The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-05-19
A FATAL WRECK.
Brakeman Fitzpatrick Killed Near Fort Elli

Brakeman Fitzpatrick Killed Near Fort Ellis.
Last Monday at lao, No. 2, the east
bound train on the Northern Pacific left
Bozeman on time, and at the rate of fif-
teen miles an hour, passed on toward
TT. Ellis. When within sight of the
post, just at the commencement of the
garrison gardens, about one-half mile
from the fort, the engineers of the two
engines that draw the train over the
mountains, discovered that the sleeping
car had left the track. They Immediate
ly applied the air brakes, but before they
could bring the train to a stop the car
had been pulled a distance of about 600
feet, topping over the embankment,
which at this point is only about eight
feet high. The rear truck of the dining
car had also left the track, burying the
wheels upon the lower side-to the right
up to the axle in sand.
AS soon as the trair. was stopped, the
passengers in the forward cars ran to
the rsar and began the rescue of those
incarcerated who were loudly calling
for help. The first sight to meet their
ewes was the dead body of rear brakeman
John Fitzpatrick, whose flesh was badly
torn from his legs and his body mangled
in such manner as to create the i'm
preston that he had been dragged be-
tween the cars from the time they left
the track. The appearance of the heel
of his boot would seem to indicate that
he had endeavored to jump of, or in
looking back from his station between
the dining and sleeping cars, had been
caught as if by wise and firmly held
and dragged until the cars stopped.
Upon the inside of the sleeping car
was railroad man named Harris, sup
posed to be a relative Of President Harris
of the N. P. railroad, and an official OF
the C. b. 4 @. Wkea the car first lett
the track he endeavored to get out Of
window on the lower side, and when
found was held by one leg. lie was
taken at once TO the hospital at TT. Ellis,
where he is now under the care Of DIR.
LeGard, and will soon be able to contin-
ne his journey. Rev. Geo. G. Stull, wife
and baby. Of Bozeman, were also in the
overturned car. Mr. Stull and the baby
escaped uniniured, while his more un-
fortunate wife sustained several bruises
receiving cut on the lower lip and chin
BeIng of delicate and nervous temper.
ment. the shock upon her nerves almost
Frustrated her. Ladies from Bozeman
were soon upon the scene and did much
towards putting her again at ease
When the train continued on its way Al
three O'Clock, she was sitting up conyeFs.
ing with her friends, but at the suggest
ION Of the doctors, she remained at Fort
Ellis until Tuesday
The cause of the wreck was the in
tense heat Of the sun, which expanded
and spread the rails. To aid this expan
sion. the road bed is graded at this poin
BY large-sized gravel stones, which 20
only drew the heat, but allowed TIL
sleepers to slide from their beds. Thu
railroad company is hardly bIameable
nor are the engineers, as the track wa
perfectly straight to their eyes. and wa
not moved until the heaviest cars strucl
il. As there were twenty-five peopI
booked for the sleeping car, about hal
Of whom we're in the car at the time.
Is very fortunate that the loss Of life an,
the number of the injured was no
greater.