The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1923-05-18
SHOCKING
ACCIDENT
Engineer and Brakeman OH OrOville.
Princeton Run Seriously Scalded
When Engine Strikes Cars.

One of the most shocking accidents
| that has ever occurred on the Great
Northern railroad in this part Of the
state happened about IL o'clock We'd
| nesday morning when engine No. 304,
in charge of Engineer Dave Williams
and Fireman Norman Bradbury, at
| tached to train No. 1896, bound for
Princeton and in charge of Conductor
Chas. Sterling and Brakemen T. l..
Clark and X. H. Beck, ran into a string
| of flat cars between KeremeOs and
Hedley. The head of the engine was
| driven in, bursting the flues and the
steam and fire was forced into the en-
gine cab, severely burning Engineer
Williams about the left foot and leg
up to the knee and the right foot,
while Brakeman Beck, wao was riding
in the. cab, was SO severely burned
and scalded that little hope is held out
for his recovery.
At the present time section gangs
are working on the road bed between
Oroyille and Princeton. and 1t has
been the practice Of the trains to drop
flat cars loaded with rock at the
points where work was in progress.
Monday the train returning from Prin-
ceton with Engineer Johnson in
charge dropped some flats at point
between Hedley and Keremeos. En-
gineer Williams took out the train
Wednesday morning. He had orders
to pick up the cars at a certain point
on the line where they were supposed
! to be- Rounding a curve mile south
of the point designated as the place
where the cars were to be taken up
Fireman Bradbury suddenly shouted
that the cars were Immediately ahead.
Bradbury jumped through the cab WIN
dow upon the running board, but be-
fore Engineer Williams could act the
engine, running about Is miles an hour.
ran into the stationary cars head on.
The head Of the engine was driven in
bursting the flues. The engine Is an
oil burner and the steam and flames
were driven into the cab. Earl Beck,
the head brakeman, who was riding
| WITH the engine crew. was standing
in front of the fire box and the en-
gineer was seated on his elevated seat.
.. While the steam struck Mr.. Williams
only on the feet and legs the full force
of the fire and steam struck young
Beck, burning and scalding him in a
frightful manner. He was conveyed by
auto to the hospital at Hedley. 1t was
found that he was burned from his
chin to his feet and wnen his clothes
were removed most of the skin came
off his body. The physicians at the
hospital stated that the unfortunate
young man could hardly possibly live
more than two or three days.
Earl Beck is the son of Mr.. and Mrs.
r. H. Beck of this place, Mr.. Beck
holding the position of day operator
at the depot. Mr.. and Mrs. Beck and
their younger son Ralph Immediately
left for Hedley as soon as word OF the
accident was received. Mr.. Beck and
his son returned to Oroville Wednes-
day evening while the mother remain
ed at the bedside of her son.
Word was conveyed to the railroad
authorities that DR.. Gerhardt, COM
pany physician at Wenatchee, had
saved the life of a railroad engineer
some years ago who had been burned
by steam as severely as young Beck.
That information reached headquar-
ters at $3.50 Thursday morning and
upon orders Of the company DR.. Ger
hardt left Wenatchee by airplane at
S:15 for Hedley to take charge OF the
| injured man.