From the Leavenworth "Echo."
May 19, 1916
Bad Freight Wreck On Great Northern
Near Soap Lake, Wednesday Morning-Track
Men Blundered in Removing Rail Without Giving Warning
One of the worst freight wrecks that
has occurred on the Great Northern in a long time took place west of
Ephrata, near Soap Lake station, Wednesday morning about nine
o'clock, when an east-bound freight train of seventy-odd cars drawn
by one of the big Mallette engines went off the track and piled some
fifteen cars, partly covering the engine. Cars of oil which were in
the wreckage took fire and some fifteen loaded cars and the engine
were destroyed. The train crew blew up several cars with dynamite to
break the contact and thus saved the balance of the train.
The wreck was caused by the track
repair men having removed rails and failed to put up a warning sign
as the rules provide. Fortunately no one was hurt. The engine men
having had time to jump.
The arrival of trains No. 1, due here
at 2 a. m. and 43 due at 3:45 was delayed eleven hours. In the
destruction of property and loss to the company the amount will
figure up over a hundred thousand dollars. The engine, which was
covered with oil and wreckage, is declared by railroad men to be a
total wreck, the heat having bent and twisted the iron out of shape.
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