Astoria Argus Searchlight, March 31, 1904, Astoria, Illinois
A Boy Meets Awful Death
Frederick Bergquist Ground To Atoms In Attemping To Jump From A Swiftly Moving Freight Train On Sunday Morning.
With Three Companions the 14 year old lad visits Beardstown and is Killed on returning home.
The Coroner's Inquest
One of the most terrible and sorely distressing accidents that has occurred in Astoria in recent years took place at the C. B.& Q. depot in this city on Sunday morning of this week when a fast moving through freight train ran over and killed Frederick Nicholas Bergquist, the 14 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Bergquist, who reside about three miles east of Astoria.
From the evidence produced at the coroner's inquest it was found that in company with three neighbor boys of about his age Fred Bergquist had boarded a freight train at Astoria and "bummed" his way to Vermont. From there, by the same means, the boys had made their way to Beardstown Saturday evening.
At that place the youthful country lads, had visited a saloon, some of the company buying whiskey and beer which was sold to them without questions being asked.
Near the hour of midnight the quartette boarded a through freight train at Beardstown to again "bum" their way to Astoria.
The through train on which they were riding was due in Astoria at 12:37 a.m., and passed through on time, going at a high rate of speed. Evidently in attempting to leave the train Fred Bergquist fell beneath the wheels and his bright young life was summarily crushed out.
Immediately after the train passed through Myron McClelland found the mangled, bruised and bleeding body of the boy laying on the railroad track between the rails. His left leg was crushed off at the hip, his right severed at the knee, his hips crushed, his face cut and fearfully bruised, the body having been rolled in the grime and dirt beneath the train and cruel iron wheels until it presented a most gruesome sight, his features scarcely recognizable by his chums or near relative.
Doctors Bottorf and Price were at once summoned and responded quickly. They found the boy in a dying condition, his life fast ebbing away. The terrible shock was more than the human body could withstand. Knowing this the doctors did all they could to make him comfortable while the fleeting spirit remained in the wrecked and broken house of clay. He lived over four hours until 5 a.m. of Sunday, when the soul took its flight to the realms of the unknown beyond.
The body of the young man was taken to the undertaking parlors of J. B. Harris, where it was prepared for burial and later taken to the home of the boy's parents east of town.
Frederick Nicholas Bergquist was born November 4, 1889 and died March 27, 1904 aged 14 years, 4 months, and 23 days. He leaves a father, mother, a brother, and six sisters who are grief-stricken by his untimely demise. In their sorrow and deep affliction they have the sympathy of the whole community.
The funeral services were conducted at the Christian Church in this city on Tuesday afternoon of this week at 2 o'clock, Rev. J. W. Keefer, pastor of the church, officiating.
Sad indeed is the death of this young man. He is cut down in the very bloom of youth, when life seemed most bright and promising. Lured from a quiet, peaceful home he seeks the adventure of boarding a thunderous, swiftly gliding railroad train at the dead hour of midnight and is soon unceremoniously hurled into the blackness of an awful death.
Such is the dreadful fate of Fred Bergquist who for the first time experienced such an adventure. Dozens and dozens of boys and men in and about Astoria have for years past been courting such a fate by jumping off and on such trains and their lives have only been spared at times by merest chance. His sealed doom should stand out as a warning to all young men and boys practicing this habit. Parents and officials should use every effort to stop this practice. The laws are ample and should be enforced.
A Boy Meets Awful Death
Frederick Bergquist Ground To Atoms In Attemping To Jump From A Swiftly Moving Freight Train On Sunday Morning.
With Three Companions the 14 year old lad visits Beardstown and is Killed on returning home.
The Coroner's Inquest
One of the most terrible and sorely distressing accidents that has occurred in Astoria in recent years took place at the C. B.& Q. depot in this city on Sunday morning of this week when a fast moving through freight train ran over and killed Frederick Nicholas Bergquist, the 14 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Bergquist, who reside about three miles east of Astoria.
From the evidence produced at the coroner's inquest it was found that in company with three neighbor boys of about his age Fred Bergquist had boarded a freight train at Astoria and "bummed" his way to Vermont. From there, by the same means, the boys had made their way to Beardstown Saturday evening.
At that place the youthful country lads, had visited a saloon, some of the company buying whiskey and beer which was sold to them without questions being asked.
Near the hour of midnight the quartette boarded a through freight train at Beardstown to again "bum" their way to Astoria.
