CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE AND ST. PAUL RAILROAD
ACCIDENT RECORD, 1907-1909
Kittitas County
S through Z

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SABBIE
SCHURHAMMER / SCHUMANN
SHRESGREEN
SIVERSON
SLATER
SMITH, Arnold
SMITH, Joe 2 listed
SORUKOVICH
STALEE
SUGRUE
SWEENEY
THORSON
TOPLA
VERNAND
WEGUEHART
WHITE
WILLIAMS, Geo.
WILLIAMS, Roy
WISMANN
WRIGHT

SABBIE, Henry
   17 Sept 1908, 4:45 p.m.; at Sta 4109, Br. #8, Rsy #11, JcrLine.
   Occupation, Bridgeman; residence, Kansas City, Mo;  single; age 26 years.
   Injury; seven cuts on face and neck and left foot sprained.  SABBIE taken to camp and
cleaned up while awaiting arrival of doctor.  
   Was engaged with (unreadable word) placing stringers, carrying same out on bridge.  He was
on cap while one was passing and dolly ran off stringer on which it was running.  SABBIE tried
to keep it on but couldn't and losing his balance, turned and jumped to rock dump 32 feet
below, striking his left foot, then pitching forward on his face.  
   Witnesses:  Bert COLLINS, foreman; Robt MISNER, scratcher; A. JACOBSON, bridgeman.

SCHURHAMMER, Emil (Transcriber's note: Named as Schurhammerat top of page; later as Schumann)
   4 April 1909, 5 p.m.; South Cle Elum.
   Iron Bridgeman; residence, Wabasha, Minn.; single; age 26 years.
   Injury; fourth and fifth toes of his right foot cut off;  bone of third toe broken,
and scalp wound.  Dr. KEARBY, Cle Elum.  Taken to Cle Elum hospital.
   They were lifting one end of the turntable when the boom line on the derrick car broke
and the boom came down in some way, striking SCHURMANN on the foot.  He then fell about ten
feet and struck the concrete circle to the turntable, causing the scalp wound.
   Witnesses:  Henry DUSHANE, foreman, Hastings, Neb.; Holsey G. RILEY, Fr. Brdgman, Marion,
Iowa; Herbert GRONET, fr. Brdgman, Prairie du Chein, Wis.
   Report by G. H. JAMESON, timekeeper.

SHRESGREEN, Fred
   30 Nov 1908, 4:30 p.m.; between Ellensburg and Murdock.
   Occupation, tapeman; employee of company; single; 19 years of age.
   Injury; first finger on left hand cut off.  Dr. TAYLOR. 
   SHESGREEN was going from Ellensburg to Murdock on a speeder when he claims he felt cog
wheels grating and put his left hand down to see what was wrong. His glove became caught,
drawing his finger into cog wheels.      
   Witnesses: None, was alone.

SIVERSON, John
   15 July 1907, daytime; Sta. 853+50, Easton.
   Occupation, laborer;  residence, unknown;  marital status, unknown; age 35 years.
   Injury; left wrist broken and severely bruised, also head cut.  Dr. KEARBY, Cle Elum.
Injured person placed in Hospital, Cle Elum.
   SIVERSON was trimming up the rock slopes when a rock above him that he was trying to take
down, came down unexpected and he jumped and fell about 35 feet into the cut, several yards
of rock rolling down on him.        
   Witnesses:  Fred JOHNSON, foreman, Easton.
   Report by D. SCHUETZ, Res. Engr., Res. #4, Easton.

SLATER, William L.
   15 July 1907, 7:30 p.m.; at about 2 1/2 miles west of Ellensburg.
   Occupation, timber inspector;  residence, Ellensburg;  married; age 62.
   Injury; left shoulder fractured and scalp wound on head. Dr. J. C. McCAULEY, Ellensburg.
   While on way home from Taneum Canyon, a passing traction engine scared SLATER's horse,
throwing him into a ditch among rocks.  
   Witnesses:  Rufus FIELDS, Ellensburg; A. S. TANNER, Ellensburg.

