Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1906-12-27
II KILLED, Al INJURED
In Railroad Wreck, and Great Loss of Life on the
500. Enderlin q Morgue.

..>' =
Sunday morning about 2:3O a. n. a
terrible wreck occurred on the 500
at the station of Enderlin, about 20 ,
miles southeast of Valley City. The
south bound passenger train ran into
switch engine which was standing
on the main track near the station.
The passenger train was three hours
late, and, it is said, the Djght vas
foggy and the engineer did not see
the switch engine. The passenger
train crashed into the switch engine
with great force. The smoking car
and the baggage car telescoped, and
it is said that nearly everyone in the
smoker was more or less injured, if
not killed. At last reports II persons
were killed by the wreck, and Al in
jured.
The company did everything
, possible, summoning physicians and
nurses from the adjoining towns to
, attend the injured. The city hall was
used as a morgue. -Four physicians
left Valley City Sunday morning
as soon after the accident as possible.
There is a private hospital at Ender-
lin which vas used for the care Ct the
Injured. 1t is said that two more
have died since the first reports and
that others will no DOUBT die, as
their Injuries are serious.
There are conflicting reports as to
the reason the switch engine was in
the way of the passenger: one is that
it had been switching freight cars at
the station, and that the air was not
working we'll. The ioggy night pte-
vented the engineer of the passenger
from seeing the brakeman sent on
ahead to flag the coming train. The
} steam from the switch engine also
concealed 1t from the passenger en-
gineer. The passenger train was
crowded with people going to the
TWIN ";+ine md tho oaet TO spend the
holidays.
Details OF The Enderlin accident
shows that only two passengers, who
were in the smoker, escaped injury.
The car was crowded. and Jas the
whistle had just sounded for Enderlin,
almost everybody in the car was
standing when the crash came.
AS the accident was so near the
station, help was quickly at hand.
Many of the citizens turned out and
worked all night.
The small hospital was soon filled
and the Hotel Hilton was converted
into an emergency hospital.
The regular night switch crew was
J; engaged in making up a freight train
to send east. The string of cars was
too long for the side track in the yards,
and the engine which was at the west
end of the cars, backed into the main
line to get more room.
! Itgot directly in front of the passen'
ger, and the engineer of No. LOG had
no time to stop before the crash came
The coroners jury placed the blame
for the accident on the switching crew
'of the freight train, who were negli'
gent in taking the necessary precau-
tions to stop the passenger train. The
|evidence showed that the freight en-
gineer, the yard master and the flag
man were all new men in the service.
The fagman swore that he placed
torpedoes on the track and walked a
mile making a mile and half from
the station; that he swung his lantern
across the track but the engineer did
not pay any attention TO him. Engin-
eer Ganther OF the passenger train
swore the 1agman was not ten car
lengths from the freight engine when
the accident occurred. ...,
: Eight bodies were taken dead from
the smoking car, and none OF
the passengers In any other
car were injured and neither were the
baggagemen or mail clerks. The bag.
gage car swept backward over the floor
OF the smoker, breaking sea5s and
crowding the passengers to the rear Of
the coach. Some we're pinned down
/ to the floor under seats, others were
lifted up over them. One passenger
extinguished the light in the only lamp
], remaining lighted and the stove did
Z not set are to any thing. Both engtn-
eers and hrenen jumped in time and
\. none Of The train crew were hurt. The
/ engines were wrecked, but only the
mail taupape and smoking cars were