The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-02
FATAL ACCIDENT EARLY YESTER-
DAY MORNING IN THE UNION
DEPOT YARDS.
FOREMAN BRADY is KILLED
I'm THE COLLISION OF A. CABOOSE
AND A "DEADv-
CAR.
CHARLES HITCHCOCK Is HURT
Sustaining a Broken Arm-Coroner
Whftcomb Is Investigating
Into the Facts.

John Brady, twenty-Seven years old
employed as foreman Of a switching
crew on the Great Western road, died
at st. Luke's hospital yesterday morn
ing from injuries received in a. col
hslon In the union depot yards. Charles
hitchcock, switchman, was also in
Jured at the same time, but escaped
with broken arm and slight bruises.
The collision occurred at 4 O'Clock
yesterday morning in the union depot
yards Brady and Hitchcock were
standing on the steps of a caboose
which was being pushed ahead Of an
engine from the freight yards in West
ST Paul to the Northern Pacific yards
near Mississippi street bridge. A train
OF STOCK which had come in on the
Northern Pacific was to be transferred
to the Great Western, and the engine
and two men from the switching crew
were on the way to make the trans
fer. The Great Western road uses a
track through the depot yards which
is known as dead track" The en-
CINE, with the caboose ahead of it.
was making the trip at a good rate
OF speed, the engineer and the switch
men being under the impression that
the track was clear of distractions
short time previous to the collision a
Milwaukee freight crew had dropped
on the track two cars loaded with
peer The cars were to be taken out
within short time by a Duluth
switching crew. The two cars were
lett standing near the foot of John
street, and with this obstruction the
caooose collided. Brady was standing
on the right steps Of the caboose. and
was badly mangled in the crash. Hitch
COCK was on the steps on the other
side Of the car, but saw the danger a
moment before the collision occurred
and jumped. Brady was found under
the car, and, although conscious, real
lied that he was fatally injured. He
was taken to st. Luke's hospital in
the central patrol wagon, and attended
py Dr. Willard. His right side had
oeen crushed in by the force of the
collision, and death came to his relief
fcur hours after he was hurt
hitchcock escaped with a broken
arm and severe bruises He was taken
10 his residence. 405 South Robert
street, In a hack. Brady was a single
man and boarded at 50 Delos street.
he had been employed by the Great
"a
general favorite among his associates.
His parents live at Stone City, To-,
and the remains will be taken to that
point for interment today.
There seemed to be a difference of
opinion as to who was to blame for
the accident and the matter was a
general topic of conversation among
the sWftchmen on various roads last
evening. Some contended that the
fault lay with the crew which dropped
the cars on the track without notifying
any one or placing a lantern on the
cars. Others were of the opinion that
the mistake was made in not having
the cabCose in the rear of the engine
while passing through the yards
Had this been done the headlight OF
the engine would have shown the cars
on the track and the collision would
have been avoided. Sw1tchmen In the
union depot yards claim that the track
is used almost nightly for the purpose
OF dropping cars on and that switch
ing crews using the track are always
careful to ascertain whether the track
is open or not.
Coroner Whitcomb is investigatine
the accident and will probably i'm
panel jury today to inquire into the
facts.
Yard Master Sweeney, of the Great
Western road, seen last evening, said
that, while it was true that cars were
frequently left on the track where the
accident occurred, it was the practice
to throw a switch and make a cutoff
so that accidents were avoided. This
had not been done after the two cars
were put on the track. A switchman
in the union depot yard stated yester-
day that he intended throwing the
switch, but before he could reach the
switch the collision occurred.