SMITH, Arnold
   29 Nov 1908; 11 a.m.; at Boylston.
   Employee of company; age 24.
   Injury; strained back.  Dr. TAYLOR.
   While bending over loosening a rail to the ground, the weight sprained his back. 
   Witnesses:  Fred LYONS, laborer.

SMITH, Joe
   11 July 1908; 9 p.m.; at Sta. 97, HiLine West, Res. #1.
   Mucker; single; age 23.
   Injury; badly lacerated about face and cut on right side.  Dr. JUDAH, hospital foot of
Lake Keechelus.
   A number of bulldozers had been fired, and after men had been cleaning up for about
10 minutes, a shot suddenly went off.  Probably some powder thrown off from previous shot.  
   Witnesses:  Louis LARSEN, Port Orchard; Alex MATTSON.

SMITH, Joe
   25 August 1908; 9 a.m.; at End of Track, Cle Elum.
   Employee; about 35 years old.
   Injury; instep bruised.  Dr. FELCH; sent to hospital at Ellensburg.
   SMITH rolling ties from car onto train.  Pulled tie from top of pile which struck him
on foot. 
   Reported by J. E. HAWLEY.

SORUKOVICH, Morj
   14 Sept 1908, 8:30 a.m.; at Sta 4691, Johnson Cr. Line, Ashby Sta.
   Laborer employed by JACOBSON & LINDSTROM; residence, Wadisa Kisteland, Austria; single;
age 20.
   Died; neck broken and head cut.  Dr. T. C. BALDWIN, Beverly, Wa.  Body turned over to coroner.
   Cause of accident not known.  Accident happened while tamping black powder into about 6'
deep hole.  Other men, except men killed, were facing cut and did not see men loading.
(Transcriber's note:  See also entries for Mike JOVNICH and Wm. CARLSON in same accident.)
   Witnesses: Joseph POURPONT, Wadisa, Kisteland, Austria; Mila STA. SONLAVICH, Ziminia Leka,
Austria; Glisa STA. SONLAVICH, Ziminia Leka, Austria; Joe STA. SONLAVICH, Ziminia Leka, Austria.  

STALEE, Paul
   3 Dec 1908, 7 a.m.; at Sta 2868.
   Employee of company; age 40; single.
   Injury, smashed fingers.  Dr. W. A. TAYLOR.  Was taken in by hand car immediately to the
FELCH hospital in Ellensburg. 
   Frosty morning and the jack was slippery and came off the rail and caught his fingers.  He
was bracing ties while back tieing. 
   Witnesses:  J. BOOKER, laborer.

SUGRUE, John
   14 Nov 1907, 4:30 p.m.; at Murdock Material Yard.
   Occupation, laborer; residence, unknown; single; age 50.
   Injury, head gash.  Dr. FELCH, Ellensburg.
   While unloading rails, SUGRUE slipped and fell on a needle bar, cutting a gash about
3 inches long on head, nothing serious.  
   Witnesses:  Jno. COLLINS, laborer; Thos. McFALL, laborer. 
   Reported by W. R. McDONALD, Material Clerk.

SWEENEY, Patrick
   16 Sept 1908, 2:30 p.m.; at Br. #9, Sta 4115, Resy #12, J. Cr Line.
   Laborer; residence, Brocton, Mass; single; age 38 years.
   Injury; big toe of right foot pierced by pick, not serious.  No doctor called.  Man
remaining in camp.
   SWEENEY was working on force account excavating pits for bridge foundations.  He had a
sharp pick with which struck a stone and it glanced (the pick) and struck his foot,
penetrating foot.  
   Witnesses: No eyewitnesses. 
   Reported by D. F. CLARK, foreman.

THORSON, J.
   8 May 1907, about 3:00 p.m.; at Sta 179+6- to Sta 183+50.
   Occupation, Stationman under O E. OLSON & Co.; residence, unknown;  marital status, unknown.
   Died; killed in explosion Powder House.  Deputy Coroner, Ellensburg.
   Exact cause of accident not known. THORSEN and Carl LEE were in the powder house, supposedly
thawing dynamite when the explosion occured, killing both men.  
   Witnesses: None.

