The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-09-06
LOSS OF LIFE IS HEAVY
GREAT NORTHERN WRECK AT
NYACk, MON, ONE OF THE
WORST KNOWN.
FIFTY ARE REPORTED DEAD

a Freight Train Crashes Into a Pas.
senger With Fearful Results-car
Containing Laborers and General
Superintendent Downs Private
Coach Are DemoIshed-Wreck
Catches on Fire and Victims Burn.
Spokane, Wash, Sept. 2.-Passen-
gers on the Great Northern train that
was wrecked near Nyack, Mon, claim
that there were 60 laborers in one of
the cars that was wrecked, every seat
being filled and three men standing
up. Only 13 escaped from this car.
This would make the number of dead
30. All reports show that the wreck
was the worst in the roads history
and one Of the most terrible in the
annals of American railroading. At
least "a lives were lost and 10 persons
were injured. Three of the injured
will surely die and the others were
seriously hurt.
By strenuous and heroic efforts Is
Of the bodies were taken from the
were cremated, including Division Su.
perintendent Downs and his son, T.
Kirk Downs.
There is a heavy grade near the
scene of the wreck. Two engines had
taken a train of % freight cars up
this grade and drawn off to take water.
While doing this all the % cars start
ed down the grade and crashed into
the rear of passenger train near the
siding at Nyack. superintendent
Downs private car was attached to
the passenger and next to it was
day coach filled with railroad labor
ers, mostly ScandinaVians, from Du-
luth. AS the runaway train sped Dy
the switch it struck cabooSe and day
coach on the siding, krecking them.
Fire Immediately started from the oil
lamps in the caboose. The point
where the wild train crashed into the
passenger was several hundred feet
away and II was two and half hours
before the flames reached the main
wreck. Meanwhile frantic efforts
were made to take out
The Dead and Injured.
The wreck was piled high and wedged
into almost hopeless confusion, and in
spite of superhuman efforts the flames
burst through the wrecked cars before
the work was completed. j. H. Blair,
colored, cook in Mr.. Downs car, was
taken out alive, but died in few min
utes. 1t was impossible to get at the
bodies OF superintendent Downs and
son.
Mr.. Downs car and that Of the la
borers was smashed into kidding wood.
The occupants of the private car met
instant death. The debris and shingles
and lumber of the freight cars burned
like finder. The train crew was
forced back from its work Of rescue
by the flames. One man penetrated
as far as the private car, where he
saw the bodies of Mr.. Downs and his
son and from which he dragged the
body of the cook. In the laborers'
car many Of the 46 occupants were
30 pinned in that they could not be
reached and they burned to death be-
fore the eyes O. the spectators. The
fire was so fierce that the rear sleep
er could not be saved, though 1t had
not left the track. It's occupants were
hurried into forward cars, which were
hauled out Of the reach of the fire.
The flames extended to the brush
alongside the track and burned the
telegraph poles. A wire broke and
this, followed by a storm, greatly re-
tarded telegraphic news of the wreck.
The first message sent went to Kalis-
pell, whence the wrecker and all doc
tors in that town were ordered to the
scene. The injured were given every
attention and as soon as possible the
train, with it's gruesome burden of
dead, dying and injured, was taken to
Kalispell