The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-09

opetIui bispdttn 10 tnt
Great Falls. April s.-Additional de-
tails of the wreck on the Great North
ern are at hand.
From the reports from passengers on
the afternoon train the scene at the
wreck is beyond all description. Con-
ductor Jenkins says that he was occu-
pying one side Of the caboose cupola,
and John Bennett. a dealer in hogs.
who was bringing two carloads of the
animals from Chicago. occupied the
other side. The engine had just cleared
the bridge when at the sixth car from
the engine the bridge went down. The
seventh car rose on top of the car that
had fallen and the cars behind IL piled
on top of II. Then came an explosion
which blew the glass out of the win
dow in front into his eyes as II a charge
of fine bfro-Shse had hssn- fired at him.
A second explosion followed. As soon
as he had recovered from the shock he
sent the rear brakeman forward to flag
the track. while he went up the track
to perform the same duty. He had to
cross the stream. and In order to do so
was obliged to follow the stream for
some little distance.
|. Besides Bennett and himself. the rear
brakeman. William Simpson, was in the
caboose. The latter had his arm and
shoulder broken and was generally
bruised up. Bennett was struck in the
eye with a piece of the window pane.
DIR. Cooper says that the front wall of
the eye was broken. part OF the iris
protruded, and the cavity was filled
with blood clots. IL will be two days
before the extent OF the injury can be
fully ascertained. All of the three men
came in on the afternoon train and
were taken to the Columbus hospital.
+. c. Park. who went down on the
morning train and returned on the de-
layed train which reached this city at
o'clock this afternoon, says that the
purpose of his trip was to ascertain
II possible the cause OF the disaster,
but he returns knowing as little of II as
when he left. Where the explosion oc-
CURED is a funnel shaped hole fully so
feet In width and 30 feet deep. Appar-
entity the engine had gone safely across
the bridge and six cars with IL when
the bridge gave way. The seventh
car. loaded with % tons or dynamite
consigned to Butte parties. went into
the gap, and the following cars ex-
ploded part OF its contents. The rest
was scattered about the country.
the wrecking crews picking IL up by the
ermful Three or four cars loaded with
d
car OF merchandise. one OF whiskey.
one of -four. one OF beer. one OF rails.
one of sheet iron. in all 10 cars went
into the breach.
The force of the explosion was incon-
ceivable. A rail weighing los pounds
to the yard is said to have been blown
half a mile from the scene Three inch
iron was twisted as II II had no more
resistance than so much warm candy
The engine tender was blown into un-
recognizable splinters. and the cab
OF the engine was cut off as clean as a
gang of workmen could have done II In
several days work. The remainder of
the engine Is intact. and was lifted onto
the track and towed into the nearest
station. all OF the running gear being
perfect. This. IL must be remembered.
was six or eighth lengths away from
the explosion. One of the wheels on
the tender. which was entirely of steel.
was twisted of the axle, blown over the
engine and the rest OF the wreck. and
fell fully 400 yards from the starting
point. striking one of the rails in the
track and bending IL into a "U'' shape.
OF the carload of -four which went into
the gap nothing remains. Here and
there on the hillsides empty -four sacks
are TO be seen. but the flour is as COM
pletely dissipated as II IL had never
existed. The same In true of the mer-
chandise. whiskey. etc. OF the trestle
itself there is not a trace. Nothing but
that funnel-shaped hole in the ground
and the sullen stream which flows at
one side Is TO be seen. All this is equal
ly true of any OF the ~ cars which
went into the gap. What the explosion
left the fire destroyed.
Mr.. Park met a rancher. whose name
he did not learn, who lives about a
mile up the gulch from the tres,le. He
said that he was going home. and about
mile from the trestle he stopped to
talk with a section man. Had IL not
been for this delay he would have been
on the exact spot Of the explosion and
would now be telling his tale in Para
disc. About half a mile from the tres
tie the train whistled and he stepped
OF the track. He watched the train
pass him. watched IL as IL slowed up
and pulled across the bridge. saw the
train drop in the middle: then ne was
Knocked to the ground. rose and was
knocked down second time. He
again rose and ran tpura r1 tha frair,