The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-04
DOWN INTO THE WATER
Narrow Escape From Death Of q
Party Of Prominent Wisconsin
Lumbermen.
Their Gar Overturned and the
Inmates Imprisoned for
Half an Hour. I
Thirty Minutes Which None Of the Far.
ttcipants VIII Ever ~Forget-Hereio
Montana Men.

A party of gentlemen arrived In Helena
Sunday night over the. Montana Central
who had an experience the night previous
they will never forget. The party was COM
posed of h. G. Davis, assistant to Presi-
dent Cakes. of tho Northern Pacific rail-
road: 0. H. Ingram, of Eau Clairs, Wis.,,
and of the Eau CLAIRE National bank; VIM. |
Carson. of Eau Claire, president Of the
Valley Lumber com cany. Of that city; T.
H. Long, of Eau Claire; A. W. Psttibone.
Of Lacrosse, Wis; Major W. H. Day, Of
Dubuque. Iowa; Messrs. Geo. and Jas. Du-
laney. of Hannibal No., and Mr.. 1. Ger
shell, of Livingston. All the gentlemen
save Mr.. Davis and Mr.. OeHsohel are heavy
capitalists and lumbermen, and the party
arc on their way to the sound to investi-
gate the feasibility of starting large indus
trial enterprises there. They left st. Paul
via the Northern Pacific. travelling in the
special car Minnehaha. which was attached
to tho regular train. Arriving At Fargo.
they found they could not get through In
their car, owing to q washont, 80 on arriv-
ing at Jamestown the car was transferred
to a branch line and run up to the Great
Northern. the intention being to continue
west on that road.
During the past week high water has
been prevalent along tho lines of both
roads. but no great difficulty was expert
enced on the Great Northern in eastern
Montana until Saturday. II was just ten
minutes after midnight Saturday when Mr..
Davis and his patty were awakened by a
jar, and the next moment the oar turned
over. Those on the upper side were thrown
| mt nf THAR hQPfha into a H0O6 0f ina Cold
water, and those on tho lower side were
submerged. The hrst man to get his head
| wns NJ. Davis, who was thrown into a cor
ne. He got upon his feet az soon as pos
sible and began to move toward the rear
door. The water was rushing In Though a
broken window, as well as through the VEN
t~ilators. Slowly and carefully picking his
way along, sometimes with the water up to
his hips and again with it up to his neck.
cutting his feet at almost every step with
Fortunately the car was we'll built. being
ono Of the heaviest and best in the coun-
try. In turning over the hinge
side Of the door was up.. and
Mr.. Dayis, after several attempts
succeeded in getting hold Of the knob "a and i'd
to keep II oren. he got out. and went to the
sleeper. distant about a hundred yards.
He had on only a night robe and his feet
were cut and bleeding from their contact
with tho glass and with the floating parti-
oles of Ice. Some Of the trainmen took of
the garment he had Oh and wrapped him in
a blanket. He was so chilled he could
| hardly stand and his feet were cut so badly
he could not walk back to the over turned
car in which his friends were imprisoned,
! but he stood on the rear platform of the
sleeper until they were all rescued. There
were eleven people altogether in the private
car, Mr.. Davis party and q colored cook
and Iortsr. The n'st person out after Mr..
Davis WAS the cook. He came up through
a window with the water dripping from
piled: Use dc only one dats saved"
Had ii not been for the self possession Of
two Missoula gentlemen and the hard work
of the trainmsn. the colorsd mani state
ment would have proven true. Among the
passengers on the train was Deputy Sheriff
viii Murphy. OF Missoula. Nj. Woods.
as soon as he could get through q
window dropped down into the icy
cold water IN the CAR. and standing
in II up to his waist, he told the unfortunate
men, who had then been in the water over
and in that way they were rescued. Mr..
Murphy stood at the car and assisted them
ae Mr.. Woods aided them from the inside.
They we're all rescued. and strange as II
may seem none were seriously injured. cut
feet and bruised limbs being theis greatest
1 II ~ Jag - SNo
party are 80 years OF age and upward, and
none OF them yesterday showed any i'll
effects from their prolonged ICY bath. The
party left in the car in the way of money.
watches. etc, about $4,000, and up to yes
to-day they had not heard whether 1t had
been recovered or not. II was a most
miraculous escape without loss Of life either
from drowning like rats in hole. or from
the effects Of the prolonged stay in the
water, which Was filled with ice.
The place whore the accident occurred
was between Wolf Point and Oswego. All
. the water came from the backing up Of the
Missouri. The engineer was thrown from
his sent and rendered unconscious, the
front platform of the mail car was broken
off and the front trucks Of the same car
were off the track. II is supposed the whole
train jumped the track, and then by some
p~eculiar freak all the cars savo that carry
ing the mail and the private coach in the
rear jun ed on again. The entire party
with Mr.. Davis unite in their praise of all
tho employees of tho train for their kind
neas and consideration after the accident.
Mr.. Davis has teleRraphed to st. Paul for
another private car. 1t 10 expected here to-
day and when il arrives tho party will 60
ru xuaat