The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-01-03
down In. " RIVER.
Four Cars Attached TO a Passenger
Train Tumble Into
Clark's Fork.
The Miraculous Escape of q
Car Load of Emil
grants
The Accident Csu,eh by = New switch
Ioorly Placed on Danger
Gus Curve.

The through east bound Northern Pacific
passenger train was wrecked ~ point
fifteen miles east OF Thompson Falls ~
about u IN. of wednesday. The train con-
sisted Of two baggage cars, mail car. emi-
grant cnr, smoking car. dining cnr md two
sleepers. II was running ct the rate of
twenty 10 twenty-five miles en- hour, and on
rounding curve on ClaIk's Fork OF tho
Columbia river, the emicrnnt car, baggage
ears and smok ng ear jumped the track end
tumbled down distance OF thirty feet into
the river. Harry Sterling, manager OF the
Citizens Electric Light company. of Helena,
WAS riding in the passenger coach, which
stopped 30 suddenly that all realized NJ
once that nm accident had happened. lie
st. pped out of the enr and di.covered the
engine about 900 feet in front OF the cor.
p itly der,iled. and looking down The steer
!luf saw tie remainder of The cars ende ]
M IN tie edge of the river. lis irst
thought wss thot many people must he
killed and wounded. and he. with Tie other
passengers went 10 the wrecked cars az once
and removed oil the babies and children
through the windows and opened the doors
OF the cars 40 TINT those who were not in
iured might Get nut. The cars al Stood on
erd 80 that one door could he ns.ly opened,
aud tho prsssnae's were soon ue,istud a.
the ground. but while this WIS goine on Gre
WIS discovered in one Of the baggnge cars.
aud bncktt brigade vns immediately
| formed. which son succeeded IN quclling
tie flames. On examination II was found
thni but three people were hurt.
and not seriously. One em grant
lad received 4 saycre concus.inn of the
b d anoih' r had hisf'c NJ n ,-e bruised,
I'd brakeman was suhcfinS from Il slight
hurt.
An examination Of the track showed that
new switch md Just been put in where tue
cars l'ft the trnch. he engine passed over
nll right. but from .ome cnuse tae first bae-
gaee car lett tho fRil. drew the draw bar
connecting II with the engine md went
/ tumbling over the bank. followed bv three
others. lie rear wheels OF the tender and
! tie drive.whe,lS OF the engine we've alsD On
/ the track and tho dining ear was partly de-
ruled. On the side-track close 10 the
switch was nm engine and tSo hoN cara one
uf which had been struck by tho dining c,r
and ba2 7 s.nEsl eI. II was just nhoai dinner
I time when the wreck oocarrod: the tables
+ were all set and everybody waiting for the
cnl when the snIash came and left the in
terror OF the err mass of sngaf and tooth
I picks.
Chinamen were doing the work of puiiinQ
( in the sidetrack and wnrn the wreck occur
red they all huddlod around Little camp
/ fire and never offered 60 d. anything.
But were called On 10 help put ont the llc,
and resp indcd Uluctantly. ], is sep, osrl
the wreck VIVA the result of cprelessli 81 and
rncompetency on the part Of the Cinnamon
who put in the switch.
/ Postal Cictk Mm. Aonttith. of this city
I had nnIrow tscrp'. His ear WAS telr-
scoped from end " cnd. barely leaving him
stInding room b. side his desk. where be
fortunately happened TO be al the time of
the accident.
/ Everybody got into IN. ears left on the
track and 10y O'Clock dinner was served,
One of the box cars on the side track
contained tclegiaphic irstru-
ment md an operator and word
was Immediately sent 20 Missoula
for n.sir,anco. and special Wa. sent 20 The
scene Of ibe wreck with n physician on
board 10 stt nd 10 thc wounded. The sri-
glne, dining car and sleeper were soon
| again on the rails and we're run buck 10
| Greht Falls uniil the damage wus repaired,
| when they pulled out ard arrived in Helena
AZ GAS Yesterday morning. The emgrAnt
car contained about twenty people, inolud
| ing women and children, and II ia 4 miracle
/ no one was killed. The hank over which
/ the cars were prccipitated Was fully thirty
/ feet high with ru. hing river below. Noui
/ the bluff, however, the wnter IL shallow,
aud covered with good thickness Of ice
| through which the cara broke and which no
doubt helped keep them in an upright posi-
/ ii n.
There was nlso an accident 10 n freight
] train lJl miles east of Tacoma, which de-
| lnyed the passenger train three hours. The
| freight WAS not bady wrecked.