This is a rewrite of the news story in the Hazen Star, Hazen North Dakota.  They also got my dad’s name wrong and I believe it is because they got it from the Bismarck Tribune.

R. R. Rogers of Glendive Mont., student on a south bound N. P. freight, was killed and his engineer was scalded and bruised when their smacked headon into another freight near Harmon Monday night.

The engineer, Joe Wirtz, of Mandan, jumped from the locomotive seconds before the impact, but was bruised in the fall and suffered from scalds from the engine steam.  The engineer and fireman of the north bound freight pulling empties jumped from their locomotive when they saw the approaching freight had not stopped at Harmon, where the two were to meet on a siding.  Art Hammeral, engineer, and Andy Ehlis, fireman. Both of Mandan, managed to get about 200 feet away from the  tracks before the crash occurred.

The locomotives were wrecked and about 15 cars were derailed.  Some of the derailed cars were a mess of twisted wreckage.  The engines remained on the tracks but part of both tenders were derailed.

INSERT TO THE STORY IN THE HAZEN STAR:


The wreck at Harmon Monday night interrupted passenger and freight service all along the North Branch this week.

The Goose was held up at Killdeer for a while Tuesday morning and did not go thru Hazen until 10:35 and then went only as far as Sanger.  Baggage, express, and mail were taken from the train at Sanger to Mandan by truck and north bound mail was brought from Mandan by truck.  Not only did the railroad have to resort to the use of trucks, but the truck bringing the mail to Sanger broke down about two miles from there, further delaying the delivering of the mail.

The passenger went thru Hazen at 12:35 p. m. Wednesday and went as far as Harmon with trucks handling the mail from Mandan to Harmon.