The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-03-29
DOWN TO DEATH.
Particulars of the Disaster on the Northern
Pacific acknowledges Persons Killed
and Burned and Eleven injured.

Particulars of the Disaster on the Northern
Pacific Railroad-kight Persons Killed
and Burned and Eleven Injured.
BISMARCK, March GA special from
Mandon to the Tribune gives the following
details of the railway disaster: Your cor
respondent accompanied Division Superin
tendent Taylor to the scene of the wreck
this morning, and the Coroner from Man
don was also on board. The unlucky spot is
about eleven miles west of Bismarck. at
what is known as SoapstOne Cut, on Sweet
BTiar Creek, and two miles east of Sweet
Briar station. About 7:30 last evening a
snow-plow, work or boarding train, and
passenger left Sweet Briar in the order
named. The snow-plow passed safely over
the ten-bent bridge which spans Sweet Briar
Creek, but the work train, which
was composed of flat cars. next to the
engine, followed by two sleeping cars
for thirty men each, dining car, kitchen
car and stone car, did not The first indi-
cation of something wrong was sound like
broken wheel. The train was going at
about ten TO fifteen miles per hour and the
engineer. hearing the Jar immediately re-
versed steam. but before be had time to
think. the terrible crash came, and eight
human souls were landed into eternity. a
wheel on the head truck of 4 fiat car broke
and the whole truck had jumped the track
Evidences OF its course upon the ties ex-
tend back nearly mile from the wreck
As the short curse leading to the bridge was
reached, the strain on the car was SO great
that The truck must have been broken in
numerous pieces, some of the more tenacious
striking the ties on the bridge and showing
hon hsf, - -. 10.
support, the sleeping car was immediately
preupitated into the river, thirty feet be-
low, striking on its side This was followed
by sleeping car No. .. which careened
over ana finally assumed a similar position
as No. l. The dining car followed, era. hing
into both the Others. After this was the
kitchen car, which remained upright against
the dining car. The Office and store car was
but partially off The track Four bents in
the bridge were broken into splinters and
completely demolished There W re about
fifty men on the train at the time OF the ac-
cident, and the escape of even -one seems
miraculous, after viewing this wreck In
sleeper No. 1 were about twenty-four men,
some lying in their hunks asleep, others
smoking and reading and some playing
cards.
As soon as the car overturned the bedding
caught fire and the mangled and dying were
roasted almost beyond recognition The
only deaths were among those IN this car.
Those who escaped Immediately grappled
such buckets as they could find and worked
ike heroes TO extinguish the flames, but the
straw beds, blankets and other combustibie
matter made it impossible. 1t IS sup
posed seven OF the eight dead we're
killed instantly before being buried, as
but the voice of one man crying help was
heard. He was lying with his feet TO the
flames aud held in broken pieces of timber |
His comrades could do nothing and were
Obliged TO see him gradually roast to death. |
Scattered here and there promiscUously |
among the burned blankets, valiseS, cloth |
ing, broken car wheels and iron rods, were |
the charred remains of the unfortunate vic |
tins. One peculiar feature of the accident |
was that but two of the twenty-three in |
jured and not killed were seriously hurt |
They had their shoulder blades dislocated |
and one Of them had a broken arm.