Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-02-17

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Wreck.---- Thr{
FIRE ADDS TO HORROR
Passengers Rescued from Burning
Cars and Narrowly Escape. !.
Burning TO Death.
The. lives OF three men are blotted
out and q fourth still lies at the Frost
hospital In this city as the result of
railway collision at Pennock last
Thursday night. The accident was
one Of the worst ever recorded in the
history OF the Great Northern. Luck
lily tho list OF fatalities was not large,
but tho accident was of such nature
that it seems a miracle that the loss OF
life was not greater.
AS near as can be learned, the ter
rible catastrophe happened about 9:55.
Coast train No. 3, known as the Puget
Sound Express, had passed through
Willmsr few min utes late. Pennock
being what is known in railroad cir
cles as q Tag" station for the Flyer,
no stop was made there, as no signal
had been given to stop for either re.
eeivipg or discharging passengers,
and the train whizzed through the sta
ton. 1t was discovered, however, sf-
tor passing Pennock, that q couple OF
passengers were bound for that place,
and when the train had proceeded
about . quarter of mile from the
west switch, orders were given to back
up to the station to allow the passen-
gers to get Off. Freight train No. 256,
which was due In Willmar at O'Clock,
WAS standing on q side track when the
coast train sped through. Thinking
that the main track was clear, tho
freight crew had turned the switch pre-
psratory to backing up and proceed
ing to this city. On came the passen-
ger train and without q moments
warning crashed into the rear end of
the side-tracked freight, which was at
the time standing With the caboose
CLARA to the sviteh The force sof the
collision was such that the caboose.
was telescoped by the rear car OF the
coast train, which was q sleeper, and
WAS completely demolished.
The scene that followed was an aw-
ful one. In the caboose were four
passengers, all travelling men, and the
human freight was pinnacled in the
debris while suffering from more or
less serious injuries. Fire soon broke
out on account Of the overturned stove
and lamps and the darg ger OF the in
jured being cremated added to the
horror of the scene. c. D. Wilson,
the rear-end brakeman, was in the Gu
pola of the caboose when the crash
came, and miraculously escaped with
slight injuries. Through his heroism
three OF the passengers, who had been
rendered helpless, were saved from An
awful death by the flames, which were
soon enveloping the debris, while .
fourth one managed to escape unaided
and climbed out on top Of the sleeping
car. Brakeman Wilson cut his way
out and unaided dragged out the three
victims who afterwards lost their lives
a. the result of the injuries received.
The injured were taken to places OF
safety and cared for as we'll az could
be under the circumstances until other
assistance arrived. They were:
William 81. Hill, travelling salesman
for Geo. r. Newell s. Co.,, Of Mime
apolis; right leg crushed and Internal
ly injured.
Edgar I. Heifner, Of Minneapolis,
travelling agent for the Challenge
Windmill and Feedmill Co., of Batar
via, ILL.,; scalp cut from ear to ear,
face so badly cut as to render identid'
cation difficult, and internally injured
also su ffering from severe injury tc
back.
Clarence G. Hanscome, of St. Peter
travelling salesman for the St. Peter
Furniture Co.; internally injured
both legs badly buised and right foo,
crushed, also severely injured in lowe,
part of abdomen.
A. J. Sethney, OF Twin v alley, travel
ing salesman for the Gangelhoff Bed
ding Co. of Minneapolis; badly in
iured In spine, compound fracture o
third finger of left hand, severel.
bruised and also suffering from burns
All OF the injured were more or les
marked with cuts and bruises and als'
suffered from burns. The mig ht beinl
bitterly cold, much suffering resulted
from exposure.
While the work OF rescue was goinl
on from the caboose there was will
scene on tho passenger train. tn
: passengers hsd sll received quite [
shaking up, but no injuries we're re
ported. In the sleeper were many VIII
: had retired for the night, number Q
them being women and children, an
calls for help soon brought the train
mon and also the passengers from th
other coaches. The sleeping CO