The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-04-12
nan freight, into the ditch.

man Ifelgnt, l1to the ditch.
The dead are George McPartridge,
fireman.
Two tramps, identified by letters
upon their persons as Mervyn Thomp
son and Mike Dunn, loggers.
One Greek laborer, name unknown.
The injured are: Engineer Fred g.
Schilke, left leg broken and foot crush
ed.
James P. Graham, mail clerk, arm
broken.
I. W. Oren, mail clerk. head cut
and injured in the body.
Unknown Chinaman, mouth crushed
and lack broken.
The East Oregonian says the grade
was washed out or undermined, allow.
ing the engine to plunge into the soft
dirt when the track gave away.
The engine turned completely around
and turned over, and is now lying
against the bank, pilot pointed east
ward. with the rear end of the boiler
in the waters of the Umatilla river.
the tank, which was detached, is also
lying in the river, the mail, baggage
and express cars are badly wrecked
and the smoker is standing at right
angles to the track, with the front
end crushed into kindling wood.
The engine is complete wreck, all
the pipes, domes and fittings being
stripped from it and the machinery
warped and bent in terrible manner.
The cars behind the smoker are not
damaged aud while the passengers
in the rear cars were badly shaken no
one was seriously injured in any of
them. The, Greek who met death when
the crash came was lying with CON-
panion in the front seat on the upper
or right hand side of the smoking Cal
and when that corner of the smoker
was torn off by striking the baggage
car ahead, the Greek was crushed to
death in the corner. The injured
Chinaman and his companion were
sitting on the front seat and he was
caught in the wreck of the front end
of the car.
R. R. Collins of Freewater, was sit
ting opposite the Greeks on the lower
side of the car, but escaped without a
scratch. He said he was certain that
two Greeks were killed in the smash
In that corner of the smoker but the
trainmen thiuk but one was killed.
Engineer Fred Schilke, who was il
charge of the wrecked engine, wa
unhurt except for having his left lei
broken and his foot crushed, and toll
a graphic story of the wreck.
"We were running about 16 or /
miles per hour and was just begin
ming to use steam after swingiu
through the low flats west of Thor
Hollow" said Mr.. Schilke. 81 fe.
the front end of the engine lurch AM
sink down and then I remem bere
nothing, more until 1 found mysel
sliding down the EN- bankment towar
the Umatilla river. | do not knO'
how l escaped from the cab, but SUI
pose that the lurch threw me out G
the window. l have no idea as t
what caught my foot and leg, for wa
dazed and did not know how | fell. "
"The last saw of my fireman b
was sitting on his side of the cab. al
ter putting in few shovels of Goa
The washout was on curve and
could not see it and noticed nothin
wrong with the track. The sudde
lurch of the front end of the engin
was my first warning"
Mr.. Schilke is one of the Oldest me
in the service on the Mountain div
zion and is a careful and successfu
engineman. Fireman McPartridR
was 28 years of age. unmarried an
had been on the La Grande divisio
but short time. Four members {
the La Grande lodge of the Brother
hood of Locomotive firemen came owe
to search for his remains to take
La Grande for burial.
Narrow escapes we're made by Ma
! / Clerks Graham and Oren who wei
both injured. The mail car was bat
ly smashed and their escape with the
J lives is miraculous.
! In one of the wrecked baggage ca
of the wrecked train near Cayuse WI
the corpse of little Gertrude Cool
which was being taken to Tacoma #
burial. The body was in charge
Mrs. A. L.. Cook who was in one {
the sleepers when the wreck occurred
During the shake up the box contain
ing the coffin of the little girl VIZ
smashed and the glass of the coffi
itself was shattered. However, tt
body of the little child was not di
figured TO any extent. The corp
was taken down on the relief trai
to Pendleton and transferred to ne
casket by Baker & Folsom, und'
instructions from the railroad people