Osakis. brother OF
Christ; John Engstrand, of Spruce Hill;
John Akerson, of Spruce Hill; Engstrand's
newphew, name unknown; Con Drummer.
jured are: A. NJ. Broseau, of st. Paul, back
and head, serious; Thomas Welsh, of Bos-
ton. Mass. bad scalp, shoulder dislocated;
David Reed, of Nelson. slight injuries TO
head; Henry Ross. fireman on esst-bound
freight. shoulder dislocated.
The coroner commenced an inquest to-
day which will be continued tomorrow,
as some OF the witnesses could not be
found to-day. This was the worst acei-
dent which has ever occurred on this di-
vision of the road. aud was due to the
heavy grade having q curve. and perhaps
carelessness in leaving the caboose on the
main track, or slowness In applying the
brakes. 1t Is reported that the train was
running about twelve miles per hour when
IL collided with the wreck train. The men
killed were wreck-train hands. aud were
asleep in the caboose when the engine
struck it. G.. Bergmand, foreman was the
only one awake, and had barely time TO
call to his men and Jump. thus saving him
self, but the warning came too late for the
others. who were all killed or badly in
jured. The injured were promptly re-
moved to this place. where DR.. Long. of
Cakes, and DIR. Boyd, of Alexandra. are at
tending them. The men that were burned
presented a horrible sight. The railway
officials did all in their power to alleviate
the sufferings of the victims by promptly
sending physicians to the scene of the &C
cident.