Willmar tribune., 1899-10-18
eREAT.MoR1HERN WRECK.
One Man Killed and Two Seriously
Injured.

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Late last Sunday night a wreck oc.
CURED on this side of Granite Falls,
] which resulted in the death of one man
and the injury of two others. An ex-
ira freight running out of here, south
bound, was crossing the trestle north
OF the Milwaukee crossing, and all the
cars had passed over safely with the
exception of the last two, including
the caboose. The facts of the wreck.
as near as we can learn, are that the
hind trucks of the car Immediately
ahead of the caboose, we're caught in
some manner in the track. The result
was that the caboose slid against the
trucks with such force as to derail the
cars, and the caboose with It's con-
tents was overturned into the creek
below. A fire resulted and it was
miraculous that the occupants were not
all victims to the flames. A stOckman
whose name was PETER, and who
hailed from Grandville, Iowa, lost his
life. Another stock buyer, giving his
name as D. L. Batterton, from Ray
mondville, Mo-, was badly bruised,
as was also the rear end brakeman,
M. +. Gates. 1t was a most miracu-
lous escape from instant death, as the
caboose was soon enveloped in flames,
Mr.. Gates managed to knock out the
glass in the oupola window, and sue
ceeded in rescuing the other men.
The train was known as extra No.
10, and was in charge of Conductor
John Colahan. 1t will be remembered
that he was victim of another wreck
short time ago, and it certainly was
very fortunate for him that he ESCAPED
a second time.
The following is sanother account of
the wreck, as taken from yesterday 8
Granite Falls Tribune;
A bad wreck on the Great Northern
Sunday night about 30 rods north of
the crossing at Palmer Creek bridge
resulted in the death of a Mr.. PETER,
a prominent Iowa cattle man who had
eight cars Of stock on the train, and
iniuring brakeman, M. F. Gates, by
name, who did some heroic work in
saving the occupants of the cab0ose-
two OF them being badly bruised when
rescued. 1t happened something like
this as told US by Henry Hamre who
was early on the scene and viewed the
terrible catastrophe. The train was
an extra and reached the bridge at
1880, Stacking up for the crossing.
When the caboose, whs on the bridge,
a structure about thirty feet high, the
back truck of the next car ahead be-
came detached by the bolt breaking
or coming out, causing the caboose, a
half-slze affair only in use on this
road, to leave the rails and plunge to
the ground, turning over q time or two
in the DESCENT, The brakeman, Gates,
working on the rear end of the train,
was in the cahoose at the time and
with the one killed and two helpers
were the sole occupants. Cool headed
he assisted the two men out through
the cupola both badly scratched up
and one of them, D. l.. Batterton, Of
Missouri, received a bad scalp wound
that required several stitches on his
arrival at the hotel here. The man
killed was well'to-do, and on his way
to Sioux Falls from North Dakota,
where he had bought several carloads
of stock.
The coroner at Montevideo was
wired and he came down on the $3.50
a. m. train and viewed the remains,
removing them to the undertaking es-
tablishment of F. w. Dodge, where
they await relatives from his home.
The assistant who received bad
scalp wound, who is prominent Ma
son, and the other gentleman are STOP
ping at the Merchants hotel until the
arrival of the son of the deceased to-
day, when they will accompany the
body home.