The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-02
LOCKED FAST TOGETHER
A Serious Collision on the Nor
thern Pacific.
AN UNKNOWN MAN KILLED
He Was Stealing Ride on a Mail Car.
A Frightful Destruction of Prop
erty-Responsibility Not
Yet Fixed.

ciflc across the continent-locked fast
together, like two deer with antlers
twisted in mortal combat; one
of the huge machines mounted upon
the front end of the other in the posi-
ton it assumed when it struck the
fierce blow that wrecked the two; each
so securely fastened to the other that
it required two locomotives to draw
them apart; the cabs and upper works
demolished; the tenders complete
wrecks; that of the passenger engine
telescoped backward 10 feet into the
mail car behind; the front end of the
mail car smashed entirely; the trucks
of cars, and engines Unfortunately
mixed up-such was the scene that
Superintendent Russell and Master
Mechanic Barnes gazed upon when
they arrived here with a wrecking out
tit last night in response to a report of
one of the most serious collisions that
has occurred on the Rocky Mountain
division.
But with all this destruction of prop
erty there was but one life lost, that
of an unknown young man, aged about
20 years, who was stealing a ride on
the passenger train. He was riding on
the front end Of the mail car and was
driven through the front portion and
half way down the car by the force of
the telescoping tender.
Brakeman J. P. English of the freight
crew sustained serious injuries and is
at the Northern Pacific hospital in
Missoula with one leg badly crushed
and, it is feared, with dangerous inter
nal injuries. That the loss Of life was
not greater was miraculous and it is
remarkable that the engineers and fire
men escaped without serious injury.
At this hour the responsibility for the
accident has not been fixed. No. ?, the
east-bound passenger train, left Plains,
20 miles west OF here. on schedule time.
1t was in charge of Conductor Gilbert
and drawn by engine 377, a 10-wheeler,
with George Howe at the throttle. The
West-bound freight was a bounce
train, composed of engine 456 Mogul,
and a caboose. 1t was in charge of
Conductor George Shaver and the en-
gineer was John Flynn. This train was
running from Arlee to Hope, and how
1t happened to run past Duncan and
start for Perma on No. rs time has not
been explained. 1t looks like an at
tempt to "sneak" to Perma and gain
a little time. The attempt was almost
successful, for the collision occurred
only about three train-lengths from
Perma siding. Just a few seconds
more and there would have been no ac-
cident, but those few seconds were No
IS, and the fast train, speeding east
ward, was on time to the dot and the
few seconds needed might as we'll have
been hours.
Just east of Perma siding the track
curves around a wooded point and from
there the track is nearly straight to
duncan, seven miles to the east. Pass
ing Perma, No. , was on schedule
time and the fast train sped on east
ward. AS the engine swung around the
NIHI
the track, the bounce train coming to-
ward him. He at once applied his
emergency air brakes and called to his
fireman to watch out" The speed of
the train at once slackenad. The fire.
man jumped and landed on his feet UNI
harmed. Mr.. Howe, in speaking of the
affair to the Standard reporter, said:
II didn't think that they would hit
very hard, and l thought ! wouldn't
jump. But, as the other engine got
closer, I changed my mind and followed
my hreman's example. / jumped and
struck my shoulder against a
section post. This turned me
over and the next time |
struck l was in the water up to nv
neck, 1t is good thing that I jumped"
added the engineer as he looked at the
wreck of his engine. The cab was com
pletely demolished and had he stayed
on the engine he would certainly have
been killed.
Fireman Morris of the 81 tells much
the same story. When he heard En-
Sineer HoWe's warning Watch out"
he watched out He says that the
speed of the train had slackened to
elght or 10 miles an hour, and he land
ed on his feet as he jumped, and did
not fall. He ran to see if Mr. Howe
was hurt and, finding him wading out
OF the water, went to the assistance
~ he frrt ,,at
hurt.
Fireman Alger of the 456, on the
light train, says that he saw the pas
senger train just after it had rounded
the point. He jumped across the cab
to warn Engineer Flynn, who did not
at first understand him. Flynn was
at that moment looking at his time
card. The warning was repeated and
Flynn at once reversed his engine and
applied the emergency brake Then
the fireman jumped from the right side
of the engine, landing safely in the soft
sand AT this moment the engines
came together, just as Flynn jumped
from the other side of the cab Flynn
was Slightly bruised. but escaped with
out any serious injury.
Conductor Shaver had but one brake
man, his other man being on the sick
list. The two We're together in the ca
b0ose and felt the shock of the sud
den application Of air. They ran to
the platform and jumped just as the
collision occurred. Shaver cleared all
right, but English was struck by the
caboose. which was knocked from the
track by the shock. He was knocked
down and the trucks passed over his
Nleg below the knee. Fireman Morris
ran to his aid and made a tuurni0uet
from handkerchief until Conductor
Shaver arrived with rubber bandage.
English was sent to MissOula in a ca
boose. He was met at JOcko by Chief
Surgeon Buckley. who ACCOMPANIED
him back to MissOul3
The two engines came together with
terrible crash. AS stated the speed
Of the passenger train had slackened
to about 10 miles an hour. From all
accounts the other train must have
been running al least % miles an hour,
The 456 literally climbed upon the 377.
The stack and headlight of the 456 were
not knocked off, but the 377 was strip
ped of its upper works Its pony trucks
were beneath the ASS and the latter's
drivers were on top of her own truck