Willmar tribune., 1903-10-07
NARROWLY ESCAPE DEATH

NARROWLY ESCAPE Death
John Costello and Peter Olson Buried
Beneath Falling Boarding Shack
and Are Severely Injured.
A boarding shack which was being
unloaded at Kandiyohi station from
q fat car last Monday morning fell
upon John Costello and Peter Olson,
and SO badly injured them that for q
time It was feared that their injuries
would be fatal. Mr.. Costello now
lies at his home in this city suffering
from q fractured leg, besides severe
sprains in his back, several scalp
wounds and sprained knee Joint.
Mr.. Olson is at the Frost hospital,
where he is suffering from confusion
OF the breast and it is feared he is
hurt Internally. His shoulders, chest
and other parts of the body were more
or less bruised. At this writing the
patients are doing as we'll as can be
expected. They are under tho care of
Drs.. E. s. and Harold Frost.
John Costello is the well-known
foreman Of the Willmar railroad
yards, and among his other duties
oversees the work of the section crew.
Peter Olson is a section laborer. On
Monday morning train load of ties
and other material, including couple
of boarding shacks, were being taken
down the line by the working crew
for distribution at different points.
One shack was to be placed at Kandi-
yoh1 station and the other at Long
Lake. 1t was about nine O'Clock,
while the crew was at work at Kandi-
yohl, that the accident took place.
Olson was near Costello and assisting
him In the transferring of the shack
from the car. Costello was utilizing
fence board to steady the different
sections as they were being removed.
All but one of the eight stakes on that
side of the car had been removed to
facilitate the work of transferring.
Just as the workmen were about to
slide off the large section, over it top
pied, striking Costello and Olson and
burying them beneath it's weight. The
one stake that remained on the car
was the only thing that prevented the
entire shack from falling down upon
them and it was to this, Mr.. Costello
says, that he owed his life, as he.
would have been crushed to death.
He was placed in such a position that.
his left foot became doubled up and
he severely sprained the knee Joint.
we'll as suffering a fracture q little
below the knee. He was struck on
the head and back and received sew
eral gashes. It was a few moments
before he could be extricated and he
was almost suffocated when released.
Olson, who had fallen down few feet
away, was discovered lying in a dou-
bled up position, with his face close
to the ground. He was suffering
mostly from an injured chest.
The injured men were placed in a
caboose on light extra which pulled
in from the east shortly after the &C.
cident, and brought to Willmar with
all possible speed for treatment. Mr..
Costello was taken to his home and
Mr.. Olson was brought to the Frost
hospital. Drs. Frost attended to their
injuries and made them as comfort
able as possible.
Olson will be remembered as being
one of the victims in the ice house &C.
cident some time ago when he was in
jured by the falling of q huge chunk
OF sawdust, and at which time he was
also laid up for some time. he has q
large family who reside in the section
house and whose circumstances are
not of the best.
Mr.. Costello in relating the nature
of the accident informed the writer
that this is the first injury he has re-
ceived since he entered the service of
the Great Northern in 1870, so he con-
siders himself quite fortunate up to-
this time. He had, however, been the
victim OF several accidents previous.
to that in which he suffered the frac-
ture of both arms and his right leg.
His left arm and right leg were broken
while in the army service and the
right arm was fractured previous to-
that. 49,, -, ...
Mr.. Costello Was formerly employed
on the Great Northern in the capacity
OF roadmaster, but chose the present
iposition so - to enable him to be at
his home in this city oftener.
| An accident befell another member
Of the section crew previous to the
above mentioned accident. Herman
johnson, while assisting in the dis
tributing Of ties on the way TO Kandi-
Eyohi, had finger 90 badly pinched
by . tie falling on Il that it was neces-