The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19
NORTHERN MONTANA
The Northern Montana ofics Of the Standard
Giocated In the Bsch-Cory Block Great Falls,
0rectly opposite the Park Hotel Advertising
nates furnished on application
COAL CARS PILED UP
a Disastrous Wreck on the Mel
hart Branch.
A BROKEN WHEEL FLANGE
The Accident Occurred at the Foot of
Swift Hill-All the Trainmen Had
Miraculous Escape
From Death.
A BROKEN WHEEL FLANGE

= Great Falls, Dec 1S.--The most disas-
4rous wreck, from a financial stand
point, which has ever occurred on the
Neihart branch, happened at Box Elder
bridge, about IL miles this side of Belt,
to-day at about noon. a train OF about
80 cars loaded with coal from Belt, was
looming down Swift hill. 1t is the Gus
tom of the trainmen. in order to make
Ahe ascent to the crest of the following
hill, Box Elder, 10 let the train run
Down at a good gait, trusting TO mo-
n1entum to carry it over the grade. AT
Hfie foot of Swift hill is a bridge and 1t
was stated that the train to-day was
going at the usual high rate of speed
when the fiange on one of the wheels OF
the second car broke.
The car jumped the track and broke
every tie on the bridge. but the train
otherwise crossed all right and went on
until it struck a cattle guard in the cut.
Then the cars began to pile up until
there We're IA of them heaped and
broken beyond semblance to cars. Thir-
aeen remained on the track, but every
one of them is badly smashed, draw
heads being torn out in every instance.
Fortunately no one was injured.
!. The train was an extra and all OF the
arainmen were in the engine or caboose,
both of which escaped without injury.
One man had a narrow escape. lie had
been passing the length of the train and
Just climbed over the tender as the cars
went into the air. There was a gang of
section men working on the track at
that point and they were also lucky.
They saw that a car was jumping on the
ties and ran for the hills before the
smashup came. A conservative esti-
mate of the loss places 1t at $4,000.
| 1t will take at least "A hours to clear
The track and put things in good shape
"A wrecking crew has gone to the scene
from Belt, and Superintendent G. X
Martin, as soon as word was received
here, made up a train of two coaches
and q wrecking crew and left in very
short time. The passengers of the reg
ailar train. which followed the special
arain which was wrecked, We're trans
ferred to the relief train and brought
INTO this city, arriving here about .
o'clock One of them stated tonight that
il would not be surprising If one or more
bodies were found in the pile. OF late
there has been many tramps and ho-
boes stealing rides in the coal cars, as
many as five or six being found ON one
train, and he says it is possible that the
wreck may thus be made horrible.
, The spot where the accident occurred
is one dreaded by all trainmen who
have that run. During the few years in
which the road has been operated there
have been numerous wrecks and acct
dents there, and 1t has come to have the
reputation among railway men of "a
dead mans curve.
1t is probable that the mines at Belt
will have to close for one or two shifts,
as 1t is said that there are no empties
at that point now, and, as stated. IL will
require the greater part of tomorrow
10 repair the line. There We're fully 200
tons of coal on the train. and this Will
also be a factor in the loss.