The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-03
HE DIED AT HIS POST
The Details Of the Disastrous Wreck
on the Northern Pacific.
RESULT OF CARELESSNESS
Such Is the Conclusion Of the Cor
oner's Jury-BrakemanD Downing
Dies on the Way to MissouIa-
Cattle Crushed to Death.
Special Dispatch to the STANDARD.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Livingston, Mont. May 2-The head
end collision last night between a stock
train and the regular west-bound pas
senSer was the result of a terrible
olunder upon somebody's part, and the
only wonder is that greater loss of
HE was not caused by the disaster
The extra was late in leaving this city,
but still. If the story of the trainmen is
true, she had IL minutes in which to
run to Mission and get clear upon the
siding before the passenger was due
as the distance is only seven miles, and
the throttle of the engine was wide
open all the way. The conclusion is ir-
reslstible that the true account is the
one which says the extra was delayed
several minutes in the yards here after
she whistled off.
The collision occurred on a curve a
quarter of a mile west of Mission sid
Ing, but Notwithstanding the curve. the
approaching trains are certainly visible
to the enginemen for a sufficient dis
tance to enable the train to be slowed
up and stopped. One of the victims of
the disaster. who died this afternoon,
stated that he saw the approaching
passenger in time to have avoided a
wreck and informed the engineer that
No. was over the switch and he would
better slack his speed, but the engineer
hetueu not tne warning anu went
ahead at full speed to his doom.
Twice Fireman McClelland advised
Engineer Tanning to desert the engine
and the fireman nearly lost his life in
not jumping from the cab sooner than
he did When the crash came the force
and momentum was so great that the
boilers of the two engines were crushed
together within a foot of the smoke
stacks, and the forward drivers of the
w he w nrnW
extra were elevated and forced upon
the trucks. Three stock cars were
1ammed into the space of one, and dead
and wounded cattle were hurled upon
the prairie and many pinioned in the
wreckage.
The mail car was telescoped by the
tender OF the passenger engine and Jo-
seph Swan. a Helena-Spokane mall clerk.
who was "dead-headlng'' to Helena. was
quite seriously injured. Engineer DeGrow
and Fireman McCarville of No. l jumped
from their engines and escaped with
slight wounds. The passenger trains
speed had been materially slackened.
having been almost brought TO a stand
stlll by the application of the emergency
brakes.
The wrecking train from this city was
sent out at once and pulled away the
10 unwrecked stock cars which were load
ed with cattle belonging TO Robinson g.
Carpenter of Miles City. A freight en-
glne also rendered the same service for
the passenger train. In few minutes
the wreck took fire from the
embers in the fire boxes Of the engines
and all the infammable material is now
Many of the dumb brutes
were burned alive in the wreck.
James F. Tanning. engineer OF the ex-
ira, was thrown from the engine and in
stantly killed; his skull was crushed.
broken and he was injured in
ternally. He was IS years old and leaves
a wife. who Is frantic with grief. His
body vii be taken to Albany. n. Y, for
burial. He carried $4,000 life insurance
divided between the A. o. L. w. and the
B. l.. +.
E. Z. Downing, the brakeman on the
extra, was injured internally and severe
" scalded by escaping steam. lie was
started on the Inflated passenger train. |
which left here at 10 a. m, more than
2 hours late. for the Missoula hospital,
but died between Butte and Garrison. |
His folks are said to reside near Port |
and. He was q years old and was to \
nave been married soon.
track has been laid around the scene 1
II the wreck and trains are now running
IN time. The passengers on No / were
sfven severe shaking up. but luckily .
lone were injured.
coroners jury, impaneled by DIR.
Shawk, was taken to the scene In Super
ntendent Finn's private car where they
'iewed the wreck and after returning to
own and listening to the testimony OF
everal eye witnesses to the catastrophe,
endered a verdict that Engineer Fam
ling came TO his death as a result of
lis own carelessness and that OF Con-
uctor Dudley Olin of the stock train