Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-12-20
people rallied to the scene and soon
had the flames subdued.

tonville, where good hospital facil-
tiles could be obtained.
| The wreck occurred when the CO.
lumbar came to stop shortly after
passing the station at Odessa. A
tlagman was sent down to warn the
silk train, but had hardly proceeded
the length of his own train when the
silk section came up at high speed
and crashed into it.
The shock was terrific. The occu-
pants Of the sleeper were caught like
rats in trap and had no chance to
escape.
Several Of them were killed in
stantly probably never realizing the
extent and character Of the accident.
Others died as they were being re-
moved from the wreckage. None Of
the bodies was severely mangled. All
were lifted as tenderly as possible
and carried to the town hall.
Identification was a matter Of
hours. Everybody was excited and
the first reports sent out said twenty
or more had been killed.
| The news of the disaster was fash
ed to Milbank, a freight division
headquarters Of the road, and to Or
tonville. Two Of Ortonville's, surg
cons, Drs. Bert Karn and Charles
Bolsta, were hurried to the scene in
automobiles and did heroic work in
succoring the injured and giving first
aid.
Section crews were sent on the re-
lief special from Milbank and in a
few minutes after arrival they had
begun to clear away wreckage and to
take out dead bodies. There had
been no train east up to IL a. M, but
otherwise traffic on the line has not
been seriously impeded. Westbound
trains were moved around the wreck
by the siding, which was soon cleared
Of all debris.
The engine Of the silk train plung-
ed half way through the sleeping car
Of the Columbian and all the hapless
occupants of the car at the rear end
were either killed outright, or SER
iously injured. The other end Of this
car was also partially telescoped by
| the heavier construction Of the dining
car, which was just ahead. No one
however, in the dining car or the cars
! farther forward were seriously in
jured. .~. ~.....
u Engineer Sorby and Fireman San.
dell Of the second section jumped
when the collision was seen to be in
evitable. Sandelps ankle was brok.
Ell and the engineer is reported t.
have a broken arm.
i The accident occurred short dis
, tance from the signal tower at Odes
sa. The first section Of the train hat
. been stopped by the towerman be-
cause Of freight train in the blocl
, ahead of it. The second section
which closely followed the first, i!
| what is known as "silk" train, car
} rying merchandise.
i The railway officials attribute tn,
accident to the failure Of the operat
or to set the signals against the sec
ond section. They also believe tina
the brakeman Of the first section
failed to run back to flag the secon.
t section.
i Because of the darkness the en-
gineer of the second section did no
{ see the rear light Of the train in from
in time to avert collision.
Il The rear car of the first sectiol
I WAS telescoped and the car next to
5 was badly shattered.
e The wreck tore down the telegraph
t wires and there was some delay il
lgetting word of the disaster to tn
f headquarters Of the road.
81 The seriously injured were take
to a hospital at Ortonville. Heroi
q work was done by those on board tn
4 train in assisting the wounded an
aiding those not injured to escap
from the wrecked cars.
y" Local railway men intimate tina
the train operating apparatus wa
o tampered with and are 10th to Civ
S their views of the cause of the wrecl
: The operator at the Odessa static
J. says he left the station and bloc
le open for the train to 60 through an
y went off duty. When the train reach
u ed the station the block was close
e and the engineer applied the air. tt
lsecond section was following s
N closely and at such high speed tn.
r there was no time to warn it of Il
er danger.
u The wreck is said to be the wor
"a the Milwaukee road has had f,
'e twenty-seven years, or since tn,
~ near Rio, Wis, in 1884, when ira
re southbound from Minneapolis to Mi
ef waukee, left the rails. The wood,
L. cars then in use, took fire from Il
II heating stoves and thirteen perso1
ne were borned to death. Practical
the entire train was consumed by Il
m fire.
The first train to the east from &
.e scene of the wreck was dispatch,
, about noon. Most Of the passenge