The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-02-02

ahead. A heavy snow was falling
making it difficult to see. Just as
the car had passed the curve and
was about to run on a straight line,
Herman Hanson saw the freight
train approaching at a distance OF
about $50 or 800 feet.
Disconnected the Batteries.
Mr.. Hanson Immediately discon.
nected the batteries of his car, and
shut off the power. He cried to his
companions to jump but evidently
they did not hear his warning, as
the roar of the car and the heavy
snow storm made 1t difficult to hear.
Hanson shouted again, and then he
jumped, and just in time, for at that
very instant the hand-car and engine
collided with terrific force.
Hanson jumped down into the
snow, and fell along the side of the
train. Father Culliton was thrown
100 feet away, from the hand.car, his
body being found one foot from the
right-Ofway fence, while young Han.
son was thrown just ninety feet from
the car, thus giving some idea of the
tremendous force of the collision.
Alive When Picked Up.
Immediately after the accident,
Engineer Ellington applied the air
| to the brakes and shut off the steam,
bringing the train to standstill a
short distance from the scene of
the accident. When the two men
were picked up they were still alive,
although unconscious. They were
placed on the train which then pro-
ceeded to Good Thunder.
DR.. J. T. Schlesselman was called
at once over the telephone, and he
arrived at the station just as the
train pulled in. However, the injur-
ed men died without regaining con-
seriousness while on the way to Good
Thunder. 1t was found that Father
Culliton had been struck in the tenn
pie of the head, the impact having
inflicted deep cash through to his
brain. His front teeth were knocked
in, his left leg was broken, and his
hips were mangled. Elmer Hanson
suffered severe injuries about the
head and was so severely injured that
he also died before reaching Good
Thunder.
Coroner Was Notified.
DR.. Schlesselman and Coroner p.
r. Kennedy on the long distance tel
ephone and told him of the accident
and asked him for instructions. Mr..
Kennedy informed him that it would
be all right to take the bodies back
to Mapleton. Before returning, how
ever, the engine had to be repaired,
as the front and cow-catcher had
been smashed. 1t took about an
hour to repair the engine and then
the train, with the dead bodies and
Mr.. Hermanson, backed the whole
way to Mapleton.
Conducted Services at Good Thunder.
Rev. Father Culliton was a Catho-
lie priest and had charge of the
churches at Good Thunder and Ma
pleton, with headquarters at Maple
ton. He held services at Good
Thunder every other Sunday, max.
ing the trip in company with the
section foreman on the gasoline
hand-car. He had left his home
town early in the morning and ar.
rived at Good Thunder about half
past seven and then went to the
station to ride the motorcar back to
Mapleton, as was his custom.
Edward O'Neil, manager for the
Laird-Norton Lumber company at
Good Thunder shook hands with
Father Culliton and said goodbye
as the party of three departed on
the train that proved fatal for two
of them.
Had Fears of Accident.
A few minutes later, as the car
was passing out of sight, he heard
a train whistle in the distance. He
at once began to worry. fearing that
an accident would befall the men on
the car, as he did not think that the
party of three would have time to
remove their vehicle before the train
met them. His fears came true, for
a short time later, he heard crash,
and he knew that the train and
hand-car had collided. He ran i'm.
mediately down the track to the
scene of the accident, being the
first one, outside of the train crew,
to arrive there.
Not Notified Of Freight Train.
julius Biedermann of Wells was
Inc conductor on the lrelSut anu
Charles Ellington of Austin was the
engineer. John. Heinze and William
Warnecke were the two brakemen,
while III. Copley was the fireman. The
Milwaukee Railroad company usually
does not run an extra freight train
on the local branch on Sundays, but
as there was a large amount of
freight at Mankato that had to be
taken care of small extra freight
train with empty cars was made UP,