The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-08-17
ENGINES CRASH
IN DENSE FOG
AND KILL ONE
Goodrich Of Neche. a Great
!, Northern Engineer, the
10 Victim
Five GdfRs SERIOUSLY
TH0uGA NOT FATALLY HURT
Switch Engine Collided with Work
Train Near Moorhead-Engine Did
Not Know Of Presence Of the Work
Train-No Blame Placed.


Moorhead. MINI, Aug. 17.-Without
word Of warning or sight Of the
approaching danger, F. Goodrich.
Neche. N. D., engineer on the Great
Northern railroad was crushed to
death in the collision between a
switch engine and a work train on
the Moorhead and GAINESVILLE branch,
shortly after 6 o'clock Sunday morn
Ing. -Four others of the crews were
injured, some of them seriously in the
disaster which followed. The list of
dead and injured follows:
The dead:
F. GOODRICH, engineer. Neche. N.
d.
The injured:
McElroy, conductor, bad scalp
wound and shoulder bruised, Moor
head.
Murry, fireman, ankle sprained and
bruised, Moorhead.
O. A. Osmundson, brakeman,
bruised, Moorhead.
R. L. Corrigan, brakeman, bruised,
Moorhead.
j. G. Bledsol, yardmaster, badly
bruised, Moorhead.
With the earth covered with a
dense fog and the switch train run
ming without orders, the work train
plowing through the heavy atmos-
phere, almost impentratable to the
sight, the colliiing engines crashed
into each other without q second of
time to reverse the throttles or es-
cape the horrible death that presented
itself with the crash.
Occupants of the engine cabs and
members of the work train crew were
thrown into the air and into the pile
of debris that accompanied the crash.
Water pouring from the, punctured
boilers flowed over the semi conscious
bodies of the injured ones.
Crash in Fog.
Unders orders to work between
Barnesville and Moorhead from $3.50
a. m. to 1880 p. m, the work train
pulled out of Moorhead, running care
fully where the fog was thick and
speeding up whenever it lifted. The
switch engine coming in from Barnes
Vile. had no orders against the extra
and was backing up at good speed.
The two trains struck about three
miles east of the town, the switch
engine crashing through the tank be-
hind 1t and striking the heavy work
train engine with terrific force.
Engineer Crushed to Death.
The men in the cab of the work
train engine did not see the switch
engine until It was on top of them,
on account of the thick fog. The en-
gineer was standing in the gang way
between the engine and the tender
at the time Of the crash and was
crushed when they telescoped. He
died instantly.
The fireman, Murray, was sitting
just behind Yardmaster Bledsoe on
his side Of the engine and neither Of
the two men saw or heard anything
until the crash came.
Graphic Picture.
Il was sitting looking out of the
window" said Yardnaaster Bledsoe,
when there came an awful crash. I
don't remember anything else until
came to and found myself lying in
the ditch beside the track with the
water and coal from the smashed up
tender Of the switch engine falling on
me-" The fireman OF the work train
engine was picked up in the same po-
sition ana the theory is that they
were thrown out through the window
by the force Of the collision. Fire
man Murray's ankle was sprained and
he was bruised and cut about the
body, while Yardmaster Bledsoe was
badly bruised.
Fireman Escapes.
The tender of the switch engine
was completely crushed and the en-
gineer and fireman escaped with but
q few severe bruises. They were
considerably cut up by breaking
glass in the cab. The switch engine
and the front end Of the engine on
the work train were both badly dam
aged.
The dead and injured were brought
to Moorhead and received medical at
tention. while wrecking train was
sent to clear up the debris. The track
was clear for the flyer in the evening.
No Blame Placed.
The blame for the wreck cannot
yet be placed, but 1t Is assumed that
It was mostly due 70 the dense fog
which obscured the track to within
2 few. feet ct the engines. The work
train had orders for an all days work
on the line between Moorhead and
GAINESVILLE but were expecting to
meet with some other trains on the
way and were keeping a sharp look
out. The switch engine. however, Il
is said. was not warned as to the
presence Of the work train and was
coming backwards. II 1t had been