The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-06-18
DIED TRYING 70 SAVE OTHERS
Fatal Accident on the O. R.
& N. Near Portland.
ENGINE RAN INTO A HAND CAR
While Attempting to Rescue a Boy.
Who Was Also Killed.


While Attempting to Rescue Boy.
Who Was Also Killed.
bound special train on the line of the
Oregon Railroad & Navigation Com
pany collided with hand Car half a
mile west of Rooster Rock at o'clock
yeterday afternoon, instantly killing
Robert Dunno, the 6-year-old son of
Section Foreman Dunno, and injuring
Charles A. Rathbone SO that he died
within half an hour. Both Rathbone
and the boy were passengers on the
hand car. {. Rathbone had reached the
ground, and would have been saved had
he not heroically attempted to rescue
the child. :,
The special train consisted of an en-
gine and the special car of Superin-
tendent O'Brien and party, who were
returning from tour of inspection over
the road. The car was ahead of the en-
gine, and the passengers were all in the
forward or observation end at the time
of the accident. The train was running
about 30 miles an hour, and was just
rounding sharp curve when the hand
car was seen coming down the track
with party consisting of two men,
two women and two children on board.
1t was Dunno and Rathbone, with their
wives, and Dunne's two children.
Engineer Whipple saw the hand car
as soon as did the party on the observa-
tion car, and instantly applied the air
brakes. The train was within 100
yards of the hand car, however, when it
was discovered. and it was impossi BILE
to check the speed in time to prevent
collision. Both Rathbone and Dunno
took in the situation at glance, and
would have got the party safely off and
the car off the track had it not been
for the women, who, paralyzed with
fright, refused to move. The men got
to the ground at the last minute.
Dunno was just about to seize his wife,
and Rathbone, whose wife had finally
managed to jump off, was endeavoring
to rescue. the little Dunno boy, when
the crash came.
= The boy was thrown under the
wheels of the car and instantly killed.
The step struck Rathbone in the head
while, oblivious to all else save his pur-
pose to save the boy, he was bending
forward, and crushed his skull.
Mrs. Dunno and her daughter were
thrown from the hand car, but were
unhurt. The train was brought to a
standstill after the hand car had been
pushed several rods, and the party in
the observation car ran to the assistance
of the victims of the accident. The
child was lying in cut near the track,
dead. Rathbone lay near him, still
breathing, with cash in his forehead,
which told that he had not long to live.
The two women, as soon as they recov-
cred from the shock of the accident,
were nearly frantic with grief. Rath-
bone was carried ON board the train,
and the body Of the child was taken to
the home of its parents at Rooster
Rock. Mrs. Rathbone accompanied
her dying husband, and was at his side
when he expired. shortly before the
train reached Portland. -
The place where the accident happen
ed was sharp curve, which Dunno
had neglected to flag when he rounded
it with the hand car. The men on
the car and their wives and the two
children of the former had been on a
pleasure excursion to Corbett, three
miles below Rooster Rock, and were re-
turning when the accident occurred.
Charles A. Rathbone, the man who
was killed, was farmer by occupation,
and resided at Rooster Rock. He had
but recently returned from his mine in
Skamania county, and had been with
his wife but few days. Rathbone
was a man of fine character, and was
highly esteemed by every one who
knew him.