The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-01-02
REsCUERERs WORK IN TEMPERATURE OF y BELOW
Passengers Hurled From Seats into Debris Of Broken
Glass, Limbs Being Broken, Ears Torn Off,
Scalps Cut and Internal Wounds
Inflicted.

was to have been made at Farley and
passengers say the speed must have
been close to mile minute.
The locomotive, baggage and mail
cars passed over the switch as the
train entered Farley, but, according
to the train men a. chain dragging
beneath the smoker altered the
swetch SO that the two rear tracks
of that coach were derailed and after
humping along for some distance the
day coach also was thrown from the
rails and it in turn jerked the sleep
er onto the ties. After humping
along for several rods the sleeper
went over on it's side and 100 rods
farther the day coach tottered and
likewise went over on its side.
The day coach contained about 100
persons. Some were foreigners who
have been working in the woods. AS.
the coach went over with crash of
broken glass and grinding wood some
of the foreigners spread out on the
floor and began yelling, whoa.
w. e. Danforth, clothing sales
man from Duluth, an occupant of the
day coach and one of those who as
sisted in the work of rescue says:
ut was the strangest sensation you
can Notwithstanding along at a
lively clip to feel your car cdacking
along on the. ties, swaying so that
you know any moment the coach is
going to turn over. When she did
go over the passengers were thrown
in heaps against the broken windows
and it was here that the injuries re-
suited.
"Miraculously no one in the sleep
er was hurt and just as strangely the
gas lighting plant did not blow up
and that there was no fire largely is
due to the prompt work of the men.
There was no panic. Only three per-
sons scrambled out. Then we made
a pathway across the windows with
seat mats and put out all the lights
but one.
T.sThe car was filled with leaking
gas and pried open the door. Groans
and shrieks and cries told us that
many were hurt and with all possible
h ncfo I, ,aoH
was terrible but not without its COM
ical side. One woman who was sit
ting straight up in her seat tried to
tell us her back was broken. AS a
matter of fact she was badly surt, a
piece of glass several inches long be-
ing removed from her back by the.
physician. Another man came limp
ing along and said his leg was brok-
en-.
"After the first shock no one seem
ed to lose their head and no one COM
planned of the cold, although Dr..
Monohan, who sprang out of his
berth into the snow and biting air
with rubber and no sock on one
foot, froze his fingers when he took
hold Of brass rod with his bare
fingers. Nevertheless he did great
service in caring for the injured. We
all furnished handkerchiefs for
|bandages and the folks in Farley
came running with hot water.
News of the wreck was sent to
Bemidji. In the meantime all the
passengers were gathered in the
smoker and the wounded ones were
made as comfortable as possible on
impoverished beds made from trunks
and things in the baggage car
DR.. Sanborn, who with DR.. Hem
derson cared for the wounded here,
said this afternoon that while near
sly all the victims were badly lacerat-
ed and bruised and that the wounds
in many cases were painful that, un-
less complications developed, there
probably would be no more deaths.
The train was in charge of Con-
sductor Jerry st. Cyr. of Brainerd,
who had taken the run as an extra
conductor for last night only. JOS
Reph Springer was at the THROTTLE,
and Charles Bush was the brakeman
both OF Brainerd