The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-01
-FOUR CARS IN THE DITCH
BAD WRECK ON THE 500 ROAD A FEW
MILES FROM THIS CITY.
8. A. Thompson, of Mounds View,
Had Leg Broken in the Crash
-Cne Car Burns, Igniting From
the Overturned Stove-Accident
Kept Very Quiet.

the Overturned Stove-Accfdent
Kept Very Quiet.
Four cars Of q mixed 500 train, in
Guiding a combination passenger and
express car, which left the St. Louis
depot at the foot of Broadway street
at o'clock last evening, were derail-
ed three miles this side of Cardigan
Junction, thrown down a nine-foot en-
bankment and completely wrecked.
Fortunately there were but three per-
sons in the passenger coach, the con-
Cuctor, brakeman and 8. A Thomp-
son, of Mounds View township, all of
whom escaped being mangled in the
Wreckage by jumping from the train.
me two tra1nmen escaped with slight
injuries, but Mr.. Thompson sustained
a fracture Of the left leg below the
knee, and number Of painful bruises.
10 add to the excitement the mass of
shattered t1mbers, all that was left of
the cars, which plunged down the en-
bankment, caught fire from the over
turned stove in the passenger coach
and threatened to devour the wreckage.
1t was not known at this time that all
hands had escaped from the overturn-
ed cars and the train crew exerted
every effort to eXtinguiSh the fire. BY
herculean effort the blaze was gotten
under control and finally eXtingushed,
after the passenger coach had been
partially burned. During this time Mr.
Thompson had been left lying in the
middle Of the track, where he had fall
len in jumping from the rear of the
passenger coach. the last car Of the
train. When the danger from the fire
was averted the trainmen went to his
assistance and he was brought back
to the city and taken to ST Joseph's
hospital, where he was attended by DR..
Ohage.
The accident, according to Mr.
Thompson's version, occurred while the
train was rounding curve about three
miles this side Of Cardigan Junction.
He and the conductor were in the ex-
press compartment Of the combination
coach, while the brakeman was in the
rear in the passenger division.
Mr.. Thompson says the train was
going at a rate Of about twenty miles
an hour, when a rumbling, grating
noise was heard directly ahead Of the
combination coach. Before the cause
could be realized the passenger car left
the rails and bounded over the ties with
terrible force. Mr.. Thompson and the
conductor started for the rear of the
car and as they entered the passenger
compartment, saw the brakeman leap
from the platform. Both rushed to the
door and the conductor, Mr.. Thomp-
son says, next leaped into the dark
ness. Mr.. Thompson followed in the
attempt to save himself. Before his
feet left the platform, he says, the
coach started to turn over and threw
him into the air with great force. He,
fell between the rails on his hands and
knees, where he lay stunned and ter
rified by the grinding and crashing Of
timbers as the cars piled over the en-
bankment. He called for help, but was
unable to get assistance, as the break
ing out Of the fire, he says, took the
attention of the train crew Three
freight cars went over the embankment
ahead Of the combination coach.
Mr.. Thompson has been in the city
in attendance upon She district court,
being on the jury. He Is seventy-one
years of age and was a soldier in the
late war.