The Saint Paul globe., 1897-06-08
KILLED OR BURNED
Continued From First Page.

/
and Northern divisions. respectively.
| down the east bound track. This or
| der, with his name affixed to it, stands
| part OF the record, and q grim pointer
| to his terrible mistake. In spite of the
| order sending the two freights down
the east track from North Wisconsin
junction to Hudson, so that he might
| nave the west-bound track clear, Con-
ouctor Owens started his train out of
HudSon IN the direction Of the junction
on the very track he is alleged to have
asked to have the freights use. The
result is his engineer and fireman are
| lying at deaths door in ST Paul. the
Watchman OF his train lying cold in
death, and four poor fellows killed with
the suddenness Of electricity, ground to
| atoms, and their remains incinerated
IN the burning mass Of demolished
| WOOD, Oil waste and other inf1ammabIe
material
| The work train, made up as stated
| above, was backing out Of Hudson after
| the men had finished their noon-day
meal. The distance to the junction is
| three miles. When less than halfway
| the engineer Of the train discovered the
numbering freight train on it's way
down the grade to Hudson. It was too
late to avoid the crash, as he realized
In a moment. He blew his whistle and
Wa1ted, with his heart standing still,
| Tor the dreadful finish. Back came the
| answer from Engineer Ira Wallace.
or the freight, who called for brakes.
! and turned off his power. There was
no time for even a word with his fire.
| man, William Kellogg
| Inc TWO men knew what was to be
the result, and when they made sure
| mat the backing work train was on
their track they made preparation to
Jump for their lives. This they both
did, Engineer Wallace escaping with
scarcely scratch, while Fireman Kel-
1893 received injuries about the knee
How anybody on the work train es-
| capped instant death is miraculous and
cannot be satisfactorily explained
Engineer Brogan and his fireman
were too badly injured to give a coher-
ent account Of the matter, but Engineer
Wallace, Of the freight, who came up
to the general offices to report. is of
the opinion that Brogan reversed his
lever, but when it was all too late The
freight train with it's immense momen-
tum struck the caboose of the work
train and crunched it into the WORKING
car as If the two were eggshells Those
who heard it say that the report Of
the coll1s1on was tremendous and sick
enlng. Being the heavier, the freight
train not only stopped the progress OF
the other train, after a second, but
actually ground the two cars into small
pieces, and when the freight engine
reached the tender of the other engine
pushed the crunching mass back a
short distance. Four of the men in the
working car, including Foreman Hurd
! were never seen alive or dead after
| the trains struck Rising above the
Missing steam came the pitiful groans
| OF the poor fellows buried beneath the
| Jagged mass of wood. iron and mer.
! chandise, which was spilled out of two
demolished box cars. Fear that one OF
| the other of the engines would explode
for the freight engine left the rails and
| lay on its side, kissing out volumes OF
scalding steam, kept the few who were
| not killed from instantly fastening tc
the work of rescuing their less fortu-
! nate brothers.
The additional horror of cremation
| brought them to their senses, for in al
| most an instant flames found their way
up through the surging, sizzling hean
| of debris. Engineer Brogan was hauled
out nearly dead, having been terribly
| cut and bruised about the head and
| Dody, as we'll as several internal in
| Juries. He groaned as he saw the mo-
| tonlesS remains of young Herman
Reeeby, lad of twenty-five. who serv-
ed as watchman on the work train,
| pulled out of the heap.
A few minutes later BrOgan's fire.
| man, +. b. Thayer, also terribly bruis-
| ed and manned, was found by the will
| ing hands who braYed the wicked
i flames and worked in momentary dam
| ger of being blown to death themselves.
| By this time the flames had eaten their
| way to the heart of the heap and were
! raging furiously. Within an incredibly
short time the big pile was reduced
| to almost nothing saved the twisted,
i bent portion of the cars and machinery
made of iron and steel. There was not
| enough woodwork left on either engine
| to start a bonfire with.
| The survivors gather mournfully to-
after WORD SoVf
Hudson and st. Paul. and discovered
| that four Of their number could not be
| found. They are Foreman D. S. Hurd,
| M. G. Swain, L. Reilly and Joe Light
heizer, all residents Of Eau Claire, and
| each Of them leaving wives and in some
/ cases children behind
Reeby. the dead watchman, is the son
! of parents who live at Hokah, Minn.,
and he resided with his brother-in-law,
| Engineer Halt, at Altoona His body
! was brought up on the special which
/ took the roads officials to the scene
! of the disaster. There were also on
| this train Engineer Brogan and Fire
man Thayer, who were taken to st.
Luke's hospital.
| On the special which left st. Paul f6
2:48 were Division Supt. McCabe, Claim
| Agent Poole Assistant Claim Agent
| ''Wally'' Winter and Foreman Burns,
| Of the East st. Paul roundhouse
Mr.. Winter reported upon his arrival
at the scene of the wreck that he could
not discover any trace Of the dead men,
so completely had their remains been
ground or burned to nothing.
Engineer Brogan and Fireman Thay-
er are both residents Of Altoona and
| both married. Brogan has three chill
dren. Mrs. Thayer spent most of the
evening at the telegraph office, inquir-
ing about the condition of her injured
husband. who is was supposed could
hardly live until the special reached
st. Paul
Supt. McCabe remained last night in
Hudson, and will not leave until the
track has been put in complete shape
again. One of the two tracks was
cleared sufficiently last night to allow
the Chicago limited to pass the wreck.
although the train dispatcher issued or
ders to run slowly by the place where
the accident occurred. It is thought
that all sign of it will be removed by
today. The remains of Reeby will be
taken to Altoona this morning for
burial.
ID