Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-05-10
WOMAN KILLED BY TRAIN
COLLISION AT BRIEDWELL STA
TION RESULTS FATALLY.
Locomotive Strikes Runaway Carriage,
Throwing Occupants TO Death
and Serious Injury.

The most serious accident in the
history of the YamhilI division of the
Southern Pacific railroad occurred at
Briedwell Station shortly after Z
O'Clock Sunday night, when the Port
Iland-Dallas passenger train collided
with a runaway team at point near
the Briedwell warehouse. AS a result
of the collision, Miss Leighton, of Nc
Minnville, is dead; Miss Eunice Lewis,
of Newberg, is badly cut about the
head; George Whipple lies badly in
jured at his home in Sheridan, and
James Scully, also of Sheridan, is
crazed with grief because of the death
of his sweetheart.
Team Frightened by Train.
From all the particulars available.
it is learned that the two women were
on their way from McMinnville to
Sheridan on the Sheridan passenger
train, which runs over the Yamhill
division between Whiteson and Broad
mead few minutes ahead Of the Dali
las train. At Briedwell they were met
by Scully and Whipple, who were to
take them to Sheridan in a carriage.
The party had just entered the carri-
age and started on the drive when the
Dallas train approached the station.
The Dallas train does not stop at
Briedwell. and was running at speed
of about Is miles an hour.
At the approach Of the train, the
horses became frightened and started
to run. AS soon as they had passed the
warehouse, which had hidden them
from the view of the trainmen. the
frightened animals wheeled and ran
across the track, directly in front of
the locomotive. The carriage was
struck squarely in the middle and the
occupants were hurled in all direc-
tions.
Miss Lewis and Scully were thrown
from the front seat into the ditch at
the edge of the track. Scully was not
hurt, but Miss Lewis was thrown
against post and was seriously in
jured. Miss Leighton and Whipple
who were riding in the back seat
Jared worse. Miss Leighton was
thrown against the pilot of the engine
and almost instantly killed, the force
of the fall crushing her skull. Whip
ple's skull was cracked and his side
was badly bruised.
Train Quickly Stopped.
Engineer Casey stopped his train
within two car lengths, and the dead
body of Miss Leighton was removed
from the pilot of the engine.
The trainmen and passengers then
rushed to the aid of the injured. Miss
Lewis was found lying in the ditch
with broken shoulder. Miss Leighton
was lying dead on the pilot of the en-
gine, the back of her head being
crushed and her body mangled.
The injured were placed on the train,
and Conductor Keyser ordered quick
run to Sheridan for surgical assistance,
instead of proceeding on the regular
schedule to Dallas. Crazed by grief
because of the death of Miss Leighton.
Scully became frantic on the train and
tried to take his own life. 1t was only
by the closest watchfulness of the
passengers that he was prevented
from carrying out his designs
Victims May Recover.
1t is believed that Miss Lewis and
George Whipple have a chance for
recovery, although both are badly
hurt. At last reports Scully was still
demented, and 1t was feared he might
lose his mind entirely.
No blame can be laid on Engineer
Casey for the sad affair, as he was
running his train at moderate speed
and the position of the warehouse at
Brledwell made It impossible to see
the runaway team before they whirled
and ran directly toward the track. The
stopping of the train within two car
lengths of the spot where the collision
occurred showed the effort put forth
by the engineer, and his presence of
mind under the exciting conditions.
The accident, while deeply deplor-
able, was one of those unfortunate oc-
currences for which no one can be
blamed. Instead of any word of crit
icism, there are only heard expressions
of sorrow for the death of Miss Leigh
ton and of hope for the early recovery
of the living victims of the terrible,