The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1913-06-12
ORIENTAL LIMITED
- IN The DITCH
GREAT NoRTHERN,s FINEST AND
FASTEST TRAIN IN DITCH
NEAR MooRHEAn.
ENGINEER FRENCH IS KILLED
Fireman Becker Is Injured and Sew
eral Passengers Were Severely
Shaken up-cause Of Ac-
cident a Mystery.
THE DEAD.

THE DEAD.
Engineer Frank French, aged about
20 years, BarnesviIle, Minn., survived
by wife, two sons and daughter.
THE INJURED.
Fireman Nick Becker, aged 80, nose
cut and severe bruises. Suffered
hemorrhaqes; is at Moorhead hospl-
tai.
Dr.. w. T. Hamilton, Havre, Mont,
leg slightly bruised.
D. S. Ferguson, Minneapolis. hand
cut.
Dr.. r. A. Ewart, Chester, Mont, leg
bruised.
Mrs. Judas Greenwald, Fall City,
Neb., body bruised.
Mrs. A. w. Wells, Sioux Pass, Mont,
hip wrenched.
sma Randall, Fergus Falls, Minn.,
severe shaking up.
Other passengers were severely
shaken up.
Fargo, N. D., June 1.-The Oriental
Limited, the Great Northern's finest
and fastest train, known on the sched-
ules as No. /. was derailed and thrown
into the ditch about a mile east Of
Moorhead, resulting in the death Of
Engineer French, an old time employee
of the railroad company; the injury Of
Fireman Nick Becker and several pas
sengers.
The Oriental Limited was running
at extra speed to make up lost time,
being about 40 minutes behind its
scheduled time, and at the time the
wreck occurred was probably making
40 miles an hour. With little warning
the engine jumped the track, drag
ging the man car, baggage coach and
smoker after it; plowed the ground
then buried it's nose in the soft earth
and toppled over on it's side.
The mail car, baggage coach and
smoker left the rails, but did not go
| clear over. The diner, two tourist
cars and three standard Pullmans re-
manned on the track.
Among the passengers was Great
Northern Travelling Passenger Agent
L. L. LaRue, who makes his head
quarters in st. Paul. Mr.. LaRue quick
ly went through the train and ascer-
tanned the injuries Of passengers for
report to st. Paul.
Wrecker Late in Arriving.
It seemed to take an unusually long
time to get the wrecking train on the
ground, and until it's arrival about 10
D. M, the dead engineers body re-
manned where death caught him. Many
saw him there - gruesome spectacle
mendation for this man who so plainly
persisted at the post of duty.
Due to the delay in repairing tho
tracks. which were displaced several
feet when the derailment occurred
the cars remaining in sound condition
were hauled back to GAINESVILLE, and
from there sent around by way OF
Crookston and Grand Forks.
Dies at His Post.
Engineer French died with his hand
on the throttle, having made no at.
tempt to save himself by jumping.
He was true to his responsibility, even
to his death. His body lay pinioned
between the frebox and the tender
for hours before a wrecker arrived
and made it possible to remove his
remains. The gangway plate between
|
two, and the engineers leg had slip.
ped down between the pieces, and was
apparently cut in two.
Fireman Becker jumped before the
engine toppled over. He was taken to
Moorhead hospital.
Delayed by Hot Box.
The cause of the delay to the i'll
fated train was the persistency with
which a hot-box bothered the crew
Considerable delay occurred at
GAINESVILLE, Mimi, where Frank
French backed his engine No. 1857 to
its connection with the train for the
last time. Conductor Wright was in
charge of the train.
Evidence of the speed of the train
is given in the fact, plainly evident
to the hundreds of spectators who
went to the scene Of the wreck Sun
: day night, that the ponderous locomo.
t1ce plowed through the ground for
about 200 feet, then toppled over up.
on mound of dirt, it's nose buried
therein, the pilot smashed; and there
it lay with steam issuing from til,
valves like tired putting monster.
oblivious Of the wreck and ruin it's err
ratio run had caused.
r The wires connecting the derail
with the signal tower were bent and
broken, and twisted out Of shape by
, the derailed engine and coaches, 50
; that apparently nothing concerning
the cause can be learned therefrom.
Tower Mans Statement.
Paul Leo, day tower man, was on
duty at the time the wreck occurred
He was just about to turn the towe,
over to Robert Cooley, the night man
Mr. Leo talked freely concerning the
matter. II had just thrown thu
switch to allow Northern Pacific train
No. to cross, when the Oriental Linn
j. tied whistled for the crossing. had
thrown the blocks against that train
and they could not possibly have beer