The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-02-13
VETERAN ENG|NEMAN
shut THROTTLE AS
engine LEFT TRACK
Head and Part Of Body ScaIded
BY Escaping Steam, Off.
Gals Report
NO PASSENGERS INJURED
Fireman Leaps to Safety As
Mishap Occurs Between 3
Steele and Dawson

Harry Middaugh, 60-year-old North.
ern Pacific engineer from jamestown.
was killed about $40 o'clock Sunday
night when the engine and two bag
gage cars of the westbound Nortl,
Coast Limited we're derailed midway
between Dawson and Steele, the en-
CINE turning on its side.
Fireman Edward A. Miller. Of Man.
dan. and scores of trainmen and pas
sengers on the nine coach train e..
capped injury.
The derailment occurred at Siftor
siding. about four miles from Steele
and the same distance from Dawson.
Steele is IS miles east OF Bismarck.
Miller escaped injury by leapinR
from the cab onto web OF telegraph
wires at the side Of the l5-foot grade
He lowered himself to the ground
without harm.
A faulty rail IS believed to have been
the cause Of the mishap.
Apparently the rear end Of the en-.
CINE left the tracks first. The rear
END OF the engine was off the road.
bed but the front had dug itself into
the ties when the massive iron horse
simulated slight nose dive.
Had Thrown Brakes
Engineer Middaugh, who had one.
rated between jamestown and Man.
dan for years. had closed the throt-
tie. thrown on the air brakes and
opened the cab window before he was
killed. He had taken one glove Oft.
His body was found half In tho cab
and half outside. He was lying on his
back. An icch-long scalp wound In
dicated that he was knocked uncon-
scious Immediately. Escaping steam
scalded the exposed part Of his head
and body on one side
All OF the trainmen and most Of the
passengers remained on the train
overnight, coming into Bismarck at :
O'Clock Monday morning. All available
berths on the four Pullman cars were
made up for the use Of passengers
and the coaches were kept warm with
coal heaters throughout the night.
Some Of the passengers came to
Bismarck during the night by automo-
bile, some Capital City residents hav-
ing driven to the derailment scene.
Middaughs body was taken to
Jamestown on No. 4. east-bound local,
which had been held up at Dawson
with faulty tire"
Trains had been running late most
OF last week due to the five-day bliz-
bard and both No. I, the wrecked
train, and No. were behind schedule.
No. was due in Bismarck at 7:45
p m. while No. had left the Capt..
tai City shortly before p. m. They
had passed when the n1ishap occurred
but after leaving Dawson, No. 1 re-
turned for repairs to its driver.
Service Not Interrupted
Train service Monday was not In
terrupted or delayed by the accident,
local railroad officials said.
Wrecking crews were sent to Sifton
siding Immediately after the mishap
from both Jamestown and Mandan
and cranes had the derailed engine
and baggage cars back on the tracks
a. daylight.
Though railroad men believed a
faulty rail caused the accident, they
say also that faulty tire" on q rear
wheel might have been responsible.
The tracks are laid with 90-lb. steel.
The engine was badly twisted and
damaged.
The dead engineers son. q high
school youth. had been in Bismarck
over the weekend. He had returned
home Sunday forenoon on No. 2, over
the same rails on which his father was
to meet death several hours later.
Railroad men say the train prob
ably was moving SO miles per hour
when the mishap occurred.
Engineer Middaugh was cousin OF
r. A. Middaugh, 307 Fourth st.. Bis
marck. A brother Of the accident vie.
tim. Luke Middaugh. Fargo, Is . con.
ductor on the Northern Pacific lire.
Middaugh was born at Owatonna,
Mimi. Dec. 20. 1873. He entered the
Northern Pacific service as . fireman
Sept. 3, 1890, and was promoted t.
engineer Aug. q, 1901. He leaves his
widow and his son, Donald. James-
town hirh school student