The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-06
DAM N SIM ELTER,

ia AND SIN ELIFh.
Work on the suspension bridge across
the falls is progressing very slowly.
There is great need of some safe way Of
crossing the river and this work should
be pushed forward with more vigor.
Many visitors, among them women and
children, come to view the falls and the
great dam now being built, and much
danger attends their journey across the
narrow plank that answers for a bridge
or thoroughfare.
Despite The number of men arriving
daily, shipped in by eastern employment
agents, there is plenty of work to he had
at the dam, for the Boston u Montana
company, Or for Kirkendall a. Go. Many
| of those who have been at work here are
leaving for the timber country Or are go
ing home for the holidays, some never to
return. There is work for those who
want it, but a man cannot expect to find
it if he takes in the situation at long
range from the opposite side of the river.
There is II fine opportunity open at the
falls tor some enterprislng man. The
slippery, winding old toboggan slide now
used as q path to the river from the tor
of the hill is u regular death trap. No.
body seems interested in putting it in
proper shape for traffic, yet all must use
1t. Some smart fellow might dig steps
in the bank and charge toll, or otherwise
provide a safe path for which suffering
humanity would willingly pay.
Two men, names unknown, met with
what might have been a serious accident
Monday night. While crossing the dam
in a snow storm, II of item walked off
the trestle and had it not been for the
promptness and presence of mind of his
companion might have been drowned
and mangled to pieces among the rocks.
Fortunately the. water was not very deep
nor the current very swift where he fell
in, and there was little difficulty in drag
ging him out, yet the accident might
Just as we'll have happened at one of the
fumes as elsewhere with a very ditfereE,
sequel. Possibly those who visit town
after night and return full of tanglefoot
need a horrible example. of this kind to
awaken them to Il proper realization of
the dangers of a night trip across the
dam.
Messrs. Parker and Mcneil, superin-
tendent and foreman on the dam; will
take a short vacation about the holidays.
The work of %excavating and getting
out rock for the new smelter at "Lun-
dy's cut" on the Kirkendall contract, is
being pressed forward with vlgor.
A touching scene was witnessed by
those employed upon the dam Friday.
Two strangers, probably visitors, were
trestle which extends from shore to shore
md Nyor uyhiOh thara fc n tropk fnr ~,
transportation of dirt and stone required
in IT'D process of the work being done.
When about midway upon the trestle a
car came down the track upon the pedes-
TRANS and they, fearing injury, became
very much excited. One of them, a Grip.
pie, was helped off to a place of safety by
his companion, who, regardless of hls
own danger, seemed anxious to protect
his friend. just as he had accomplished
this commendable act the car reached
him and to escape 1t he leaped down up
on the dam, striking upon an upturned
wire nail, which penetrated his foot
about three inches, causing a very ugly
wound. The young men returned to
town after being assisted across the dam
by those who witnessed the accident
They refused to give their names.
Oscar McGinty, Familiarity known as
"Slim'', employed as a laborer upon the
dam, met with a thrilling experience on
Tuesday night, while returning from
town under the influence of booze. Up
on leaving the motor he made his way to
the top of the hill and in his efforts to
reach the river below, slipped and fell or
rolled down the bank about 30 feet. Here
he managed to clutch a rtck and arrest
his further descent. After considerable
scrambling he finally reached the path,
but his troubles had not ended. Scarcely
had he stood erect when he commenced
to slip, slide and fall again, finally fetch
ing up at the bottom, with hardly enough
clothes upon his lower limbs to hide his
%nakedness. When he reached the camp
he was a pitiful sight, scratched, bruised
but considerably sobered. This is but
one case of many that probably have oc-
cured. and we're the truth known, the
river has been the winding sheet of more
than one man who has tried to descend
that treacherous path that ends at the
river, and whose disappearance was &C.
counted for as, "Guess he quit and left
the country" ~