The Mankato free press., 1905-02-17
Engine Runs off of An Open
Switch at Caroline.
Engineer States That the Sig
nails Were Wrong.
Nobody Hurt, and Track Cleared
This Afternoon.
From Saturdays Daily.

Passenger train No. 43 on the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul road, which left
the station in this city last evening at
1885 o'clock going north, ran off of the
track because of an open D rail at Carl
line station. The train was in charge of
Conductor Thomas Murphy, and Engi
neer Shattuck held the throttle. There
were three coaches and baggage car,
but there were very few passengers on
board
The train was going along at the
speed which it usually does when it
crosses the Omaha track at Caroline,
when the engine suddenly bumped on
the ties. The engineer reversed and ap
piled the air brakes and the train was
almost Immediately brought to stand
still Fortunately no one was injured.
The engine went partly over upon
it's side, resting at an angle, but the
tender went entirely over. The cars
all remained in an upright condition,
but the wheels of all We're off the rails
except one truck of the baggage car.
The sudden stopping of the train evil
IDENTIFY caused the coaches to bump
violently and the trucks to jump the
rails.
The south bound Omaha train arrived
in few moments and was stopped and
took all of the passengers of the wreck
ed train on board and brought them
back to the city, where most of them re-
manned over night.
The wrecking outfit was ordered up
from Austin, and arrived at four o'clock
this morning. 1t took practically all
day to get the train back on the track,
and it was nearly four o'clock this af-
ternoon before traffic could be resumed.
The evening train from the north, due
at 9:3O p. M, was held at Kasota.
No. 43 was due to leave Mankato at
7:l5 p. M, but was twenty minutes
late. Caroline station is about six
miles north of the city, and the inter-
locking switch there is operated by a
man in tower. This man is in the
employ of the Omaha road.
Engineer Shattuck states that there
was no light on the D rail, as there
should have been, and that the distance
signal was clear Had there been a
light on the d rail he could have MOTTO
ed whether the rail was open. The D
rail is used to prevent accidents. If
two trains are approaching at the same
time, the opening of the track for one
automatically arranges the rails on the
other track so that the train on that
track is derailed. However, the signal
lights should indicate this. 1t would
appear from the statement of Mr.. Shat
tuck that the tower man opened the
track for the Omaha train, while leav-
ing the lights so as to indicate to the
Milwaukee engineer that the track was
open for his train.
The car referred to as a baggage car
was in reality combination baggage
and mail car. When it struck the ties
the stove in the baggage compartment
was tipped over and set fire to the car,
but the flames were quickly extinguish-
ed before much damage was done. None
of the baggage was injured, and the
damage to the car was very slight.
Chief Donahue went out to see the
wreck this forenoon. He states that the
ground at that point is practically level.
The engine went about 100 feet from
the end of the derail. The tender and
baggage car and one coach went off of
the derail. The tender may be in shape
to allow the trains to pass, the engine
can hardly be gotten up today, as it is
ten feet from the track and imbedded
in sand.