The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1896-11-18
KILLED HJ' lus, POST,
EnslHccr 'fcurgc Eairchild Goes n nco+h
With His Engine,

crous bluffs near Paradise valley have
Tor the second time within a co1nn,r.
at1VeIy lew weeks been the course of
a7aea! accident, and George Fair
chlld: one Of the oldest and best an
! S''''seF5 on the line Of the Northern
racine railway, is dead. The llioh
cIIlf at the cast end Of the valley was
the cause of the .accitlcnt tlfis time
ll'c last accident was caused by >
I slaoe'at the bluff at the other end .of
the plain. 1t is three miles this sido
fo1 PARADISE station whore the accj.
ocht occurred, just where the roaa
hnds it's way into the valley around
Inc side af,the prccipitous bluff that
. rises abruptly from the Missoula river.
ana falrchildiHas pulling the vest
bound 11ycr on schedule time. 1t was
watch W'GGk hYo Conductor preston's
den stop that indicated an .aocis,1nt
and the train men rushed ahead to
see what was the matter. Enrinc
NO. 439 was OF. its side against the
nigh bank. having struck Il rock Slide
that had fallen across the track and
lodged on the side that oycrhanrs
the river The shock had thrown
the tender Off the track on the other
side and the mail, express and bau,
gage cars together with one emptv
clnlSrant car had followed It. The
| hfst two cs2rs were on their sides on
the cnbankmcnt that Slopes to uaac
river and the other two had simply
lett the rails, but had not capsizcd.
When the engine went over it WAS
SO suddenly done that Fairchild Lad
no opportunity to save himself and
ne was carried down with the en-.
yInc which crushed him to death al
moStl Instantly, Fireman Walden.
who was on the left side Of the en-
gInc, was not hurt aside from Il few
cut and bruises that are not serious
The nlcn in the cars that were upset
escaped without any injury whatever,
Fairchl]d's body was cxtricatcd from
the wreck as soon as possible and,
message was sent to the city and a
"reckjng outfit was at once dispatch
cd to tho scene, SnpcrintcnucntI'ca
much additional information to be
obtained concerning the accident OF
yesterday morning, which cost the
life Of George iuirchid. dHrNn the
report OF the conductor, William
Preston, and from the statements Of
the members OF, the train crew from
this city last night, it was Learned !.
that when the rock slide was discor-
cred the train was running at a.tIsael;
of:about - miles an'hour. Fireman
Walden saw the slide first and called
| to F'airclild that the track WAS block
ed 'Illo engineer at once applied
the air ana when the engine struck
the rock the train had nearly lost it's
| llt'N way AS SoNtl dS LuC dll o4~ECS
had been applied t4ci'tircman and
| engineer jumped Walden was on
the river side and his jump was upon
| the rough bank Of rocks that slopes
| to the river. Not oncc.in 4 thousand
times could a man take this leap ana
escape serious injury, but Walden
was not hurt beyond a few cuts and
bruises. With Fiirchild it was diff
lcrcnt, he aeapcd, against the steep
bank that rose high from the track
on his side Of the engine. IIisr'aear
took him clear Of the engine as
it passed on the slide, but he rolled
back down before lac could get his
feet, and when the mail car left the
track it caught him and crushed him
beyond recognition. Once under the
car his body was dragged till there
was ;.urci1y a whole bone left in his
body. Besides the broken bones, his
flesh was horribly torn. His body at
: the abdomen was almost cut in two,
Another cut lcngthwisc OF the BODY
extended from the breast bone to the
transverse cut. His scalp was torn
) off and his face and body cut in Il
hundred places. HIS prompt action
in setting the brakes saved the passcn-
gers from being injured, and there
we're many thankful ones in the
JrOWt,
Justices Buck and Dewitt, Of the
: supreme court, were on the train and
: they at once started subscription
: for a NOR umcnt for the dead man,
: The sum of $50 was raised and has
r been placed in the First National
, bank at this c'ty subject totherorde-
8 .oi Engineer Rodgers, wAo has s1een
designated to make the presentation
4 to the family Of the deceased.
= The bank where sthe accident oc-
# CURED has always been regarded as
J. one Of the most dangerous spots 'on
o the road. Until within two years ago
c there always was a ,vatclaman en-
ploycd there zto 60 over the track
ahead Of cachftrain, but recently the
|watclt1nan aad been dispensed With.
r George Fairchld, the dead cngi-
}, necr, was one Of the oldest engine
cl men On the road, and Was 4 careful