Train Derailment South of Falun

TRAIN STRUCK BY UNKNOWN OBJECT

WAGON OF HILLBILLIES NARROWLY MISSED

LOCALS SUSPECT GIANT CARNIVOROUS WORMS

THE FELLS, NB — Early yesterday morning the northbound train from New Babbage to Ouverberg was derailed just south of the small mining town of Falun, due to currently unknown circumstances.

Mere minutes before the train was scheduled to make a stop in Falun, and only moments before the derailment, a wagon filled with mountain folk crossed the tracks, narrowly missing being struck by the train.  'It looked like it were a family.' stated Mr E Howard, engineer of the train.

This wagon was not, however, the reason for the derailment, according to Howard: 'Came close, but the wagon made it across.  T'was a damn fool thing to do, to be sure, but they made it.  Just.  Lucky for them we was slowing down for Falun.  T'was after that we got hit from the side.' [sic]

Eyewitness accounts differ on what exactly struck the train, though all seem to agree that the train was struck by something.  Some have claimed to have witnessed a gargantuan snake slithering rapidly across the tundra, while several others described it as a man-made clockwork devise.  All agree that whatever it was, the coloring was distinctly black; this has resulted in some claiming the incident to be final confirmation for the local legends of the carnivorous black worms, which allegedly dwell in the emptier regions of the Fells.

Whatever struck the train was apparently unharmed enough to exit the scene before anyone could get a proper look, amidst the chaos of the derailment.  Little evidence was seemingly left behind, but the Free Press is assured that experts from New Babbage have already been dispatched to investigate.

No substantial injuries were incurred during the impact, and cleanup of the site is expected to take several days, at least.  The current supposition being advanced at the scene is that the wagon of mountain folk were being pursued by whatever struck the train.  This theory has been, as of yet, unconfirmed by officials at the location of the accident.

Open-Skulled Corpse Abandoned

RECENTLY WEALTHY MINER MURDERED HORRIBLY

MURDERER WAS INTERRUPTED

NEW KILLER ON THE LOOSE?

NEW BABBAGE, NB — A fresh corpse was discovered in the deep cold of late last evening, beneath the Tomahna Hall Bridge in the neighborhood of Coronet Gardens, the top of its skull lacerated with the brain beneath left exposed.

The body has been identified as one Mr D Stone, of Falun — a miner recently struck rich, taking in the pleasures of the big city — according to a source within the New Babbage Militia.

Robbery is not thought to be a motive, as the pocket book of the victim was found still upon his person, apparently unmolested; according to the source, the current suspected motive is medical testing, as the skull was expertly sawed open, and a syringe was found penetrating the bared organ.

'It would seem that whomever perpetrated this heinous crime was interrupted before they could finish whatever it was they started.' stated the source, who wished to remain nameless.

Dr M Miggins, New Babbage City Coroner says this body does not seem related to the recent string of unsolved murders in the city, 'Those bodies were mauled by some manner of beast, this act was performed with surgical precision.' he stated earlier today, to a member of the Free Press.

Mayor Still Missing

MATCHMAKING WAS INTENDED FOR MAYOR

MAYOR'S ARRIVAL ASSURED TO BE 'IMMINENT'

NEW BABBAGE, NB — Nearly four full days after scheduled arrival, Mayor Clockwinder Tenk is still missing, with telegraph messages to the city of Falun confirming he had departed on Saturday 5 January.

Length of time for travel between the two cities varies widely in extreme weather conditions, but rarely takes longer than a half day.  Weather on Saturday 5 was extremely cold on the Fells, but conditions were mostly visible.

Passage through the Fells on the Bump Line was made impossible when the tracks were demolished just north of the New Babbage city walls.  An anarchist organization known as the Tiny Scallions Group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Two trains were halted, en route to New Babbage from Falun at the time of the disaster, though the mayor was discovered to have not been accounted for on either train.

Tenk was visiting family in Falun for the holidays, an annual excursion for him.  The New Babbage Free Press has learned from reliable sources in Falun that the mayor's family had hoped to secure matrimonial bonds between their family and another prominent mining family.  It is unknown at this time what the mayor's reaction to the proposal was.

Acting mayor, Mr O Underby, when asked for a comment whilst having his head shaved at the Clockwork Close Barber Shop in the Palisades, opined that 'finding a suitable bride is the most exceedingly difficult of any endeavor ever embarked upon by man', and that Mr Tenk may be encountering more trouble than most in this regard as 'there seems to be a stunning lack of bearded ladies in this world.  More's the pity.'

It has been suggested by some that the mayor is presently attempting air travel over the Fells, and his arrival is imminent.