Tuesday, December 5, 2017

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 5

December 5, 1905 – The third crossing accident to take place in St. Cloud in the past ten years occurred just before noon today, when a heavily loaded Great Northern freight train crashed into No. 5, west-bound, Northern Pacific local at the East side crossing.



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The passenger train was 25 minutes late and did not get under way until a few minutes before noon. The crossing is about a thousand feet west of the station, and as the engineer pulled out he noticed the freight approaching the crossing slowly. He was almost upon the crossing when he was horrified to find that the freight could not stop, and to save being cut in two with the incident and great loss of life, he pulled the throttle wide open in the hope of clearing with the train before the freight struck the crossing. The train leaped forward, but the Great Northern engine caught the front end of the last car, known as the Bemidji Coach, tipping it over on its side, and dragging it a few feet.


The car was packed with passengers and great excitement followed. The passengers were thrown in every direction, many coming in contact with broken window glass.


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Those in the forward cars and the uninjured in the Bemidji car immediately busied themselves extricating the wounded and removing them to the ambulance for the hospital and hotels.

Three doctors and trained nurses were sent from the Northern Pacific sanitarium, Brainerd, but arrived too late. The local physician did everything possible, and the train crew and local representatives of the company exerted every effort to assist the injured.

Cool-headedness and good judgement on the part of Engineer Willis doubtless averted a terrible loss of life. Engineer A. B. Kenyon of the Great Northern freight, says he did everything in his power to stop his train, but could not do so. He had a heavy train behind him and had just come down the Elk River hill, but insists he had the train under control on the hill and was creeping along slowly.

He says there must have been something wrong with the air. He stuck to his post, but the fireman jumped.

The Great Northern engine was derailed and the front end wrecked.


The Minneapolis Tribune; “Many Are Injured in St. Cloud Wreck. Several Twin City People Meet with Minor Accident in Train Collision—T. A. Taylor, Minneapolis, Was Most Seriously Hurt.”; Dec. 6, 1905; PP. 1 & 2.
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If you are interested in finding out more about your family history in Minnesota, I specialize in researching  genealogical and historical records in Minn. and western Wis., including:
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