The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-06-07
JAMES M'GRA TIL KILLED:
BRAKEMAN ON CHICAGO
GREAT WESTERN ROAD

|
movements, however, are unknown
| to his fellow trainmen for the rea-
son that the train was rounding a
sharp curve at the time and they
were unable to see him. When the
engineer saw the car leave the rails,
/ he applied the emergency brakes
and the engine went only length
before it was stopped. McGrath's
mangled body was found under the
engine. His head was crushed on
top and one of his arms had been
completely severed.
The superstition is that brakeman,
when he realized the car was leaving
the rails, leaped in the hope of saw
ing himself. He was at the rear
end and on top of the refrigerator
car. The track where the wreck oc,
CURED, winds along the hillside. On
one side is a ravine fully $50 feet
down the steep embankment and on
the steep embankment and on the
other side is the almost perpendicu-
lar side of the cliff Apparently
Brakeman McGrath was compelled
to choose between almost certain
death no matter in which direction
he jumped. He evidently decided to
take the chance by jumping into the
hillside in preference to leaping
down into the ravine. There is rea,
son to believe, according to the
trainmen, that he jumped into the
wall-like hillside and momentarily
chung to a twig or other growth un.
til it gave way permitting him to
fall back under the train. The der,
itin inc Of fhn nfTpier tor
car, passed before he fell under the
engine.
Medical Aid Summoned.
! Medical assistance was summon
ed from Altura, but it is declared
McGrath was killed instantly.
The refrigerator car, which caused
the two wrecks, did not plunge to
the bottom of the embankment. The
front trucks went off and the body
of the car was torn from the rear
trucks which remained on the rails.
1t tipped over on it's side and hung
to the side of the embankment a
short distance from the rails.
The body of the dead brakeman
was brought to this city on the reg
ular Great Western train from the
west which arrived here last even
ing at 1880 o'clock. Coroner Stein
bach viewed the remains. The body
was taken to local morgue and the
parents at Mankato were notified
! They will probably claim the body
today.
McGrath was about Twenty-Five
years old and was unmarried. His
home was at Mankato, with his par
ents. where his father is engaged as
a blacksmith. Only a year ago, a
brother of the dead man was killed
in premature explosion of FIRE
works on July 3.
Railroad men are unable to ex-
plain why the refrigerator car would
not remain on the rails. The car
was new one, just out of the rail
road shops. Before it was placed on
the rails after the first derailment
last week, members of the wrecking
crew examined it closely and were
satisfied that it was in perfect con-
dition. The only theory advanced is
that because it was new, it was
"stiff," and unable to make the
curves in the track. In neither of
the two wrecks did the rails spread
and the supposition that it was too
heavy is discredted. The car was
empty yesterday when it was de-
rallied.
Remains Will Be Home Tonight.
The remains of James McGrath
will be brought on the Northwestern
road to this city at $50 this even
| ing. This is the second sad &C.
cident that has befallen members of
the Dennis McGrath family this
year. Last winter, the young son
of Dennis McGrath was shot while
out hunting with friend, and now
comes the news of James McGraths
/ death.
! 1t was most difficult for James
McGrath to leave his mother before
he went to Winona, as she seemed
to have an idea that he would
never come back alive, just as she
half prophesied that her other son
would not return alive when he
went out hunting. James McGrath
was to have come home this month
to visit his parents. He was a
| graduate of the North MankatO
eighth grade and also a graduate of
the Mankato high school in 1907.
The family reside at S07 Belgrade
avenue, and Mr.. McGrath is a we'll
known hlackSmith and horcachoor