TOPLA, John
   23 Feb 1907; at Sta 514 West Tunnel Approach.
   Occupation, laborer; residence, Finland;  marital status, unknown.
   Injury; eye scratched and bruised.  Dr. D. O. KEARBY, Cle Elum.  Doctor called by
E. G. NELSON.
   Was struck in the eye with a piece of rock being broken with hammers.  TOPLA stayed at
Cle Elum Hospital till he received treatment then went to Seattle among friends.  
   Witnesses:  E. G. NELSON, foreman, Easton; Ole LINDGREN, Easton; B. SMITH, Easton.

VERNAND, W. S.
   23 July 1907; at Sta. 2750, Thorp, Wa.
   Occupation, unknown; residence, unknown; marital status, unknown.
   Injury;  cut on head.  No attending surgeon.
   VERNAND was struck by a water barrel, which slipped from a rope, while being lowered from
pile driver engine, which was on a trestle 15 feet above the ground.
   Witnesses: none.
   Report by C. J. BARTHOLET, Res. Engr.,Res. #8, Thorp.

WEGUEHART, M.
   20 August 1908, 10 a.m.; at End of Track, Cle Elum.
   Age 28.
   Injury; bruised toe.  Dr. FELCH; sent to hospital at Ellensburg.
   WEGUEHART was engaged in loading ties, rolling same from loaded car onto train attached at
side of car.  He moved tie from bottom of pile, thereby loosening those above and causing one
to fall which struck him on toe.  Injured man states that the accident was due to his own
carelessness.
   Witnesses:  Jerry COAKLEY, H. C. HENRY.

WHITE, James
   11 April 1909, 9:30 a.m.; Murdock.
   Employee of company at Material Yard; no home; Single; age 51 years.
   Injury; right leg bruised between ankle and knee. Dr. TAYLOR, Ellensburg.
   While unloading lumber from car, he carelessly stepped too near to the car from which
lumber was being pushed off and a stick struck him on the leg.  No defective tools or machinery.
   Witnesses:  Albert TODD, Cooksville, Ontario, Canada; L. MULLANEY, Marshall, Minn;
W. P. MILES, Ellensburg.

WILLIAMS, Geo.
   20 Mar 1909, 9:45 a.m.; Murdock.
   Employee; laborer; single; age 35.
   Injury; top of thumb on right hand pinched off.  Dr. TAYLOR.
   While loading steel, got his finger caught between two rails.
   Witnesses:  Jno BURKE, John COLLINS, Jack DONNELLY, all laborers from Murdock.
   Reported by E. SHESGREEN, Matl Clerk.

WILLIAMS, Roy D.
   29 Oct 1908, 2:30 p.m.; Tunnel #47; Train Work Extra.
   Foreman, BoB Dept. Employee of company; married; age 30 years.
   Injury; left hip bruised.  Dr. TAYLOR, Ellensburg.
   Work Train was backing up from Dudley Rock spur to Horlick, when we struck speeder on Main
Line about the center of Tunnel 47, causing accident.  WILLIAMS was off of the speeder, must
have been struck with part of speeder.  We had some cars and caboose in train. Running at rate
of about 10 mi per hour.  
   Witnesses:  W. B. BASFORD, Murdock, Wa.
   Report by P. H. SHINDAY, conductor.

WISMANN, G.
   29 Dec 1907, 10:00 a.m.; at Murdock Material Yard.
   Occupation, laborer;  residence, unknown.
   Unloading timber, had his foot caught between two 12x12's, pinching some badly.  No bones
broken.
   Report by M. R. McDONALD, Material Clerk.

WRIGHT, W. A.
   2 Sept 1908, 3 p.m.; at Easton.
   Employee; laborer; age 23.
   Injury; two bruised fingers on left hand.  No physician required.  Remained in camp
according to own wish.  
   WRIGHT helping to load rails from ground onto car.  Fingers pinched between rail which was
being lifted and one remaining on ground.  
   Witnesses: J. COOKLEY, H. C. HENRY.