Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-03-29
A FATAL ACCIDENT.
Bernard Carr, Well Known North
western Brakeman, the Victim.

bernard Carr, a popular Irelgnt
brakeman on the Northwestern
road who was commonly known
among his host of friends and as
sociates as Barney, met an awful
death in the railroad yards here at
about 6 p. m. Friday.
The train on which he was rear
brakeman is the regular freight
that runs into Lancaster from
Madison six days each week and is
known as No. 1877. Conductor L..
G. Phinney of this city was in
charge, while Eng1neman Eugene
Miller was at the throttle. Chas.
Benoy, also Of Lancaster, was fire.
man and Erwin Robinson of Madi-
son was the head brakeman.
The train is due here at 4:20 but
was late as usual and did not arrive
until about six. The evening pas
senger was due and the freight
crew was anxious to get on the side
track before the passenger arrived.
A means of making haste in SINH
lar circumstances has for years been
in vogue here, and the move in
railway terms is called a flying
switch" Tt is accomplished by the
engine leaving the train while in
motion and being thrown to an
other track, after which the switch
man reverses the lever and the train
now free from the engine is trans
ferred to the siding and stopped
wherever desired.
Brakeman Carr was the RESPONSE
bic party, whose railroad expert
ence of nearly fifteen years had
made him an expert at the trick of
manipulating this flyswitch prob
lem, who went forward from his
place in the caboose to the engine
to cut the connection at the proper
time. From his position on the
board of the tender he un-
coupled the engine and gave En-
gineman Miller the signal to run
ahead, which he did. The brake
mans next move is to drop from
the engine and board the head car
of the train. It was while endeav-
oring to accomplish this feat that
unfortunate Barney Carr sacrificed
his life. With one hand supporting
himself it is supposed that he fell
while trying to gain access to the
ladder on the side OF the car. 1t
is customary with railroad employees
to ride on the brake beam of the
trucks, han ing to the draw bar of
the patent coupler. Some cars are
not so constructed however; that is,
the brake beam on some are not &C
cessible. The car that Barney
boarded was one of the latter
kind and it was simply an almost
impossible feat to find a place of
safety unless the ladder could be
gained. The unfortunate man des-
perately fought against the newt
able, but chances were against 'him
/, and one of his feet in dangling was
caught under the cruel car wheels
and his body was pulled to the rail.
The entire train of nine cars and
the caboose passed over his body
and the remains were horribly
mutilated. The head was all but
severed and the trunk of the body
was so mashed that but little of il
remained. But one person wit.
messed the poor fellow as he fell be-
meath the wheels. That was Bryon
Long, young son of L. G. Long,
who happened to be near and saw
the catastrophe. He gave the
alarm to Ed Brinkman, oaggeman
at the depot, who was switching
the train ahead, and about this time
Engineman Miller missed the brake
man and was sure he had fell. Con.
ductor Phinney was in the caboose
and knew nothing of the circum.
stances until informed by Mr..
Brinkman, and he was nearly over.
come by the awful shock.
The news of the accident was
telephoned down town and scores
of people fastened to the scene
Undertaken Rhodes was summoned,
as was also Justice Wheeler. Upon
arriving the latter lmpaneled a
jury and the remains were viewed,
after which the undertaken careful.
ly placed them on stretcher.
Mrs. Frank Horton, wife OF
Brakeman Horton, upon learning
of the accident, Hospitality offered
her home IN tue first ward as a
place to convey the remains. The
dead brakeman had for years
stopped at the Philips house while
here, but this being so public a
place it was deemed best to get