The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-16
Butte Department.

| terrible speed of the runaway cars wa
| practically unchecked. The cars becam
| tightly wCdged together and Supcrin
tendent Wathey quickly climbed owe
- into the passenger coach to save the lit
tie girE She was out on the platform
and was just about to jump off when h
reached her and put her back into tn
car. Had she jumped AT that time SIN
could hardly have escaped being killed
Mir. Wathey then set the track brak,
on the passenger coach, hut it was Xix,
man trying to stop the water from
/ running over Niagara Falls with
soup ladle. The motorman followed
Mr.. Wathey over into the passenger cal
and laid down in the aisle.
/ The cars were then running at 6
speed that is variously estimated al
from 80 To 80 miles an hour, and there
was nothing for those who were OF
them to do but trust in Providence and
wait for them to leave the track OF
strike something. Sparks were flying
/ from tn" wheels in a stream, the pres
! sure Of the track brakes on the rails
/ produced a horrible screech, the trolley
arms We're flying around as though
giving n frantic warning of danger.
/ People We're screaming, and altogether
the scene was one that will not be eff
I faced from the minds of those who wit
, messed IL for n long time.
The cars passed over the b, &, A. r.
| bridge over Silver Bow creek with a
roar. They were going so fast that the
/ track brakes did not catch at the cross
ing of the main line of the Montana
Union, but they caught In the first
switch beyond II, between the two cleo
| trio light stations. At the same time
one of the aylos of the loaded car broke
i'm two and fell over on its side, a com
pete wreck. The empty ore car and the
passenger car left the rails al the same
time and came to a sudden stop with
their wheels deeply imbedded in the
hard ground
Some idea OF the speed of the cars
ana their force may be gained from
the fact that one Of the Montana Union
rails was broken In two places while
the other one was twisted out of shape
where they were struck. The two for
ward cars were badly wrecked and the
loaded ore car was almost completely
demolished. The little Decker girl
jumped off the cars as soon as they
stopped and ran home without a
scratch.
Murray & Freund's ambulance had
been telcphoned for as soon as Cen
eral Manager Wharton learned Of the
runaway in The expectation that 1t
would be needed and ii arrived in a
very few minutes after the cars ended
their wild flight. Motorman Nelson
was placed in II and removed to their
hospital where Or. Gum. the family
physician. assisted in looking after
him. 1T was found that about six
inches OF the bone in the right leg just
above the ankle had been crushed to
splinters and the doctors decided that
amputat!on was necessary. Both Nell
son ana his wife opposed amputation,
hut the doctors say that the leg will |
have to he taken off below the knee.
superintendent Wathey was taken
home in a caviage, and It was found |
that his injuries are not serious, al |
though very painful His left leg Is /
badly cut and bruised where Il was 1
damned between the cab and the end /
or tho car and he also has several other /
painful bruises Joe Nelson has been
In the employ Of the street railroad for
nearly seven years and Is one of their
most competent and popular employees
II" asked for position on the ore cars
and It was given him on account OF his
experience ana his reputation for care
tulnrss and good judgment. He Is mar
ilod and about 80 years old. The runa-
way created the greatest excitement |
and the cars were followed down the
hill by hundreds of people on foot. on
horseback and i'm wagons and car
rfaEes. There were few who would be-
lieNe that the accident had not had a
moro serious ending until they saw the
wreck with their own eyes.
> W. James. a fireman at the cleo
trio light station. was the first one
10 board the cars after they stonped.
I've seen a good deal Of fast running"
3fld Mr. james, but that beat any
-hlng ! ever saw. | believe those cars
were running all of 20 miles an hour
" hen they struck the tracks"
Motorman G. @. Bates told the FOL
owing story or the runaway to n
reporter last evening: '''rhe I
'arS were just coming out Of tho nm ,
lel at the mine when I got there and |
boarded them just above Granite /
street | got on top OF the loaded car. |
md by the time we struck Granite
street ! saw that the cars were RIM
ing away The wheel brakes lid not
eem To work at ALL and the track
'rdkoS only checked the speed SLIGHTLY.
'oth troiloys flew off at Granite street
md ] nut the one on the loaded car
'1ck on again. hut il flew off n cain at
ark street. Both motormen ratcrsed
u" current. and cverytime ne trolley !,
truck the wire I could feel the cars
atch. McGilliCk. the motorman on the ,
oaded car, set both brakes and re-
'ersed the current and jumped I then T,
tImhcd over the front car and saw
if. NatheE in the door of the cab. ,
~" expected the ears would iump tie ,
rack az IN" curve at Park Street and !
Nhen they did not ! jumped or"
- 49, -'''''ft " 1'iltS WIS seen al 1
rs nome soon after the accident ard :
"lated the facts as stated above. He !
ala that both the wheel and track .
rakeS Were tightly set on the FRONT :
ar but he did not know how they
we're on the loaded car. General Man
ger Wharton feels very badly ever :
nelson's injury. He said that every
recaution had been taken to tho~,ugh-
test the cars, and had IL not been :
or the collision with the ROuIay-ir1
aSsengcr car he did not believe there
you'd have been any serious results !
rom the runaway.
Mas for silver. e
For the present n least. the friends