Enderlin, ND Train Wreck, Dec 1906

TEN DEAD IN WRECK.

TRAIN ON SOO ROAD MEETS WITH A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.

TWENTY-FIVE PERSONS HURT.

PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION DASHES INTO SWITCH ENGINE -- FLAMES MADE IT NECESSARY FOR RESCUERS TO WORK RAPIDLY -- INJURED TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.

St. Paul, Dec. 24. -- Ten persons are known to be dead, six others are fatally injured and at least twenty-five others were hurt in the wreck Sunday of an eastbound accommodation train on the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie railroad at Enderlin, N. D.
The train from Moose Jaw Canada is due at Enderlin at 11:45 p. m., but Saturday night was about two hours late. The engineer was running at high speed in an endeavor to make up the lost time.
As he swung around a curve just before entering the yards at Enderlin, a switch engine was shifting a string of box cars to a side track. The cars did not clear the main track and the passenger engine collided head on with the switch engine.
Both engines were wrecked and the passenger cars were thrown in confusion down a small embankment at the side of the track. Several of the day coaches were turned bottom side up and the passengers pinned beneath the wreckage, which took fire from the car stoves.
The passenger train was heavily loaded with people going to spend the holidays. Most of the casualties occurred in the smoking car, and first day coach, both of which were splintered.
Enderlin is the divisional headquarters of the railroad, and a rescue party was soon at hand endeavoring to release the imprisoned passengers. Many persons were in iminent danger from the flames, which were fast spreading through the cars. Axes were wielded by willing hands, and the roofs of the overturned cars were broken open and the dead and injured taken out as quickly as possible.
It was a race between the rescuers and the flames, but by herculean efforts all of the injured were removed before the flames reached them.
Ten dead bodies were taken out and laid beside the track, while the injured were taken in hastily improvised ambulances to hospitals and hotels.

The Daily Chronicle Marshall Michigan 1906-12-24

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