From the Matagorda County History & Genealogy page
Several hundred narrowly escaped death early Sunday morning when a St. L. B. & M. special carrying the Minnesota 1st Artillery Batteries, D, E. and F., collided with the D.L. Perry Land Co. homeseeker’s special at Bay City.
Through mistaken orders the troop train was not held at this point for the arrival of the homeseeker’s special and was just pulling away from the station when the accident occurred.
The engine and two coaches of the special were overturned, the engine being all but demolished, while the troop train suffered practically no damage other than the telescoping of two of the flat cars carrying the ambulance equipment.
Due to the fact that the passenger cars were in the rear of the train, few felt the shock.
The few that were injured were immediately rushed to the Bay City hospital where they received prompt medical attention.
Lieut. J.L. Haskins had charge of the medical department of the battalion and administered immediate aid to the injured.
Those injured were:
Jack Lang, private, bruised around body.
Jack Ryan, cook, fractured back.
L. Jacobson, private, rib broken.
L.C. Harrison, private, head and face cut.
Cliff Poke, negro porter on the homeseekers’ special, internal injuries.
N. Sparks, conductor on special, fractured lower arm.
With the exception of Jack Ryan, cook, all troopers were able to proceed with their regiment.
Conductor Sparks, Ryan and the negro porter will probably be confined here for some time.
Battery F of this battalion was composed entirely of University of Minnesota men, none of whom suffered injury, other than a general shaking up.
A wrecker was immediately summoned and the troop train was able to proceed to its destination Sunday afternoon.
The Matagorda County Tribune, July 28, 1916