Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1882-03-24
= OF the Men Who We're Not Killed
Outright Only Two are Sc
ri0usly Hurt.
= The Coroner's Jury Finds that. No
One is to be Blamed for
the Accident. l.
Complete List Of the Killed and
Wounded-Travel will not
g. be Delayed.
The Wreck.

g. MANDAN, Marcn Sl.-lS0ecldIj-h so-
rious accident occurred ut 8 O'Clock to.
night to Jack Simmons work train, at
the bridge crossing Hart river two miles
east Of Swcetbriar. The facts are rs fol:
lows: The snow-plow which was clearing
the track was followed by Simmons train,
carrying twenty-five men in three sleeping
cars, and Immediately behiad this came
the regular passenger, No. 4. The trains
approached the bridge, and the plow had
passed safely ,as did also the engine of Sim
mons train. The sleepers Of the train, how
ever,ior some reason jumped the track and
Immediately four bents of the bridge gave
way, the sleepers piling into the river
with terrific crash As soon as results
could he ascertained 1t was found that
niue of the workmcn were killed outright,
and ten or dozen injured, some seriously.
The cars ut once took flre after the fail,
and were partially burned, two of the
ill-fated workmen being consumed in tue
flames.
MANDAN, March 22.-[Special.] ]-Yester-
days disaster at ''Soapstone Cut" continues
to be the leading topic of talk. Your re-
porter accompanied Division Superintendent
Taylor to the scene of the wreck this morn
ing, the coroner from Mandan also being on
board. The unluckv spot is about nineteen
miles west of Bismarck, at what is known rs
t'Soapstone Gut" Sweet Briar creek, and
~E nr1o c<0 f,1,1
7:30 last evening the SHOW -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, bnt the work train.
which, was composed of fiat cars next to the
engine, followed by two sleeping cars for
thirty men each, a dining car, kitchen car
aud store car, jumped the track and went
something wrong was sound like q broken
wheel. The train was going at about ten tQ
fifteen miles All hour and the engineer hears
ing the jar Immediately reversed steam, b It
before he had time to think the terrible crash
came, and eight human souls were
LANDED IN ETERNITY.
It seems that q wheel on the hind truck OF
the fiat car had broken, and the whole truck
had Jumped the track. Evidence of its
course upon the ties extends back nearly u
mile from the wreck. AS the short curve
leading to the bridge as reached, the strain
upon tn, car WAS 50 great that the truck must
have been broken in numerous pieces, some
of the more tenacious striking the ties on
the bridge, and showing them before it. The
iron being left without support, the sleeping
Car was immec Lately precipitated into the
This was followed by sleeper No. 2, which
careened over and finally assumed q similar
position as No. l. The dining Car followed,
crashing 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 tie bridge were broken into splinters
and the two sleepers were also completely
demolished. There were about fifty men on
the train at the time of the accident, and the
escape of even one seems miraculous after
viewing the wreck. In sleeper No. were
about twenty -four men. Some were lying in
their hunks asleep, others smoking and read
ing, and some playing cards.! AS soon as
the car overturned, the .--+
BEDDING CAUGHT FIRE
and the mangled and dying were roasted
almost past recognition. The only deaths
were among those in this 6 r. Those who
escaped, Immediately grappled such buckets
as they could and worked like heroes to
extinguish the flames. but the straw bedding,
blankets and other cOmbustible material
made it an imposslbiity. It is supposed
that seven Of tho eight men killed were killed
instantly before being burned, as the voice of
but one man, crying for help, was heard.
He was lying with his feet to the flames and
held in the angry tolls of broken pieces of
timber. His comrades could do nothing,
and were obliged to see him gradually roast
to death. The scene beggars description.
Scattered here and there promisNuously
among half burned blankets, valises,. cloth