The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1902-09-05

$50 p. M. rain was, pouring straight
down with no wind; I opened my
window to wave goodbye to friends
and was just closing it when the
wind and rain began to beat on the
south side of the car. Some one re-
marked the storm was getting no
better, very fast. Then from the
window at my side l saw great
black cloud sinking toward the track
some distance hey ond; and knew
we were going into it's midst. I
was not frightened for I had been
assured that cyclones did not swoop
down during q hard rain. know
more about cyclones and wrecks
now. The instruction was. applied
very vigorously by the element.
Reports differ. as to the speed of the
train. Il do not know the rate but
in all my travelling I never speed
over q road so fast. In less than
fifteen minutes after leaving
Owatonna, we entered a cloud more
deadly than the one the old rhyme
says Chilled and killed the beauti-
full Annable Lee" Then the
great gust of wind, driving rain on
the south side, the sound Of break
ing timber, a lurch to the north, a
bump, a crash of glass, a medley of
shrieks, and like Darius Green, I
felt that had lit and for aninstant
it seemed that the whole interior
Of tie car was on my left side; I had
almost despaired OF lifting the seat
cushion when the weight above
lightened. I was then able to rush
away some Of the debris, and scram-
bled to my. feet, surprised beyond
measure to find myself alive and
able to move. The north side
of the car received the full force of
the wpeck. You have heard how it
tipped to the north, was lifted from
the trucks and thrown down an en-
bankment. Those of US able to move
walked On the window castings clear
ing away the loose pieces to find the
victims underneath. Miss Richard
son from New Ulm stood q few feet
from my seat; weeping over the
PROSTATE form of ner sister who
died in a few hours. The grief of
the poor mother Mrs. Peterson
whose five year old boy fell through
q window and under the car was
the most heart-rending thing in the
horrible scene. The ones who
seemed to feel the terror of the
situation most keenly were those
who escaped severe physical injury.
Some of them cried 80 pitifully that
a stranger coming upon the ground
would have thought them nearly
killed. One of the uninjured women
a teacher on her way to her school
proved ver1bable good Samaritan.
It was her calm helpfulness which
the stricken mother and
sister before doctors and nurses
arrived. Few, if any of the sufferers
know her name; but her cheerful
word, tender hands, and quiet
figure moving from one to another
cannot be forgotten. When the
rescue train arrived at Waseca at
10. Pm. the drenched .pain-stricken
victims were met by many friends
never seen before but not the less
kind, who cared for us until we
could be removed. As DR. Cummings
helped me to a carriage my dress
brushed pair of little feet extend
ed from track; and.1 knew that
Mrs. Peterson had found all that
was left of her little boy. These
details are too distressing to tell.
There is brighter side even to this
Had the lamps been
lighted, the trap would have burned
before any one could have been
released, or had the cars telescoped,
death and pain would have been
more terrific. am truly grateful
Tor an almost miraculous escape.
1 feel under many obligations to
the Dr.. and the kind friends who
heled mo 50 wellAand have especial
reason for gratitude 10 Mrs. Fred
Day-formerly Miss Jean Latham q