The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-06
FAST FREIGHT
CRASHES INTO
A COAL TRAIN
Engineer Killed and Two
Trainmen Injured in Wreck
Near Thistle.
LOCOMOTIVE AND CARS
HURLED INTO RIVER
FREIGHT MOVING AT HIGH
SPEED IN ALLEGED VIOLA.
TON OF RULES.
:s....::..:.......-.....-..:..,..:..:.



= THE DEAD. :.
= Herbert Warren Fletcher. engi- :.
: neer, killed in leapins from his :.
= engine. =
= THE INJURED. :.
:: Ernest FredericksOn. fireman, =
= cut and bruised by fall from 10 =
:: connective; at st. Marks hospital =
= J. Jenkins, brakeman, leg and :.
= back injured by fall from train. =
A westbound Rio Grande freight
train, going at the rate of thirty-five
miles an hour. crashed into the rear
end of a coal train standing on the
track beyond Thistle. at 5 o'clock yes
terday morning. killing the engineer
of the speeding train. and injuring the
fireman and the brakeman.
The speeding locomotive and fifteen
cars laden with coal were thrown into
the river by the force of the impact.
The engine and the cars were practical
ly demolished. The track for 800 feet
was torn up.
The coal train of thirty -three cars
was standing on the track just beyond
the Thistle yards, preparing to take the
siding, when the accident occurred.
iiC tram crew SdlQ AllaAa the ll2flLS
and the flags in the rear end of this
train showed that it was still on the
main line. Suddenly the freight came
down the grade around the bend in the
track and was within a few hundred
feet of the train that was at rest before
the danger was discovered.
Engineers Skull Fractured.
Engineer Herbert W. Fletcher of the
Incoming train leaped from his locomo-
tive and was hurled to the ground
with such force that his skull was
fractured and his death was practically
instantaneous. Ernest Frederickson,
the fireman. of IA IversCn court, and j.
jenkins, the brakeman on the front end
of the train, managed to get off the
train without serious injuries. Freder-
ickSOn was painfully cut and bruised
by the fall. He was brought to Salt
Lake and taken to St. Marks hospital
1t was thought AZ first that he was
internally injured. DR.. Bascom, how
ever, who is attending him, could find
no evidence of any injury other than
his severe bruises and decorations. Jen-
kins wrenched his back and his leg, but
was able to go to his home in Salt
Lake
When the locomotive of the incoming
train struck the way car of the coal
train. the car telescoped and then was
thrown over the top of the locomotive.
The engine continued TO pillow through
the coal train until it had derailed fiji
teen of the cars. Then il went over
on its side and rolled into the Spanish
Fork river, near the track.
Cars Thrown Into River.
Most of the cars were thrown into the
river, Strewing the coal for hundreds
Of feet IN all directions. The cars Of
the incoming train We're derailed. but
none Of them went over. The track was
torn up by the engine for 600 feet and
g great furrow pl1ughed in the road
bed.
The cause of the wreck has not vet
been ascertained. The train was 60
ing at much greater speed, it is al
legged, than the rules of the road permit
at this point. Coming around this bend
and into the Thistle yards the engi-
neeT is ordered to have his locomotive
under control. which means that the
speed shall not exceed eight miles an
hour. The fact that the train was go
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