A Dangerous Fall at the Calispel Spur
A railroad inspector suffers a broken collarbone after stepping off a train in the dark and falling twenty feet into the river bank.
A Westinghouse air brake inspector named Farmer was badly injured near Cusick Saturday evening. He was on the local freight, which had stopped to do some work at the Calispel spur. The train stopped with the caboose on the bridge and Farmer, not being aware of the location of the car, stepped off and fell to the river bank, a distance of about 20 feet. He suffered the breaking of a collar bone and severe bruises. A special train was run from Spirit Lake to take the injured man to the hospital at that place.
“The train stopped with the caboose on the bridge and Farmer, not being aware of the location of the car, stepped off and fell to the river bank.”
Railroad work in the early 20th century was notoriously hazardous, with workers often facing injury due to poor lighting and dangerous terrain. This incident highlights the physical risks inherent in the rapid expansion of regional rail infrastructure during the era.
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