The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1901-11-15
FATAL COLLISION
Engineer Michael DOnar and
Brak cman Bird Lose their
Lives i'm Railroad Wreck

at COrrelI

s
A terrible railroad accident
occurred at the little town of
Correll, last Monday night about
g o'clock, in which Engineer
Michael Doner, who is well
known in Milbank. having lived
here for a number of years be-
fore the division was moved
from Milbank, was killed, as was
also Brakeman Bird who was a
resident of Montevideo. Donar
was one of the oldest engineers
on the road and it is said has been
running an engine for 35 years
on the Milwaukee lines. Since
leaving Milbank he has been liv-
ing in Minneapolis where his
wife and son reside. His regu
lar run was on the east end of
the line, but he was ordered to
the west end for the special
freight which he was pulling
when he met his death. The
front train was in charge of Con.
ductor Crooker. The following
account of the disast ter is taken
from the Aberdeen News:
Donar was pulling a heavy extra
east, following another extra. He had
orders to look out for the train ahead,
which stopped at Correll to switch.
The head train was standing with it's
caboose in front of the depot, while
the crew was switching in the yard.
The rear train was running under a
full head of steam and tore into the
station without Stacking speed in the
least. The engineer was in his place
on the seat of the cab. The fireman
was busy with the coal and noted
neither the tagging nor the condition
of the engineer. Brakeman Bird was
on the front end of the train. Seeing
that something was wrong with the
engineer, who appeared to be asleep
or dead, and that the train must be
stopped quick or the men in the cab
warned to jump to avert an awful ac-
cident. Bird jumped down on the
tender, warned the fireman to leap,
which he did, and attempted to arouse
the engineer. His heroic efforts were
too late, however, for before he had
accomplished his object the engine
and heavy train crashed into the ca
boose of the head train and both the
engineer and brakeman were killed.
Bird bravely sacrificed his life to
save the engineer and fireman. He
could easily have jumped from the
train and left the other men to their
fate. Bird was caught between the
\ l. g.
being crushed fat AS the mornings
passenger train ran around the wreck
passengers and train men saw in the
moonlight the ghastly spectacle of the
dead herO's head and shoulders stand
ing straight up abovethe debris, his
removal from the wreck having been
impossible up to that time.
Engineer Donar is said to have
lived few moments after the collision
and to have moved his hand in recog-
nition of some of the tra;nmen who
approached him. 1t is therefore con-
sidered probable that he fell asleep in
his cab and was still asleep when the
crash came.
The wreck resulted in the destruction
of seven or eight cars of grain, be-
sides the locomotive and the caboose.
The debris covered the station plat
form and the operator had to dig his
way through the mass to get into the
! depot. He was outside when the col
lision occurred. Fortunately for the
| trainmen of the first extra, they were
| all out in the yards switching and
there was nobody in the caboose al
the time. The wreck having taken
place on the main track, traffic was
not delayed, the switches in the yards
at Correll allowing trains to rur
| around the wreck.