The daily enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1884, 1883-09-06
RAILROAD WRECK.
a PASSENGER TRAIN ON THE PARK
BRANCH BUSHES DOWN
AN EMBANKMENT.
by a Miracle No One is Killed.

y
road officials at Livingston were noti-
fed that the east-bound passenger
train on the Park branch had been
wrecked and that the engineer and
! fireman were seriously hurt. a wreck
ing train was Immediately made up
and dispatched toward the scene of
the wreck bearing among others an
ENTERPRISE reporter.
The wreck occurred about Al miles
from Livingston Or a little over a mile
this side of Mulherin's S. At that point
| the track is laid upon an artificial en-
bankment OF loose soil between the
| overhanging cliffs and the river. From
the roadbed to the river level the per-
pendicuIar descent is fully so feet, bat
slopes so that the incline will measure
perhaps 25 feet more, About so feet
| from the western end Of the embank-
| ment is short trestle built over q
| narrow ravine. The train consisted,
in the order named, of an engine, a box
ear loaded to its utmost capacity with
| bullion, baggage car. second class car,
first class coach andi iIthe private car,
Railway Age occupied by E. III.
| Talbot, his wife, and a small party
Of friends. Except the bullion Car
every other carriage in the tram had
occupants, the two coaches ceing well
filled with ladies and gentlemen many
Of them returning from the Park.
The train was in charge of j. G. Bent
the pioneer conductor of the Park
| branch.
at the time of the accident and pre-
Eceding it Il binding shower Of rain
had been falling and the water thus
precipitated upon the steep cliffs above
the track rushed down narrow
course, and striking the embankment
near the western end soaked and
| washed the loose soil until the rail
near the river was left unsupported
along space Of perhaps ten feet. BE
yond this point there is a heavy de-
scending grade and Il curved cutting.
The engine drawing the train was not
provided with air-brake apparatus,
and though her steam was shut off
the train was>running very fast down
the grade. The engineer, J. W.
Moore, saw the washout, but too late
to avert the calamity. He pulled the
reverse lever and as he did SO the
locomotive passed over the wash
out with terrible lurch.
but did not leave the
rails. In moment the heavy car
loaded with bullion struck aad snapped
the bent rail and plunged down the
embanklnent followed by the baggage
car and second class coach ana disrail-
ing the first class coach. Half way
down the bank the bullion car which
had slipped off its trucks became SO
firmly buried in the soil that it stop
ped and the cars behind closed up
against each other and also came to
an easy standstill. When the box car
left the top Of the grade the engine to
which it was Immediately attached
had reached the trestle but was Jerked
from the rail by the weight of the
falling cargo Of bullion and crashing
through the treStle work fell top
downward and fearfully wrecked into
the rayine below. There were three
men on thesenyine, Engineer Moore,
Jas. Meadows the fireman and George
Munro brother Of Master Mechanic,
J. C. Munro. It would appear that
the warning was SO short that there
was no time for any attempt at escape
yet all three picked themselves up out
of the water at the foot of the bank
alive and it is hoped without any fatal
hurts. The fireman was janlmed be-
tween the tender and the cat, it is be-
lieved. before beingsthrown out and is
injured about the region Of his hips.
His hlrtis sufficiently serious but un-
less injured internally he will recover.
de is under Or. S;lbin's care at the
hospital. Mr.. Moore The engineer es-
capped with 4 foot badly scalded by the
steam that rushed from the broken M
jsctor. Beyonda few bruises, Mr.
Munro came out nnhnrt The passen-
gers we're shaken up ! little