Blagsvedt, Charles died 1908

BLAGSVEDT

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 4/24/2013 at 05:44:06

Postville Review, Fri., 20 Mar. 1908.

Chas. Blagsvedt, a brakeman on the Calmar-Decorah branch of the Milwaukee, was crushed between the cars at Decorah last week Thursday and died the following day from injuries. The Decorah Journal tells of the accident as follows:

There was occasion to couple on the car belonging to the "Gingerbread Man" troupe to the train and Charles stepped between the cars to do the work. Unfortunately he was on the inside of the sharp curve in the tracks by the depot and evidently forgot that where cars on a sharp curve are bumped together there is very little space left between the corners on the inner curve. It was a fatal oversight and he was crushed between the two cars, falling down the steep creek embankment when released. Five ribs were broken and he sustained other internal injuries of a frightful nature. He was tenderly taken to his home, where he died the following morning.

The funeral was held Sunday and is said to have been the largest ever held in Decorah; 138 from Calmar and 1? from Austin went over on a special train, and it is estimated fully 2, 000 were in attendance. Blagsvedt was 25 years of age and a most honrable and upright young man.

(Remainder cut off.)

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Note: The Iowa Gravestone Photo Project has a picture of his gravestone with dates and grouped with 7 other named Blagsvedt graves in Lutheran cemetery at Decorah.

Submitter is not related.

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