The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-08-02

VIM al oHEbneII with n BeCOuu Crash alu1Obb
as great as the break ing Of the, bridge. For
a few moments after this everything was
still down In that terrible chnsta, and then
arose the screams OF the imprisoned occu-
pants OF the cars who still remained alive.
The railroad station was only u short
distance away, and help arrived almost In
ttantly, but before the first spectator came
Gn the scene fire had broken out IN the
wreck, and soon The flames were Ereedily
licking up all the woodwork that remained
out OF water. There were 147 persons on the
train, and, strange to say, ~ were rescued
alive, though most OF them were pretty
badly injured. Seventy-ive were killed
outright by the fall, burned TO death or
drowned In tho creek.
The last Of the six greatest railroad acct
dents, the "Chatsworth disaster In most
respects WA worse even han the Ashtar
bula wreck, though 1t lacked some Of the
terrors of snow, Ice and water which added
so much to the horrors Of the Ohio hoIO-
calst. On the night Of Wednesday, Aug.
10, 1887, at 40 minutes after 8 o'clock, a
large excursion train, II cars, packed with
a happy throng Of pleasure seekers, dashed
by the Chatsworth Oils station Of the To-
ledo, Peoria and Western railroad at n high
rate OF speed. The train was drawn by two
OF the heaviest engines on the road and
was bound for Niagara Falls.
Shortly after the C~hatsworth station, at
which ITO stop was made. had been passed,
the engineer Of the forward locomotive saw
flames tapping Mt the stringers Of a short
trestle work which led across a dry cut
some ~ feet deep. Instinctively he reversed
his lever, but in the next moment he saw
that it would be impossible with the heavy
train behind to stop before the danger spot
was reached. The only chance lay in q
dash for safety, and throwing his lever back
again he put on every pound Of steam, and
the cars fairly made a leap ahead. But
neither speed nor caution could save the
train. The flames had undermined the
woodwork of the %trestle, and it gave way
as soon as the weight Of the first engine
struck it. Then ensued an awful scene.
The $50 people on board were thrown in the
midst of the wreck, pinioned under the
frame work Of the shattered vehicles. A
few Of the passengers remained uninjured,
but fire broke out like a fash in a dozen
different places.
When morning came, the shattered train
was still blazing. After the wreck was
finally cleared away it was found that 76
persons had been killed. Three hundred
and fifty passengers were injured, a ma
jority Of them severely, and for months the
affair hung like a pail over what had been
one of the happiest and most prosperous
stretches of country in the west. Compared
with this terrible calamity most of the so
called minor accidents which have from
time to time shocked the country seem
small, but taken together they make a most
formidable list. The most important of
them are as follows:
Nov. ], ST bridge over the Gasconade
river on the Missouri Pacific went down under
the first train run through to Jefferson City;
20 killed, 80 injured. The chief engineer was
among the dead.
Aug. 1G, 1854 new engine out for a trial
ran into the rear end of q local passenger on
the Housatonic railroad of Connecticut; II
killed, Is injured.
April IA. 1868 Train on the Erie road derailed
at Carr's rock; Is killed, 81 wounded.
May IL, 1S7o-Night express on the Missouri
Pacific ran into a stalled freight at Eureka,
Mo-; 10 killed, 80 wounded.
Aug. 28. 1S71-Express on the Eastern rail-
road ran into the rear end of the Beverly ac-
commodation ut Revere, Mass; "a killed, 20
wounded. U
Feb. 6, 1s71-The Second Pacific express'
on the Hudson River road ran into q wrecked
oil train near New Hamburg; 81 killed, "a
wounded.
June %, 1S72-Express train on the Grand
Trunk of Canada jumped the track on account
of q defective rail near Bellevillc. Ontario: 30
killed, 40 wounded.
Dec. "a, lS7g-A broken wheel precipitated
an express train on the Buffalo, Cory and
Pittsburg down an embankment at Prospect,
n. Y; ID killed, rs wounded.
Jan. Is, ls7S-An excursion train on the Con-
~necticut Western went down with a bridge
over the Pennington river at Tariffville, Conn. -;
10 killed, so wounded.
Oct. s, 1S7S-An excursion train returning
from a boat race collided with the edge of a
freight car at Wollaston Heights, near Bos-
ton, because of an improperly thrown switch;
Is killed, $50 wounded.
Oct. 10, 1879-The Pacific express onithe Mich
igan Central collided with a freight train at
jackson Junction.; Is killed, 81 wounded.
Jan. 10, 8s2-Th Atlantic express on the
New York Central at Spuyten Duyvil run into
by the Tarrytown local; 8 killed and e
wounded.
May IA, 1884 through freight on the Balti.
more and Ohio ran into a gravel train at Con.
nellsville, Pa; Ii killed.
April Z, S88-An express train on the Hoosac
Tunnel line left the track between Bardwel
and West Deerfleld, Mass; II killed.
Sept. IA, 18S6-Excursion train from Erie fol
Niagara Falls ran into a freight at Silver
Creek, N. Y: 70 killed and 45 injured.
Jan. 4. 1887-The west bound express on the
Baltimore and Ohio ran into q stalled freight
at Republic, o.; 10 killed, 20 injured.
, Feb. 5, lss7-Two cars of a passenger train OF
the Vermont Central jumped the track at thu
White river bridge, near Woodstock; 80 killed
: March IA, 1Ss7-Bussey bridge in the out
skirts of Boston went down under crowded
{ train on the Boston and Providence road; 2
: killed, lis injured.
Feb. q, 1854 passenger train on Crane
Trunk was derailed on the bridge at st
. George, Ont; 10 killed; 30 injured.
! Aug. 10, 1S9O-The Woods Holl express on tn
Old Colony road ran into a ratchet jack which
l had been left on the track by workmen nea
3 Quincy, Mass; q killed, 40 injured.
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