Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-07-15
ESCAPED With
ONLY BRUISES
Great Northern Train Goes
in Ditch With Several
Injured
Coaches Fall In Ditch and
Mud Acts as q Shock
AbSOrber

FARGO, July 15.-The Oriental lin.
tied, the Great Northern's crack coast
train, was wrecked between Ashby
and Melby, Mimi, Is miles east OF
here, at las o'clock yesterday after
noon. Fireman Campbell, aged 35,
of Melrose, Mimi, was instantly kill.
ed, crushed by the tender, as he at
tempted to jump from his engine.
AS the train rounded a sharp curve,
flanked on one hand by a high bank
and by a deep swamp and a 30-foot
embankment on the other, the engine
left the track. 1t al half buried In
the steep wall of earth. The train
was travelling at a good rate OF speed
and two day coaches, the smoker, a
diner, two Pullmans, and a baggage
car plunged over the embankment
straight ahead and landed in a swamp
80 feet below.
Passengers Uninjured.
Passengers were uninjured by the
fall, aside from minor bruises and
cuts. The force Of the fall a re-
duced to practically nothing by the
water and mud Of the swamp. Men
and women scrambled through the
coach doors and windows and waded
to safety through mud and water.
Shortly after the coaches landed In
the swamp one of the %acetylene tanks
exploded and the gas caught fire,
spreading to the coaches. The flames
spread to the other coaches landed
in the swamp. Passengers and crew
folght the flames while standing knee
deep / nthe mud and water. All OF
the five coaches and the baggage car
were entirely destroyed by the flames.
Men rescued as much baggage as
possible from the burning coaches.
Thre Coaches Remain on Track.
But three coaches remained on the
track, the parlor car and two Pull
mans. These cars collided with the
engine tender, but were not damaged.
Occupants of these coaches gave aid
to those who were thrown into the
swamp.
A terrific wind and rain storm
swept the country near Ashby yester-
day afternoon. Telegraph and tele'
phone lines were put out of commits
sion. In many places portions of the
roadbed we're washed away. Slippery
rails are held accountable for the
wreck by officials. Two heavy freight
trains were run over the main track
just before the Oriental limited was
due and officials say these trains may
have damaged the roadbed already
weakened by excessive rains.
Two Trains Dispatched.
After the wreck it vas practically
impossible to send in calls for aid.
Passengers and brakemen walked
miles before means of communication
were found. Two special trains were
dispatched Immediately, n from
GAINESVILLE and one from Fergus Falls.
They carried a dozen doctors and a
number OF nurses. A wrecking train
was also dispatched from B~arnesville.
Attend to Bruises.
On the arrival of the physicians
minor cuts and bruises of the passen-
gers were given attention. Fireman
Campbell's body was taken from be-
meath the tender. An engine from one
of the relief trains took the three
coaches from the Oriental limited,
bearing tn epassengers from the
wrecked train back to Evansville,
Mimi, a distance Of six miles. There
they were transferred to other trains
which were routed over the Brecken-
ridge division. A new train will not
be made up. Travellers will be delay
ed nearly IL hours by the wreck. The
wrecking trains are working and Will
have the debris cleared up by morn.
ing, 1t is expected.
WASHINGTON, July 15.-The gov
ernment's civil antitrust suit against
the United States Shoe Machinery
Company may be settled by an agreed
decree Of dissolution, having the ap-
prevail Of the department Of Justice.
This was indicated today at q con
ference between Attorney General
wackorsham and LAWYERS for thelCOr r