The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-31
Friday, December 81, 1909
elom thursdays Daily.

Spreading rails was the cause of q
wreck on the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul road near Good Thunder last
night. Passenger tram No. 43, Ell
route to the Twin Cities, due at Man
kato at seven o'clock, was thrown
down a twelve foot embankment
Scores of passengers were injured, some
seriously. The accident happened one
mile east of Good Thunder at 1925
while the train was running at a speed
of twenty-five miles an hour The
train was late owing to wait at
Wells, where it is made up and con-
meets with trains running east and
west on the Southern Minnesota di-
vision. About sixty people were aboard
the train and not one of them escaped
injury of a more or less serious nature
About twenty received scratches and
some bruises of minor character.
The train, made up of engine, ex-
press, combination baggage and mail
and two day coaches, left Wells a few
minutes late and was making good
progress. As the train approached a
bad crossing not a great distance south
of the point where the accident hap
pened, it was slowed down, but once
this spot was crossed in safety Engi-
neer Thomas Clacy gave his locomotive
new head of steam and the train
was hustling over the rails at twenty
five miles an hour, according to the
statement of Conductor p. j. Murphy.
Rail "Kicked" Up at Joint.
About one hundred feet from the
crossing and at point near the Ma
pie river bridge rail kicked up at the
joint. The heavy, lurching locomotive
jumped this break and continued on
safely, but the coaches missed it and
consequently the rails spread until the
break was so wide that the coaches
were thrown off and with their cargo
of human freight rolled down a twelve
foot embankment. The mail and bag
gage ears were detached from the
coaches and after turning over on their
sides were dragged distance of about
two hundred feet. The tender of the
locomotive was also overturned but the
engine remained on the tracks. The
rear end of the engine was lifted off
the ground for about foot. This is
the only part of the train that is in
tact. The track was torn up for
distance of about 400 feet. One of the
coaches caught a rail in one of the
trucks and the rail was bent as if it
were a piece of wire. Every car was
10 IL. @lo
left side of the train We're bent into
every shape and manner, and at first
it looked as if the debris would catch
on fire, but the fire in the heaters was
put out before any such catastrophe
could occur.
Brakeman McNeal a Hero.
Each trainman distinguished himself
as hero, especially Brakeman Frank
MeNeal, who walked from the scene
of the wreck to Good Thunder, a dis
lance of about a mile to summon help.
His head was cut badly and gashed
and his left arm was broken. the
loss of blood that occurred on his way
for help weakened him considerably
and he was on the verge of collapsing
when he reached the depot. He stag
gered up the platform and several men
rushed from the ticket office and
caught MIN in their arms and carried
him inside, where he was revived His
story was told quickly and immedi-
ately sleighs loaded with physicians
and rescuers were FASTENED to the
scene of the wreck. The news of the
accident was telephoned to Mankato
and a relief train carried doctors and
others to the spot where aid was
needed so urgently.
Meanwhile a wrecking train was
made up at Austin and fastened to
clear the debris from the track
Passengers Thrown Into a Heap.
When the cars rolled over the en-
bankment most of the passengers were
thrown into heap. Others seized hold
of the seats and saved themselves from
serious injury.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
trainmen were suffering from injuries,
they at once set about to aid the pas
sengers. There were several miraculous
escapes from death. Mrs. Erick Cole
man of Minneapolis was pinned under
one of the seats and was released only
after one of the train crew had welded
the axe with deXterity. The woman
came very nearly fainting away.
Most of the passengers were re-
leased from the wrecked coaches with
out much difficulty. Several men were
dragged and thrashed around consider
able and thus they sustained their in
juries. Fortyfive people were hurt
badly.
Second Wreck for Murphy.
Conductor Murphy said: "This is the
second wreck I've been in this week,
and if this keeps up first thing 1
know I'll be in bed" He added with
smile "A good soul back in the
car gave me drink of water; if it
wasn't for that 1 guess I'd be dead
by this time" and he gave hearty
laugh as if being wrecked was an
every day occurrence with him.
A Free Press reporter was on the
scene and interviewed several of the
people who were injured so badly
that they could not talk. One said:
Il was seated in the car reading, wnen