The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-07-29
WRECK WAS A
BLOODLESS ONE
Railroad Smash Near City on
Account of Tank Car
Jumping Off.
Three Cars and Contents are
Damaged, but No One
Seriously Hurt.

A standard oil tank car turned
aside from the straight and narrow
path of the Nickel Plate railroad last
Friday night, less than two miles out
from this city, and was the cause of
a wreck of some magnitude. Con-
ductor Miller was in charge of the
train, and having been held up for
an hour or so on account of mix-up
at Mankato, the train was coming
into our town at an unusually fast
pace. A sudden jolt which brought
many OF. the passengers out Of their
seats was the first notification to the
passengers that anything was amiss,
and the train came to a stop with
out going more than it's length. The
cause of the trouble was at once
found to be the departure of the
tank car near the head of the train
from the rails, the exact cause not
being known. Conductor Miller as
certained that only one of the pas
senger on board had been hurt, John
Lacey of this city having been bounced
from his seat and in trying to save
himself bruising his wrist on the
back of the seat in front of him.
/, The big tank car containing gaso-
line had swung off the track and
leftits trucks, while the refrigerator
car Immediately behind had telescop-
ed upon and over the iron tank, COM
pletel y wrecking the car and spilling
the contents on the prairie beside
the track. These were the only cars
which had wholly left the track,
but third car which was also a re-
frigerator car, was somewhat dam
aged. The rails for several rods had
also been torn and twisted and the
road-bed badly demoralized. Back
of these three cars were another
box car. baggage car and the pas
senger coach. The passengers vacat-
ed the train and were transferred
across the break and brought to
town, while the trainmen took
charge of the wreck and the engine
proceeded to its destination until the
wreck could be cleared by the wreck
ing train from Sleepy Eye and the
track replaced, all of which was ac-
complished the next forenoon.
Just what made the big tank car
leave the rails is unknown, as an ex-
animation of the track disclosed no
spreading of the rails at the point
where the offending car had jumped
the rails. There seems to be no sign
of negligence to be charged in the
matter. The big tank car was who'll
ly to blame.
A large number of citizens went
out to view the first railroad wreck
of any magnitude that ever happened
near this city, and considerable in
terest was taken in the flood of gaso-
line which had run out of the car.
which originally had contained
$500 gallons. Spectators were warn
ed against the danger of setting in
fammable rivers of gasoline on fire,
and some of the nearby farmers be-
gan to collect the valuable fluid in
various receptacles, the work of
saving" the gasoline being taken
up vigorously the next morning by
the town people. There appears to
be some probability that there will
be inquiries made as to the owner
ship of this gasoline later, but no
objection was raised to its appropri-
alton at the time, the local agent of
the oil company not being here until
the next day. Just what the loss
-,of the railroad company will be has
not been given out, but it will
doubtless run up into the thousands.
The railroad company sent up its
urgeon, DIR. Stricken of New Ulm.
,aturday to examine into the nature
f John Lacey's injuries, but after