The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-28
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
Twenty Passengers Plunged Into
the Yellowstone River Near
Rosebud.
One Man Chopped Out OF Hie
State Room by the Train
Hands.
Windows Broken with Bare Hands and
Isst la Attempts to Escape From
the sinking Pullman.

SAo ! ~ > III + HE
The most vivid account of the remark
able escape of twenty passengers from
denth last Thursday night near Rosebud is
given by i. Benninghoven, of Chicago,
who was in the Pullman that plunged into
the Yellowstone. He boarded the train at
st. Paul for Helena. For two days before
reaching Rosebud, the Pacific express on
the Northern Pacific, ran through a heavy
storm and reports camo to the passengers
of heavy rains along the Yellowstone. The
last car on the train was the sleeper Dick
inson in which were about twenty
travellers. Among them were Mr.. Benning-
hoven. Major Scott, president of the Peters,
burg and Richmond railroad, of Virginia,
Francis Murphy, the celebrated temper
nnce orator and wife, Mr.. Wiley, general
superintendent of the Detroit Safe and
Lock COMPANY, and others whose names
MIR. B~enninghoven did not learn.
Eight women and three children
were in the car. In the
sleeper Just ahead Of the Dickinson were
Hon. Il. H. Hershfeld and wife and Miss
Hershield. of Helena, returning from an
C~bpCAA tAAls thoos Va Tx phSboAkcIS WoKo
bound for the National Park; Tacoma, Port
land and other coast points.
TIL tain was behind time when it ar
rived at Rosebud. n sho:t time before mid
night. Mr.. Renninghoven snys the passen-
gers heard the trainmen talking about the
condition of the track, but their remarks
did not arouse any feelings of uneasiness.
After leaving Rosebud the train ran at a
slow rate of speed, as is usual on the Yell
lowstone division in bad weather. About
II y. m, when about two miles west of
Rosebud, the passengers in the Dickinson
were all in their berths, most Of them by
this time being sound asleep. Mr.. Ben
midnight he felt the sleeper
sway about. gently at first, which partly
awakened him. At first he thought he was
dreaming. Another lutch Of the car now
thoroughly woke him and the other pas
sengers. Benninghoven jumped out into
tho isle. The sleeper had left the track and
was running CLOSE to the edge of the bank
overlooking the turbulent Yellowstone.
Over it went, making a complete evolu-
ton, landing in the cold water at n depth
of about four feet. just as it begun to
turn ~Benninghoven made his spring into
the aisle, but could make no Roadway.
The car lamps went out and the narrow
aisle was choked with a mass of ~valiscs,
clothing, car furniture and terror stricken
passengers tumbling out of tho berths.
The air was filled with cries of
got back into his berth. He had
on nothing but his night dress. With his
bare feet he kicked tho glass out of the
coach window and plunged through the
opening, cutting his left thigh and hands on
the jagged pieces left i'll the frame. About
all the glass in the windows was broker
out by the bare hands and feet of the men
and women in their struggle to escape flom
the death threatening PRISON. Prompt as
sistance came from the train crew and the
rassengeFs on the remaining portion of the
train standing ON the bank. The conductor
and porter of the Dickinson did heroic
work tn ming their attention to the women
and children as soon as they recovered
from the shock of the ov%erturning car.
Several times the Pullman conductor risked
his life in getting women out of the car
windows and taking them through the
swift icy current to the shore. All of the
inmates of the sleeper were taken out of
the car as fast as the rescuera could assist
them and pilot tho way through the dark
ness to the shore.
An Englishman from New South Wales,
bound for tho National park, had an expe-
rience which he will never forget, and he
can thank the train men that he did not
find a wategy grave at the bottom of tho
Yellowstone. He had a state room. When
the Car struck the river bottom near the
shore the door md other exits to the room
desperate attempts to break down the door.
His cries for help were not heard until the
car began sliding further down the slopinr
side of the river bottom. By this time the
water was up above the stills of the coach
windows and rapidly climbing up to the
transoms. The mufiied cries OF tho impris-
oned man were heard through a ventilator
on the roof by some of the rescuers. A
hole was cut through the woodwork with
Hxes while the creeping waters reached
higher and higher. His rescuers were none
too soon. A few minutes more and the
bend.
Az fast as the rescued passengers were
brought to the bank, shivering and cold in
nothing but their night dresses and under
clothing. they were wrapped in blankets
brought from the sleeper on the track.
''Ihey locked as if they were coming from
battle" said MIR. Bsnninghoven. Blood
was on their wet, olinging garments, which
came from the wounds on their hands and
feet caused by smashing tho glass in tho
car windows. 1t was a remarkable escape
from death. The women on the sleeper
which was not derailed rendered valuable
assistance in dressing the wounds of the
rescued passengers 81 and provided such cloth
ing as they could spare to cover the almost
naked forms of those whose clothing ia now
IN the submerged Pullman. Mr.. Ben
ninghoven rode from Forsyth to Helena
clad in a wooden shirt given him
by one of the train men, and his trousers,
which he managed to grab as he dove
through the car window. A lady ON the
train on her way to the park gave him Il
soft felt travelling hat. He lost all Of his
clothing except a valise containing his
linen. His gold watch and chain and $3.50
are somewhere in the sleeper. With the
Others it is the same story; about all they
escaped with were their lives, and very
thankful for that much.
After making sure that no one was left in
the water-tlled sleeper the train proceeded
to Forsythe, where Physicians examined the
wounds of the passengers. MIR. Benning-
hoyen says that as far as he could learn
none received any serious injuries. The
conductor of the Pullman. who lmperiled
his life. in the work of rescue had
a bad cash in his scalp which was
stitched up. All wers suffering from the
nervous shock to their systems. After the
physicians got through the interior of the
sleeper at Forsythe looked like a hospital,
and was filed with the nauseating smell of
the drugs used i'll dressing the wounds.
Some OF the injured passengers wanted to
come through on this train, which
reached here at four a. IN. yesterday, being
about fourteen honrs late. All but two re-
NAMED ut Forsythe. Mr.. ~Benninghoven
and the gentleman who was chopped out
OF his state room would not lay over. The
EupliShmau rot off at Livingston. or rather