In a head end collision between an eastbound Northwestern passenger train and a freight engine at California Junction, IA, about 10 o'clock last night Engineer John Murphy of the passenger train was caught beneath his overturned engine and crushed to death. His fireman, Robert Skipton, sustained a sprained back in jumping. Railway mail clerks Loomis and Rodgers were badly shaken up and bruised, but were not seriously hurt.

The passenger train left Omaha at 8:29 o'clock last evening. John Dawson was the fireman regularly on the run, but at the last moment something prevented his going and Skipton took his place. As the train was going into California Junction it struck a freight engine which it is stated in reports from that place, should have been on a siding.

Engineer Murphy reversed his engine and thus lessened the shock, so that the passengers in the rear cars of the train scarcely felt it and did not know what had happened. The passenger engine was thrown from the track and overturned, and the mail and baggage cars and two coaches were badly smashed. Fireman Skipton jumped when he saw the impending danger and escaped with a badly sprained back and numerous bruises. Engineer Murphy stuck to his post and went over with his engine. At the last report from the scene of the wreck late last night his dead body was still underneath the engine.

A number of Omaha and Council Bluffs people were in the train, but none of them were injured. W.M. Gaines of this city was in the buffet car, but telegraphed his family last night that he was unhurt.