ENGIN {sp} COLLISION

Between Two Mammoth Freight Engines Monday Morning

A genuine collision between two freight engines of the mammoth type occurred just two blocks west of the Great Northern passenger station at about 5:45 last Friday morning. Engine 1622, drawing a west bound through freight collided with engine 1124, which was drawing a work train. Fortunately no one was hurt, engineer and firemen of both engines seeing their danger and jumping before the accident occurred.

As near as can be learned Engineer Henderson of the work train is responsible for the wreck. It seems that the west bound freight had but just pulled out after being made up. As it was passing the old junction of the Farmers' road, the work train made its appearance from the opposite direction, having just pulled out of the round house. Thinking that he could make the switch before the freight came upon him, Engineer Henderson attempted this feat. However, it resulted disastrously, and the two iron monsters crashed together. Henderson stated that he could have stopped his engine in time to avert the collision had his train been supplied with air brakes.

As the collision occurred on the main track, traffic was blocked for several hours. Fortunately the early morning passenger had already gone through, so that the only trains that were delayed were the freights. A large force of men had a side track built by nine o'clock and No. 2 was enabled to pass through.

A large number of people visited the scene of the wreck throughout the day, as it was only a few minutes walk from the heart of the city. The wrecker, that monster derrick that lifts heavy engines as if they were things of paper, removed the wreckage by nightfall. The demolished engines were taken to the round house, where they are now undergoing repairs. It was indeed hard to tell which one was the most seriously damaged, as they were both pretty badly scraped up. The left side of 1622 was stripped by the collision.

Devils Lake Inter-Ocean, 9/6/1907