ONLY A BROKEN RAIL.

But It Wrecked a Train and killed a Fireman.

A SAD ACCIDENT AT 21ST AV N.

A Switching Engine and Cars Derailed - The Engineer, Too, Was Badly Hurt - The Soo's Escape.

A broken rail on the Northern Pacific tracks at 1st st N. just above 20th av, wrecked a switch engine and train last evening and resulted in the death of C. H. Davis, the fireman, and painful injuries to Charles Johnson, the engineer. The engine and four cars were thoroughly demolished.

The engine was switch engine No. 331 on its way to the yards in Northeast Minneapolis. It had just crossed the bridge at 20th av N when it jumped the rails. At this juncture both the engineer and fireman jumped from the cab. The fireman, who went over the right side of the cab was run over by cars behind. C. Johnson, the engineer, was badly scalded by the escaping steam.

When Coroner Towers reached the spot about 9:30 last evening the locomotive was in the roadway of 1st st. After leaving the rails it had run along the ties for about 50 feet, turning to the left, crossing the double tracks and plunging over a four-foot embankment and ditch.

About 50 feet farther north on the tracks lay the tank and tender of the engine, completely turned over, while a flat car had found its way half over the tank, and two box cars, in a more or less wrecked condition, completed the pile. Halfway between the wrecked engine and the cars lay the body of C. H. Davis, the fireman. It was terribly mangled. The skull had been crushed, and the brains were scattered for several yards along the track. The clothing had been torn to shreds, and the left leg was almost severed from the body at the thigh. Coroner Towers, after viewing the body, ordered the remains removed to Connolly's morgue.

An examination of the broken rail showed that the flat part of the rail resting on the ties had been broken for some time, leaving it rusted badly. The "Soo" passenger train would have passed over the same tracks only 20 minutes later, and it was a fortunate thing for "Soo" passengers that the accident happened to the freight train. A large wrecking crew was occupied late into the night cleaning the tracks.

Davis' parents reside in Ontario, Canada, his father being a physician of that city. The remains will be shipped there. Two brothers of the deceased fireman reside at Brainerd.