Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1915-10-21
TRAIN NO, 7 C0Ll|DES
WITH STOCK TRAIN
Fatal Railroad Accident Near
Sterling.

At 2:15 pm. Saturday passenger
train No. Z, westbound, ran into am
eastbOund extra stock train at Ango-
ra, passenger station between Dris
coll and Sterling, about three miles,
from the latter place. The two.
trains had orders to meet and pass
at AngOra and the extra stock train
had just pulled into the station and
come to stop on the main line
where No. ran into the stock train.
Engineer John Wantland of the
passenger train was killed and Fire.
man Martin Fitzjar, also of the pas,
senger train, was injured, just how
severely is not known. 1t was re-
ported that several passengers were,
badly shaken up, but no one serious
ly hurt
|, Conductor pelmore of the passen-
ger train Gs slightly injured but
was abIesyo be around and assist in
the care of those less fortunate
None Of the trainmen Of the stock
train are reported hurt.
NO. is the local westbound pas
senger and left jamestown about Is
minutes late, or near noon.
A wrecking train was made up and
sent west at $3.50 to assist in the
work required at the wreck.
Engineer Wantland was one of the
oldest passenger engineers on the
line and has made jamestown his
home for long time. He was un-
married and was highly respected
citizen, whose death will be sincere
ly regretted.
This is the first accident of any
consequence to a Northern Pacific.
passenger train in many months ON
this division.
The wrecking train was accompan-
led by Trainmaster Wilder and H. c..
Flint and the Northern Pacific ply
sician.
There is no telegraph station at
Angora and the particulars of the
wreck were difficult to learn from a.
phone on account of confusion andl
the instrument not working PROPERLY,
The side track 10 on q curve and al
engineer of a westbound train In ap-
preaching cannot tell whether the
switch is properly set for passing on
to the sidetrack or not. This may
have had something to do with, Noa
Z going into the stock train.
Engineer Wantland was about 50
years old and has been for Thirty
years in the employ Of the Northern
Pacific, most of the time as passen-.
ger engineer. He has no relatives
here but has brother, who is chief
of the Southern Pacific railroad reaI
estate deparement at Los Angeles.
His old home was in Baltimore
where his mother died last fall.
Further Account of the Wreck Near
Sterling.
Additional particulars of the wreck
near Sterling Saturday afternoon
show that the lives Of passengers
and crew Of No. were no doubt
saved by the conduct Of Engineer
Wantland, who stuck to his post in a.
brave endeavor to stop the traiIs
when he could have jumped aBUl
saved himself. Fireman Martin
TitJar was told by the engineer to
Jump from the engine, which he aid,
and escaped with only slight Injuries
on the ankle and shoulder.
The impact Of No. Z into the
freight engine standing on the main
track was terrific. The passenger
train was running about thirty-1ive
miles an hour and the force of the
collision was seen in the damage to
the engines. Both engines were
smashed and that of the stock train
was pushed backwards and upwards
The steam valves on both engines
were torn away and the escaping
steam and the whistles made q re-
gular pandemonium. Two carloads
of shingles Immediately behind the
freight engine were crushed together
like paper boxes, but they acted as;
a sort of cushion and saved q harder
shock for the passenger train. Near
ly all the seats in the smoking car
we're torn loose from the floor.
There were a number of passen-
gers from jamestown on the train-
who were more or less shaken up.
None of the passengers we're serious
ly injured. Mrs. Mack Sinclair, wio'
was in one Of the coaches. was;
thrown heavily forward against the
seat in front, her eyeglasses we're
broken and q cut received over one
eye. Mrs. Frank Cook was also
PASSENGER on the train. as we'll as