4/21/2012:
Carl Ben Eielson’s history-making 1928 flight over the North Pole in his orange Lockheed Vega was reported on this date in North Dakota papers, but another colorful flight made smaller, more hysterical than historical headlines in the state.
A broken wheel on a refrigerator car 18 miles west of Jamestown caused the derailment of 15 railroad cars. There were no reported injuries except for bruised and damaged fruit, which reportedly went flying trackside in all directions. The track suffered damage to about 15 lengths of rail.
Eielson’s frigid flight was in an orange Lockheed Vega. There were no reported details if any of the refrigerated fruit were oranges.
Dakota Datebook written by Steve Stark
Sources: Dill, Joe, editor 1988, Forum Communications Co. North Dakota: 100 Years the Forum