The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-05-23
Thomas Lewis and Madge Ruth
Olsen of Sleepy Eye, Hit
By Freight Train.

Escaping death miraculously.
Thomas Lewis of Sleepy Eye, son OF
Supt. and Mrs. T. E. Lewis, and Miss
Madge Ruth Olsen, both students at
the Sleepy Eye high school, were
struck by an east bound freight train
while riding in the Lewis Oakland
sedan, shortly before nine o'clock last
Wednesday evening at the railroad
crossing near the greenhouse in the
west part of Sleepy Eye.
The near tragedy was witnessed
by only half dozen residents in that
part of the city, and among the first
to arrive at the scene of the accident
was John Tierney, section foreman,
and his son Lawrence. They saw
the car drive on the crossing in front
of the engine, saw it hoisted into the
air by the cow-catcher and then ran
to the rescue.
The train, a mile-long freight, was
able to come to stop within less
than block after striking the Oak
land sedan and, although the engineer
is said not to have seen the car drive
on the track in front of the engine,
he knew it the minute the accident
happened and Immediately applied
the brakes. In an interview Mr.. Tier
ney, the section foreman, told US that
when they ran to the rescue they
went to the crossing expecting to find
the wreckage of the car at this point,
but instead the train had dragged
the car for a distance of about $50
feet and when the train stopped the
car was hanging to box car behind
the engine and the tender.
Both the boy and girl were found
in the shell TO the wreckage when
residents of the neighborhood arriv-
ed at the scene, and it is said that
young Lewis had already emerged
from the pile of debris and was try
ing to help the girl. The car was one
of the worst wrecks which has ever
occurred at Sleepy Eye and it is sur
prising how the two escaped with as
few injuries as they had
The girl, a daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Henry Olsen of near Evan, SEEM
ed to be hurt quite badly at the time
and was rushed to the hospital at
New Ulm a few minutes after the
accident. Although badly cut and
bruised about the body and limbs, it
was found that she was suffering
mostly from shock that her condi-
ton was apparently nothing serious.
Young Lewis stated that he saw the
approaching train too late and that
he was on the crossing before he saw
the engine. A second later the en-
CINE crashed into the center of the
car, turned it almost completely
around, and that was the last they
remembered until the train came to
a stop. The girl was carried to the
Bertrand home where she remained
until DR.. j. w. B. Welcome arrived
to take her to the hospital. Lewis
only injuries were cuts about his left
hand and few minor bruises.
1t is believed that when the lad
saw the train he applied the brakes,
for marks on the crossing showed
that the wheels had slid for a dis
lance of few feet. The boy stated
this morning, however, that he does
not remember applying the brakes,
The wreckage was removed from
the tracks and deposited at the side
of the track where the East Side gar
age force later gathered up what was
left and hauled it to the garage.
Glass and metal parts of the car were
strewn along the track for distance
of $50 feet.-Sleepy Eye Herald Dis
patch.