Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-07-27
FATAL WRECK IN WEST,
SUN KINKS DERAIL FAST MAIL AS
IT LEAVES THE CAMDEN
(WASH.) TUNNEL.
NINE PERSONS ARE DEAD,
Fire RACES in Cars Which We're Not Sub.
merged in Water-Train Ran at
Fearful Speed.

SPOKANE, Wash. July 24.-At least
nine lives were lost, seven persons We're
seriously injured and a score of Others
sustained cuts and bruises in wreck
of the fast mail train on the Great
Northern, a mile and a quarter east of
Camden, Wash, thirty-fve miles east
of Spokane, late yesterday afternoon
The locomotive, mail, baggage and smoll
ing cars left the rails on emerging from
a tunnel, and plunging over the 1O-foot
embankment were submerged in the wa
.ers of Diamond lake.
Sun Kinks Cause Disaster.
Spreading rails, probably caused by
sun kinks, is given as the cause.
The dead:
MUNsoN, N. EDWARD, engineer, Hill
BELL, FRANK, fireman, Hillyard;
BANNER, CHARLES, mail clerk Spo
STRICKLAND, GEORGE r., express
messenger.
CURTICE, GEORGE HOWARD, Spokane,
DOLBOW, T. J. Spokane.
UNIDENTIFIED NAN, at Buchanan's I'M
dertaking rooms; has brown mustache and
wears an Odd Fellow pin: cr
TWO BODIES UNDER WREChAGE.
Among the seriously injured:
John Lord, Seattle, actor, left hand cut
face bruised and back hurt. ,..,.
Walter N. Ross, news agent, Seattle
Henry Byoeum, Minot N. D., badly
burned and hurt internally.
Fire Adds to Horror.
Immediately after the smoker struck
the water there was a binding flash,
which spread over the part of the car
not submerged and a fire followed.
The impact was so terrific that several
cars on the rear of the train were
wrenched and twisted, and the tact that
the coupling did not break on the dining,
tourist and sleeping cars was the only
thing that averted even greater loss OF
life.
May Be Submerged 800 Feet.
Engineer Munson and Firemen Bel
evidently stuck to their posts, and 1t Is
believed too, that the locomotive IS IL
from 100 to 800 feet of water OF Dla-
mond lake. Two divers made half doz-
en- attempts to find the locomotive, but
they were not successful.
W. S. zimmerman, a contractor for
construction work on the Oregon Ran
way & Navigation company, broke
through a window to escape from the
burning and half submerged smoker.
Mr.. zimmerman said: I'VE were COM
ing at fearful speed through the tun-
mel and we passengers We're al! wonder
ing if the engineer had lost his senses,
driving at that rate Of speed with a
sharp curve ahead. | think we must
surely have been going forty-hYe miles
an hour"
Official Story of Wreck.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, July PA state,
ment covering the facts regarding the
wreck near Camden, Wash, yesterday
as reported to headquarters, was given
out from the office of General Superln-
tendent Slade of the Great Northern
railway today as follows:
Train No. 3, engine No $50, left the track
at the west end OF the tunnel, one and one.
half miles east of Camden, Wash, ana
ninety miles east of Spokane. The engine
and mail car went into the lake and are
out of sight. The baggage car also went
into the lake, but is merely submerged De-
low the surface.
Engineer Munson, Fireman Bell Baggage
man Strickland, Mail Clerk Charles banners
and one passenger, George E. Curtis of Spo'
kane, were drowned.
The following were injured: T. J. Del
bow, Edward Newcomb, c. ]. McHills,
James Durbin, Thomas Wainch, Luker Mil,
inkeobic, all of Spokane, and John Lord and
Wife Seattle Elmer Hill of Colfax, Wash,
were injured. Three others also received
slight bruises.
The gac tank under the mail car exploded
and set fire to the first class coach, but the
fire was eXtinguished by the train crew and
passengers. The tourist and diner dropped
off the rails but the sleeper remained on.
A relief train with phyicians was on the
scene III forty-five minutes and the passcn
gers were transferred and taken to SpO-
kane, where the injured are resting easily
None was fatally hurt. The cause of the
derailment has not been learned.