Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-10-20
YOUNG ENGINEER
IN FATAL ACCIDENT
Howard Staples Receives Fatal
In juries When Switch Engines
Crash in Local Yards,

The second fatal accident to happen
in the short space Of ten days occur
red last Saturday morning in the
Great Northern yards of this city.
This time it was loving husband and
kind father, who suffered injuries,
causing his death about two hours af-
ter the accident. It was with the deep
est feeling of regret that the people
of this city learned of the death Of
Howard Staples, last Saturday morn
ing. He was injured in collision be-
tween two switch engines at five thir-
ty a. NJ, and the end came at seven
forty-five.
Staples was running engine Is, do
ing work in the west end of the yards,
and had been down after coal and
water. Engine 545, known as the
tramp, because it does work in all
sections of the yard, was switching
on the house track, near the transfer
platform. No. Is was facing east and
545 was headed west.
Staples engine had come down the
main line from the coal shute and
was running very slowly, going over
the cross over onto the west end lead.
In the meantime No. 545 was switch
ing back and forth, the engine crew,
consisting of engineer McEackron and
fireman Bob Conway, having no idea
that there was another engine in the
vicinity.
Before engine rs had passed into
clear" the other engine backed into
her, the rear of the tank on 545 strik-
ing the rear of the cab on the other
engine. Staples was caught between
the cab and the boiler and crushed
frightfully. His right leg and left arm
were badly scalded and his body was
a mass of cuts and bruises. His fire.
man, Joe Ryan, Litchfield boy, was
also hurt, his back and shoulder be-
ing badly bruised.
With a grinding, gnashing roar, en-
gine 545 swept the right side of the
other engine clean, taking the cab,
whistle, bell, steam chest, sand dome,
pump and running board off the boiler.
The boiler was also punctured and the
steam and hot water escaped with a
roar that was heard for blocks away.
The unfortunate engineer was ex-
tricated from the wreckage as soon
as possible and taken at once to the
"AAAAA0A AOop1LdA, "uC1c 1c was S1V6u
the best of medical care, but he was
unable to rally from the shock, and
althO conscious all the time, the end
came at seven forty-five, two hours
and fifteen minutes after the accident
happened.
Steam and hot water poured from
the boiler of Is thru the runway on
No. 545, and McEackron and Conway
were blinded for moment. They
jumped from the fireman's side of the
cab, however, thus miraculously es-
Gaping bad scalding Engine 545
was battered to some extent, but was
able to run under her own steam after
the trucks under the tank, were back
on the track.
The wreckage was cleared away in
a hurry, altho No. % was delayed
about forty minutes.
Paul Howard Staples was born on
March 10, 1884, in Anoka county, this
state. Here he lived during his boy
hood days, until he was seventeen
years of age. His education was re-
.ceived in the grammar school. At the
conclusion of his schooling, he entered
the employ of the Great Northern rail.
road, and for the past ten years he
was in the engine service, with head.
quarters in this city.
On Dec. 20, 1906, Mr.. STAPLES was