The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-24


others sustained injuries in collision
between the west bound flyer on tn,
Minnesota and Iowa division of the
Omaha railroad and northbound freight
train at Blakely at 1929 o'clock yes
terday afternoon.
The st. Paul Pioneer Press of to.
day contained this story of the
wreck:
The cause of the wreck is not def
nitelv known, but railroad men on the
freight train say that some one left
the switch thrown open, which caused
the fast passenger train to run from
the main line onto sidetrack, where
the freight was waiting to let it go
by, or that the switch split, which
sometimes happens. The trainmen
could not be found after the wreck,
it is said.
train said last night that trainman
possibly left his post while the freight
was in the siding. What became of
him is not known. it is said. One of
the trainmen had been working on the
road for five months. it is said, and
only recently complaint mad been made
against him to his superiors.
The sun was not even shining and
the snow was everywhere around
when the smash-up occurred The
freight train of thirty cars loaded
with grain for Minneapolis mills was
on the siding at Blakely waiting for
the fast mail train to pass. 1t was
almost nalf past twelve o'clock when
the flyer came in view. The crew of
the freight train was all ready to
pull out from the side track when the
passenger sweved from the main
track and shot into the siding.
One Engine Converted Into a Mass.
The force of the two engines COM
ing together was terrific. The passen
ger engine was converted into mass
of twisted iron in an instant and the
mail car was reduced to kindling
wood. Torgenson was killed instantly
and Fireman Zinneil lost mis- life as
quickly. He was crowded between the
tank of the locomotive and the boiler,
and was scalded to death.
George Z. Foot, engineer of the pas
senger train, had narrow escape
from similar fate. He saw the crash
impending when it was too late to
avert it. His train had run into the
siding where it was never intended to
90. Both himself and the fireman saw
the danger and realized that it would
be leap for life. They were on OPP
posite sides of the cab and the engi-
neer was lucky enough TO escape being
crushed to death or scalded when the
crash came.
The crew of the freight train had
better luck. Engineer William Bell
stuck to his post until after the col
lsion, and so did his fireman Walter
Treyis. When the two huge locomo-
tivcs came together there was an aw-
full crash on the freight train. Ed
ward Allen of Leach street, ST. Paul,
conductor of the freight train, was in
the cab with the engineer when the
smash came. and he broke his collar
bone when he jumped off. The engi-
neer Jumped one way and the fireman
the other, and sustained minor in
iuries.
Other Mail Clerks Serious Injury.
The force of the impact tossed the
passengers in the eight coaches about
like so many rubber balls. But none
of them was hurt so badly that they
could not proceed to their destination.
\ few were scratched and battered.
The most marvellous feature of the
collision was the fact that only one
Of the mail clerks lost his life. None
Of the others can account for their
escape. The engine of the freight train
was only slightly damaged, as it was
standing still when the collision oc-
CURED. The ear of grain next to the
locomotive, however, was doubled in
two and the grain scattered across
onto the tracks of the main line. That
was the only obstruction to traffic
and it only took about ten minutes
to clear that off.
The passenger train was stalled for
two hours, and all aboard alighted in
terror. When they found that they
had not been injured they volunteered
10 go to the rescue of the killed and
injured. When an engine later ar
rived from Mankato it was coupled tc
the passenger train and the trip was
continued to Omaha.
The freight train had little diff
Guilty in being released on account
OF the block signal system. Another
eastbound freight was passing Jordan
when the smash-up occurred, and il
was sent back to haul in the thirty
cars of grain which had been battered
up on the siding. The freight engine
was not derailed like the passenger
engine, but it was crippled so badly
that it could not move under its OWL
steam.
The crew of the freight engine ant
the mail clerks who survived came tt
st. Paul in the caboose of the relic
train. Nobody seemed to know what
became of the mail, as many of The
pouches were destroyed.
Engineer William Bell of the freight
train said last night that he haC
never been in wreck before, and h,
never wants to be in one again. HI