The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-06-27
five Men KILLED.
NORTHERN PACIFIC PASSENGER
TRAINS COLLIDE AT ALDRICH,
MINNESOTA.
Two MORE ARE EXPECTED TO DIE.
THIRTY-ONE EMPLOYEES AND PAS.
SENGERS SUSTAIN IN
JURIES.
Two MORE ARE EXPECTED TO DIE
CAUSE OF WRECK NOT KNOWN
NOTHING DEVELOPED THAT WOULD
FIX BLAME ON ANY EN-.
PLOYE.

were killed and thrty-one employees
ana passengers were injured at 9
O'Clock yesterday morning in a head
end collision On the Northern Pacific
read 1T Aldrich, a meeting point three
miles east of Staples, Mimi Two of
those that are included in the list of
1rJured-E. c. Schultz, engineer, and
Harry thinner, head brakeman-are
expected to die.
The Dead.
Fred w. Moeller ST. Paul, express
messenger.
John W. Mobiles, St. Paul, conductor.
George Rasmussen. Staples, fireman.
Walter Scott, Staples, engineer.
Dan Kennedy, section laborer, Glad
stone, N. D.
Seriously Injured.
H. Montgomery, fireman, leg badly
crushed.
Erne Schultz, Staples, engineer,
crushed and hurt internally; will die.
j. S. Gibson, st. Paul, express mes
senger, bruised and cut.
Harry thinner, Hammond. Ind, head
brakeman. crushed and injured inter-
nally; will die.
F. E. Mcbride, mail clerk. st. Paul,
head cut, arm sprained and severely
bruised.
w. F. Haggard, ST. Paul, express mes
senger. right leg bruised, back
wrenched by fall.
H. Gaver, Minnea polls, passenger,
back badly wrenched and severely
bruised.
Engineer Schultz is in the, Brainerd
hospital with both legs broken. an arm
torn and crushed and severe cuts about
the head. He stuck to his post and
went down
Under the Wrccknge.
Engineer Walter Scott, dead. is
buried under his engine on the siding
and his body has not been found. Both
firemen remained at their posts. one
losing his life for his bravery and the
other is at the point of death with
his leg crushed to a pulp.
Although a searching investigation
was inaugurated at once it is doubted
If the cause of the wreck, which was
one of the most disastrous on the
Northern Pacific since a passenger
train was wrecked near Brainerd nine
years ago and the members of the
Andrews Opera company either killed
or manned, will ever be known. Moth
ing has developed which would fasten
the blame on any of the employees. and
the men who might have explained the
disaster are dead.
Told by n Messenger.
w. H. Phillips of st. Paul, express
messenger on one of the wrecked
trains. told the following story Of the
disaster late yesterday afternoon upon
arriving in St. Paul from Staples with
others who were hurt and delayed
passengers:
Train No. {. which left ST. Paul on
Thursday evening, put into siding
at point three miles east of Staples
to meet out train. No. s. east-bound
from Fargo and Mandan. was in
the express car. but as we approached
the meeting point. leaned we'll out of
The door to see the other train. I saw
lights ahead and thought the switch
lights showed everything clear. I do
rot remember distinctly on this point,
because I was not thinking of the
lights. A second later there came
4 Horrible Crash
and grinding and I was thrown the
length of the car. striking on my head.
do not know what happened after
that. I saw Engineer Schultz waving
his arms and shouting like a crazy
man. Then he tainted. It all hap
Iened in an instant. We were flying
along at about thirty-tllree miles an
hour when the crash came. Then ev
e'ything was pandemonium. The
lights went out and afterward fire
broke out in the wreckage."
The accepted conclusion is that the
east bound passenger train struck an
open switch and was carried upon the
siding, into the waiting west bound
train. Officials are informed. however.
that the switch was found closed after
the wreck, IS Mr.. Taylor stated, and
locked. besides. They are not able to
explain this strange fact. being equal
~ unwilling to believe that it would
have been possible to close the switch
after the wreck with q train lying
across it. or that the east-bound train
could have taken the siding with the
switch closed. No satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION has yet been found.