The through train on which they were riding was due in Astoria at 12:37 a.m., and passed through on time, going at a high rate of speed. Evidently in attempting to leave the train Fred Bergquist fell beneath the wheels and his bright young life was summarily crushed out.
Immediately after the train passed through Myron McClelland found the mangled, bruised and bleeding body of the boy laying on the railroad track between the rails. His left leg was crushed off at the hip, his right severed at the knee, his hips crushed, his face cut and fearfully bruised, the body having been rolled in the grime and dirt beneath the train and cruel iron wheels until it presented a most gruesome sight, his features scarcely recognizable by his chums or near relative.
Doctors Bottorf and Price were at once summoned and responded quickly. They found the boy in a dying condition, his life fast ebbing away. The terrible shock was more than the human body could withstand. Knowing this the doctors did all they could to make him comfortable while the fleeting spirit remained in the wrecked and broken house of clay. He lived over four hours until 5 a.m. of Sunday, when the soul took its flight to the realms of the unknown beyond.
The body of the young man was taken to the undertaking parlors of J. B. Harris, where it was prepared for burial and later taken to the home of the boy's parents east of town.
Frederick Nicholas Bergquist was born November 4, 1889 and died March 27, 1904 aged 14 years, 4 months, and 23 days. He leaves a father, mother, a brother, and six sisters who are grief-stricken by his untimely demise. In their sorrow and deep affliction they have the sympathy of the whole community.
The funeral services were conducted at the Christian Church in this city on Tuesday afternoon of this week at 2 o'clock, Rev. J. W. Keefer, pastor of the church, officiating.
Sad indeed is the death of this young man. He is cut down in the very bloom of youth, when life seemed most bright and promising. Lured from a quiet, peaceful home he seeks the adventure of boarding a thunderous, swiftly gliding railroad train at the dead hour of midnight and is soon unceremoniously hurled into the blackness of an awful death.
Such is the dreadful fate of Fred Bergquist who for the first time experienced such an adventure. Dozens and dozens of boys and men in and about Astoria have for years past been courting such a fate by jumping off and on such trains and their lives have only been spared at times by merest chance. His sealed doom should stand out as a warning to all young men and boys practicing this habit. Parents and officials should use every effort to stop this practice. The laws are ample and should be enforced.
Astoria Argus Searchlight, March 31, 1904, Astoria, Illinois
A Boy Meets Awful Death
Frederick Bergquist Ground To Atoms In Attemping To Jump From A Swiftly Moving Freight Train On Sunday Morning.
With Three Companions the 14 year old lad visits Beardstown and is Killed on returning home.
The Coroner's Inquest
One of the most terrible and sorely distressing accidents that has occurred in Astoria in recent years took place at the C. B.& Q. depot in this city on Sunday morning of this week when a fast moving through freight train ran over and killed Frederick Nicholas Bergquist, the 14 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Bergquist, who reside about three miles east of Astoria.
From the evidence produced at the coroner's inquest it was found that in company with three neighbor boys of about his age Fred Bergquist had boarded a freight train at Astoria and "bummed" his way to Vermont. From there, by the same means, the boys had made their way to Beardstown Saturday evening.
At that place the youthful country lads, had visited a saloon, some of the company buying whiskey and beer which was sold to them without questions being asked.
Near the hour of midnight the quartette boarded a through freight train at Beardstown to again "bum" their way to Astoria.
The through train on which they were riding was due in Astoria at 12:37 a.m., and passed through on time, going at a high rate of speed. Evidently in attempting to leave the train Fred Bergquist fell beneath the wheels and his bright young life was summarily crushed out.
Immediately after the train passed through Myron McClelland found the mangled, bruised and bleeding body of the boy laying on the railroad track between the rails. His left leg was crushed off at the hip, his right severed at the knee, his hips crushed, his face cut and fearfully bruised, the body having been rolled in the grime and dirt beneath the train and cruel iron wheels until it presented a most gruesome sight, his features scarcely recognizable by his chums or near relative.
Doctors Bottorf and Price were at once summoned and responded quickly. They found the boy in a dying condition, his life fast ebbing away. The terrible shock was more than the human body could withstand. Knowing this the doctors did all they could to make him comfortable while the fleeting spirit remained in the wrecked and broken house of clay. He lived over four hours until 5 a.m. of Sunday, when the soul took its flight to the realms of the unknown beyond.
The body of the young man was taken to the undertaking parlors of J. B. Harris, where it was prepared for burial and later taken to the home of the boy's parents east of town.
