The Russell CollectionS
Profile/Bio
Occupations
1900: Farm Laborer (re:Federal Census)
Logger
Locomotive Engineer
JESSE AUGUSTUS RUSSELL
1877-1915
from "William Russell Family " by Opel Louise Currier
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Jess , the seventh-born child of Augustus Palmer Russell (4th child of AP and Harriett Ellen Rarrick, was born in Sutter (South Butte), Sutter County, California, on the 27th of December 1877. And his death record listed him as born Dec 27th, 1876.
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During his younger years, Jess helped with the family and with the farm work as his father aged. He was also a logger and later a locomotive engineer. He worked for Spaulding in the same camp as his brother Rainious. He was handsome, kind, and a loving person. His teenage romance was broken up by his mother (she always regretted having done that.) so he never let himself become interested in young ladies after that. He was very devoted to his parents and sisters. The whole family loved him and were always so happy when he’d come home for vacations. He was always home at Christmas and on the fourth of July (his father’s birthday!) which were two early occasions when the whole family planned on being home.
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He died an untimely death in a logging train accident when he was thrown from his engine while the heavily loaded train of logs was running away and all effort to control it was lost.
Several newspapers recorded this accident.
The Polk County Observer, May 28, 1915:
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BEHEADED BY LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINEER JESS RUSSELL LEAPS FROM RUNAWAY, FALLS BENEATH WHEELS AND HEAD IS SEVERED FROM BODY: Fireman William Lenz escapes without injury—train gets beyond control of Engineer while descending grade.”
Jess Russell, a locomotive engineer for the Spaulding Logging Company at Black rock, had his head completely severed from the body yesterday afternoon when he leaped from a runaway train which he was pulling. William Lenz, his fireman, jumped from the speeding engine and escaped injury. The remains of Russell, whose home is a McClay, Marion County were brought to Dallas last night at 11 o’clock by Coroner Chapman.
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About 4:30 yesterday afternoon the logging train with five loaded cars, left the rail way for Black Rock. For about one hundred yards there is a 6 or 7 per cent grade, followed by a level place of about fifty yards in length. At the latter place it is customary for the train to stop to take on a brakeman to assist in holding the train on its descent. Before reaching the level place mentioned the wheels began to slide, and the brakes were eased off a little and again set, but the train continued to gain momentum, going faster and faster. When the level place in the road was reached it was impossible to stop the train, and down grade the train speeded.
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Fireman William Lenz, who was on the downhill side of the cab, was the first to jump, alighting safely and with but few bruises. Gaining his feet he saw the engineer on the running board about to leap from the locomotive, and he hastened down the track. About 150 yards beyond he found the headless body of Russell beside the track, the head lying between the rails. The engineer had left the locomotive in a cut, and jumped toward the embankment, from which he was rolled beneath the wheels.
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The five loaded cars were completely wrecked, but the locomotive was uninjured, as it did not leave the rails, coming to a standstill about half a mile from where the accident had occurred. Coroner Chapman was at once notified, and he went to the scene of the accident and brought the body of the unfortunate man to Dallas.
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ADDENDUM: According to Homer (brother of Jesse) by way of his son Wallace the following “report.”:
1. the brakes that Jesse purchased were improperly connected.
2. Jesse was the first to use Westinghouse airbrakes west of Mississippi.
3. Jesse was so well-known and well-liked.
4. Loggers came from all over the Valley on flatbed cars to honor Jesse at his funeral.
JESSE AUGUSTUS RUSSELL
By Jesse Augustus Russell (nephew and namesake)
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Jess Russell was born near Sutter, California Dec 27ty, 1877 and came to Oregon with his parents in 1887. The family lived in southern Oregon for ten years, then near Albany, a short time and near Shelburn, Oregon for sixteen years, moving to Macleay for a few months.
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He entered the employ of Spaulding Logging Company for which he worked for fifteen years and had worked most of the time on the Big Luchiamute River and near Black Rock.
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Jess was engineer on the logging railroad of Spaulding Company near Black Rock. Bill Lentz, his brother-in-law, was the fireman. On that fateful day, Thursday evening of May 27th, 1915, their train was coming down a steep grade approaching a high trestle on a curve over a high ravine when the air brakes refused to work properly and the train gathered speed rapidly and became a run-a-way. (The logging train which was with five loaded cars, left the rail way for Black Rock at 4:30. For about one hundred yards there is a 6 or 7 per cent grade, followed by a level place of about fifty yards in length. At the latter place it is customary for the train to stop to take on a brakeman to assist in holding the train on its descent. Before reaching the level place mentioned the wheels began to slide, and the brakes were eased off a little and again set, but the train continued to gain momentum, going faster and faster. ) The brakes were set but no response. They knew the train would leave the tracks and be dumped in the canyon at the curve on the trestle so Bill Lentz, the fireman, jumped out his side landing in a thick blackberry patch. Jess left the other side at the same time, but was thrown under the train’s wheels because of the high embankment on his side.
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It is presumed he jumped at the same time that Bill left the locomotive, but there is a possibility that he was thrown out by the swaying engine. It was ironic that the set brakes locked at this moment and the train came to a complete stop as it came into that sharp bend on the trestle. (other family accounts say this same story, and newspaper clipping also say that even though all the cars were damaged, the engine never left the track, but in the photos that we have, it shows the number ten engine off the track and on its side)
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Rainous Russell, Jess Russell’s brother, after learning of the accident, took a speeder by himself to the scene of the tragedy and brought back to camp the decapitated body of his brother Jess. (Another account said that the coroner came to pick up the body.)
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Fellow workmen of Jess paid a splendid tribute to him at his funeral held Memorial Day, May 30th, 1915. They chartered a spcial train of three coaches and brining their families with them made the long trip from Black Rock to Shelburn via the Salem, Falls City and Western Line to Salem, thence over the new cut-off to the Woodburn-Natron line and southward on that road to Shelburn. A group of members of Kings Falley lodge of Oddfellows, of which Jess was a member, also made a long trip to attend the funeral traveling in five automobiles.
