American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-02-11
FREIGHT WRECK
NEAR AMERICAN FALLS BRIDGE
Replacing Of Rail without Setting
Customary Signals Responsible for
Disaster.-Englneer Killed.

DlSaster.-EnR1neer Killed.
Engineer Ed Smith of extra freight,
l12O, eastbound, was instantly killed
at 1880 Friday morning when his
train. travelling at high rate of speed,
went into the ditch seventy-five feet
from the high bridge over the falls.
The remainder of the train crew escap-
ed unfnjured
The wreck was caused by the neg
ligence of the section crew which was
replacing an old rail on the curve at
the foot of the down grade few rods
south of the Snake river bridge. The
customary warning signals were not
observed while the rails were being
replaced and the disconnected rails
gave no warning that the extra freight
was in the block. II hit the bad rail
while travelling at the rate of twenty
five miles an hour. The engine and
twelve cars left the track, the engine
keeping to the ties but the cars piling
up In a splintered heap over the body
OF the engineer who jumped from his
cab in an attempt to save himself from
what appeared to be inevitable death
In the falls of the Snake river. The
fireman. Ed sellers, oi Tocatelio, stay
ed with his engine and escaped unhurt
while the head brakeman Jumped I'm
time to avoid the wreck. The remain
der of the crew was In the rear OF the
train at the time the accident happen
ed
r. w. Lightner, electrician of the
local division of the road. in telling of
the accident, said "I had been down
to Minidoka on my motor car early
Friday morning on job. I finished
my work there and left for the Falls
three minutes ahead Of the freight that
went into the ditch. and knew that IT
was close behind me- There were no
warnings out and ! narrowly escaped
hitting the bad rail myself ! said My
God. Mills, Or. NJ Mills, the section
foreman) don't you know there is a
freight In the block The realization
of what was 70 happen completely un-
nerved Mr.. Mills and | started my
speeder back up the track to give as
much of a warning as possible. I flag
ged the train twelve poles from where
.he accident occurred but too late. Mr..
Mills had removed the old rails and as
a result the track had jumped about
an inch making the new rail about a
m a rfn s.f ~ hn
were trying to pry the rail into place
when ! found them. The section crew
was small but It was the usual size
for this time of year. Sections are
supposed to aid each other when it is
necessary 10 replace rails at this sea-
SON.
The body Of engineer Smith was
found buried i'm the earth on the eft
side OF the track under truck that
had been thrown twenty feet from the
rails. Nearly every bone In his body
was crushed. Had he stayed with the
engine II is probable that he would
have escaped uninjured The fireman
warned him not to jump but he did
.ibf itffhs IOiiON lllE iIt tIEliit were
four empty steel coal cars All four
were thrown clear Of their trucks and
piled in jumbled heap around the
spot where the dead engineer lay. Two
wooden box cars were completely
mashed and six more badly damaged.
The wrecker from Pocatello began
removing tine wreck soon after noon
and by seven o'clock Friday night had
the track clear, though the wreckage
was strewn on each side OF the track
for several hundred feet.
At the inquest over the dead body
Friday afternoon the verdict OF the
coroner's jury was that death had re-
suited from an accident due to negli-
gence on the part OF the foreman OF
the section crew for not placing the
required warning signals and on the
part OF the railroad company for not
furnishing enough men to do the re-
quired work. The customary precau-
tions under such circumstances are to
place two torpedoes a mile from the
danger point and flagman to guard
the approaches each way OF the track.