The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-04
GREAT WESTERN PASSENGER
TRAIN CRASHES INTO A NORTH
ERIN PACIFIC EXTRA
SIX PERSONS ARR INJURED
ENGINEER AND FIREMEN STICK
TO THEIR POSTS AND THUS
ESCAPE
NUMBER OF HORSES KILLED

Passenger Train Tears Through the
Caboose as If 1t Had Been Madc
of Paper-Had Fire in Car Spread
Rapidly the Fate of the Passen-
gers Would Have Been HORRIBLE
Officials DisincIined to Fix tho
Responsibility at Present-Story
of Mr.. Allen, Who Owned Some OF
the stOck-Wounded Sent to st.
Paul ON a Special.
ductor Farrell, land do not understand
what the stock train was doing on the
main track. We were about minute
late and running at a fair rate of speed,
with the belief that there was clear
track ahead. The stock train ought
not to have been on the main track on
our running time
1t is claimed by the crew of the stock
train that they were about to follow
orders and take their train into the sid
ing when the accident happened. The
statement Of the passengers crew that
there was no fagman behind is Denied
1t being claimed that the rear brakeman
jumped off of the eaboose and started
back to flag the passenger train just as
it came around the curve.
The financial loss incident to the wreck
will be considerable. The Great Western
engine was badly damaged, while the ca
boose and stock car are totally demol-
ished. The value of the horses killed is
estimated at $1,000. The passenger train
was the regular No. 2 Chicago Great
Western train that leaves this city at $40
p. M, carrying two Kansas City seepers
that are cut off at Oelwein, while the
stock train came through from Montana.
Conductor Orr went to the scene of the
wreck with a work train and crew shortly
after the accident. 1t is believed the
wreckage will be cleared away by this
morning. The tracks where the accident
happened are used by the Great Western
road, the Northern Pacific, the Minneap-
oils & st. Louis and the 800" line.
VICTIMS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.
The special train bearing the occupants
of the demolished caboose arrived at the
foot of Fourth street shortly before 10
o'clock, where a patrol wagon from the
central station and the city hospital abb
bulance were waiting to take the injured
to the hospital. Bowers and Welton, the
two most seriously injured, were lifted
| by willing hands from the car to the con-
veyanees, and the other four men were
/ able to go to the Sherman house, where
| they laid in for repairs.
Welton did not appear to be very Se-s
rieusly injured, as he was with assist
! ance able to walk to the ambulance.
Bowers was evidently in great pain, and
| his face was on one side burned almost
| to crisp, and his beard was nearly all
burned off. Besides this he received an
| ugly looking wound in the head and was
suffering internally. The other five men
of the party bore very visible evidences
| of the accident. Barnes and Allen both
could only with difficulty walk to the
hotel
Charles w. Allen, of Webster City, was
in charge of ten cars of horses, shipped
by him from Deer Lodge, Mont, to Thuet
Bros, South St. Paul, and with the ex-
ception Of Mr.. Bowers the men were his
employees. Discussing the accident, he
! said:
! MR. ALIENS STORY.
1--WE were all standing up in the ca
boose with our valises In our hands, wait
| ing to get off the train. The first I heard
| was a terrific crash, followed by grind
/ ing Of timbers, and 1 saw two by four
! beam coming my way. l reached out my
! hand and forced it upwards, and it
passed over my head. With the other
! hand I held up the stove, then the llg ats
went out. John Bowers, who got on the
| train at Clear Lake with car Of hogs
| for South st. Paul, was under the stove,
and Welton was also pirioEed benaath. l
came next, and on top of me was FGtt-
| bach who weighs abGut 20) pounds.
/ Barnes .mmed ately broke out wind w
near where we were lying, and Fettpacn'
| myself and Barnes all crawled cut tne
window 1 could scarcely see anytbllg
as it was very dark and long tiine
/ before we were able to secure lantern
/ from the trainmen of the pass niger
train The blood from the cut In my
| head srickled over my face. We s cured
q couple Of axes and got Welton cut, ana
Bowers was taken out of the wrecked
| caboose q few minutes later, unconscious
| and l supposed he was dead. Dr. hich,
| escn fixed up cur wounds. after we hao
waited q long time, but l wat TO say
/ tbat tha railroad people seemed to lose
their heads and we were out there lor
two hours before anything was done
towards getting us doWn town.
CABOOSE IN SPLlNTERS.
eft Is hard TO tell just how the accident
bannened. except as l have relat-d 1t.
THE engine Of the passenger ploWed right
through the caboose and one car OF
horses There is not any more Oh inc
caboose left than rabbit, AMI my nead
rested against the side of 1ead hoise
The passenger locomotive frcm wuat
could see of 1t in the dark seeme1 PREY
hadlv smashed up. l don't knew now
MANY horses were killed, ara l DsneNe
tbat onlv one car was derailed.
"I live at Webster City, To-, ana ihe
injured men, except Mr.. Bowers were
my men. .a,-an out
low with his face against the hot stove,
which is responsible for his burns. Inc Inc
shock made him unconscious ana nc ia, ias
In that position until we couiu So s.,,,,
~ washed his face with water from
tho little creek that runs along the sioe
Of ot' the railway and this seemed to bring
LII tn