The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-10-10
Thrown From Front Seat Be
!. meath Wheels Of. Moving Train
and Sustained Injury Which
Resulted in His Death at 10.
cal Hospital EARLY Sunday
Morning Train Obscured BY
Fog and Machine Could. Not
Be Controlled. -.

L. D. Padden, about IS years old
and for two years or more a resident
of Virginia, where he conducted
barber shop at PA Chestnut street,
was fatally injured shortly after II
o'clock Saturday night, when an auto
mobile in which he and four others
were riding collided with a moving
train of empty logging flats at the
grade crossing Of the Canadian Nor
thern railroad, just west Of the car
barns of. the Mesaba Railway com
.pany, near Olcott park.
Padden was thrown from the car
and beneath the moving train by the
impact of the collision. His right leg
was run over and crushed and he sus-
tanned injuries of an internal nature
which resulted in his death about 2:3O
Sunday morning at a local hospital.
The car was owned by the Eddy
livery of Virginia and had been rent
ed by Padden and four friends. 1t
was in charge of Oscar Huohtalla as
chauffeur and was being driven out
the Mountain Iron road when the &C
cident occurred. The grade crossing
is in a slight depression in the road,
the night was foggy and none Of the
five occupants of the automobile saw
the train until the lights of the auto
mobile bore directly on the wheels of
the moving train. Huhohtalla at
tempted to stop, but could not control
the machine in time to avert the &C
cident.
The train was made up of 40 empty
logging flats known as Russell logging
cars. They are set low on the trucks
and the running gear is covered only
by rude hunks on which the timbers
are loaded. The train was north
bound and pulled the machine around
in such way that with the impact Of
the collision Padden was thrown be-
meath the cars. Huohtala was badly
cut by broken glass from the wind
shield. Other of the occupants sus-
tanned minor injuries. The machine
was badly damaged.
The logging train was in charge of
Conductor Taylor and Engineer Far
mer. Rear Brakeman Peter Roback
was standing on the front steps of
the caboose. He saw the automobile
coming down the hill and saw it strike
the cars and cried out to Conductor
Taylor who applied the air brakes at
emergency from the train valve in
the caboose and stopped the train just
as the caboose cleared the crossing.
The train crew ran back to the cross
ing and gave all assistance possible.
Two other logging trains northbound
were just clearing the block. The en-
CINE of the train following was cut
off and rushed Padden to the city.
Other members of the party came to
town on passing street car.
Various accounts of the accident
prevail about the city and conflicting
statements are in circulation undoubt-
ly growing out Of the general con-
fusion.
Padden's body was prepared for
burial at Gillespies undertaking par
lors and Monday was shipped to St.
Paul, where funeral services were
conducted Tuesday and where his
mother and other relatives reside. A
brother came up from St. Paul Sunday
night to take charge of the remains.
The barber shops of the city were
closed Monday morning and the bar
bers Of the city formed an escort for
the hearse to the D. M. & N. station.
Padden leaves a widow and several
brothers and Sisters. He had many
friends in Virginia and news of his
death came as sad shock to them all.
About the city he was popular with
all who knew him.
None of the other occupants of the
wrecked automobile were seriously in
| iured.