Frederick Nicholas Bergquist was born November 4, 1889 and died March 27, 1904 aged 14 years, 4 months, and 23 days. He leaves a father, mother, a brother, and six sisters who are grief-stricken by his untimely demise. In their sorrow and deep affliction they have the sympathy of the whole community.
The funeral services were conducted at the Christian Church in this city on Tuesday afternoon of this week at 2 o'clock, Rev. J. W. Keefer, pastor of the church, officiating.
Sad indeed is the death of this young man. He is cut down in the very bloom of youth, when life seemed most bright and promising. Lured from a quiet, peaceful home he seeks the adventure of boarding a thunderous, swiftly gliding railroad train at the dead hour of midnight and is soon unceremoniously hurled into the blackness of an awful death.
Such is the dreadful fate of Fred Bergquist who for the first time experienced such an adventure. Dozens and dozens of boys and men in and about Astoria have for years past been courting such a fate by jumping off and on such trains and their lives have only been spared at times by merest chance. His sealed doom should stand out as a warning to all young men and boys practicing this habit. Parents and officials should use every effort to stop this practice. The laws are ample and should be enforced.
A Boy Meets Awful Death
Frederick Bergquist Ground To Atoms In Attemping To Jump From A Swiftly Moving Freight Train On Sunday Morning.
With Three Companions the 14 year old lad visits Beardstown and is Killed on returning home.
The Coroner's Inquest
One of the most terrible and sorely distressing accidents that has occurred in Astoria in recent years took place at the C. B.& Q. depot in this city on Sunday morning of this week when a fast moving through freight train ran over and killed Frederick Nicholas Bergquist, the 14 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Bergquist, who reside about three miles east of Astoria.
From the evidence produced at the coroner's inquest it was found that in company with three neighbor boys of about his age Fred Bergquist had boarded a freight train at Astoria and "bummed" his way to Vermont. From there, by the same means, the boys had made their way to Beardstown Saturday evening.
At that place the youthful country lads, had visited a saloon, some of the company buying whiskey and beer which was sold to them without questions being asked.
Near the hour of midnight the quartette boarded a through freight train at Beardstown to again "bum" their way to Astoria.
The through train on which they were riding was due in Astoria at 12:37 a.m., and passed through on time, going at a high rate of speed. Evidently in attempting to leave the train Fred Bergquist fell beneath the wheels and his bright young life was summarily crushed out.
Immediately after the train passed through Myron McClelland found the mangled, bruised and bleeding body of the boy laying on the railroad track between the rails. His left leg was crushed off at the hip, his right severed at the knee, his hips crushed, his face cut and fearfully bruised, the body having been rolled in the grime and dirt beneath the train and cruel iron wheels until it presented a most gruesome sight, his features scarcely recognizable by his chums or near relative.
Doctors Bottorf and Price were at once summoned and responded quickly. They found the boy in a dying condition, his life fast ebbing away. The terrible shock was more than the human body could withstand. Knowing this the doctors did all they could to make him comfortable while the fleeting spirit remained in the wrecked and broken house of clay. He lived over four hours until 5 a.m. of Sunday, when the soul took its flight to the realms of the unknown beyond.
The body of the young man was taken to the undertaking parlors of J. B. Harris, where it was prepared for burial and later taken to the home of the boy's parents east of town.
Frederick Nicholas Bergquist was born November 4, 1889 and died March 27, 1904 aged 14 years, 4 months, and 23 days. He leaves a father, mother, a brother, and six sisters who are grief-stricken by his untimely demise. In their sorrow and deep affliction they have the sympathy of the whole community.
The funeral services were conducted at the Christian Church in this city on Tuesday afternoon of this week at 2 o'clock, Rev. J. W. Keefer, pastor of the church, officiating.
Sad indeed is the death of this young man. He is cut down in the very bloom of youth, when life seemed most bright and promising. Lured from a quiet, peaceful home he seeks the adventure of boarding a thunderous, swiftly gliding railroad train at the dead hour of midnight and is soon unceremoniously hurled into the blackness of an awful death.
Such is the dreadful fate of Fred Bergquist who for the first time experienced such an adventure. Dozens and dozens of boys and men in and about Astoria have for years past been courting such a fate by jumping off and on such trains and their lives have only been spared at times by merest chance. His sealed doom should stand out as a warning to all young men and boys practicing this habit. Parents and officials should use every effort to stop this practice. The laws are ample and should be enforced.
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