The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-27
INJURED ARE IMPROVING
Victims of Mon days Wreck Re-
covering From the Shock.
THEY DO NOT BLAME LAIRD
Railroad Men Express Sympathy for
Him Rather Than Censure - Cor
oner's Jury Does Not Fix the
Responsibility.

Missoula, Dec. 26-The victims of
yesterdays unfortunate railway acct
dent who were not included in the
death list are improved in condition to-
day.
Wallace Mix, the brakeman of the
east-bound train, who was SO badly
scalded, is the only one whose condi-
ton is at all critical, and DR.. Buckley
tonight thinks that he will recover.
His injuries consist of scalds and
bruises. His right shoulder is badly
burned by steam and the scalds ex-
tend under the arm and down the
back and chest. 1t is these burns or the
chest that may prove serious, as other
complications may arise that will in
volve the lungs. IL
Mix is the brakeman who stood on
the top of the tender of the east-bound
train when the collision occurred. AS
stated in the Standard yesterday, he
was thrown over his own engine and
almost the entire length of the other,
by the shock of the collision. 1t was
some time before he could be found,
and it was feared he had shared the
fate of the fireman, Dixon, who was
crushed against the boiler head and
roasted to death. Engineer Beebe,
however, after the others had aban-
doned the search, took a lantern, and,
in spite of his own injuries, went hunt
ing for Mix. AT last he found him be-
meath the wreckage of the engine.
When discovered, Mix was trying to
crawl further into the cloud of steam
that was pouring out of the engine, and
had he not been found when he was,
he would have probably lost his life.
Beebe drew him out of the wreckage
and managed to get him upon his feet.
Mix was then delirious and asked Bee
be what was the matter. Did you get
stop signal?' he asked. He was cared
for as best his comrades themselves in
jured, could serve him until the arrival
of the relief train, when he was taken
in hand by DR.. Buckley.
Engineer Beebe says that there was
hardly a second between the time that
he saw the headlight of the other en-
CINE and the time of the collision There
was no time to check the speed of the
train in the least. The question that
Mix asked shows that none of the crew
knew at the time what had happened.
Beebe, Coombs and the other injured
men are not in any danger Their in
juries consist of bruises and the eff
fects of the general shaking up that
they received. There are no bones
broken, and the escape of so many OF
the men on the trains is a miracle. 1t
was a wonder that all of the men on
the trains were not killed.
The remains of Fireman Dixon We're
brought to this city last night on a
| special train that followed No. l in.
| The body was taken to the undertaking
| rooms of j. M. Lucy, where 1T is held
| awaiting funeral arrangements. The
remains of Engineer Rheim, who died
at the hospital yesterday afternoon
| from the effects Of his injuries, We're
| taken to his home to-day. The funeral
will be held tomorrow afternoon a,
the Baptist church, Rev F. j. SALESMAN
officiating. The services will be in
charge of the Foresters.
| The coroner of Granite county has
| concluded his inquest upon the remains
of the fireman and the two tramps who
We're killed in the collision. The jury
| brought in a verdict of accidental death
| the result of collision, but did moi
attempt to fix the responsibility of the
accident. Coroner Hayes of Missoula
county has impaneled jury to holt
| an inquest upon the remains of Engi-
| neer Rheim. This jury has begun its
| investigation and will probably be two
or three days in examining witnesses.
]. S. Laird, the unfortunate operator
whose mistake is supposed to have beer
the cause of the accident has come
! down from the hills, where he fed yes.
| terday and where he was in hiding al
| day. He has been assured that there
| is no danger of any mob violence. Or
| the contrary, railway men and all ex.
| press profound sympathy for him il
his misfortune. He has always beer
| faithful man. and his record unit
| this fatal mistake was clear. Tha
he fell asleep Sunday night at his desl
seems certain, and it is supposed thai
while he slept the eastbound train
| to which he should have given the
| orders to wait at Bonita for the west
! bound train, passed. From the fac
| that he replied to the first call Of the
| dispatcher in the Missoua office, i
| is supposed that he was awakened by
| the passing of the train, but did no
realize what had aroused him. The
| Missoula office called him but once, ant
| he responded Immediately, Showing
| that he was at his post. He Is a MAJ
| of good habits and does not drink a
all, it is said.
Miles Mix, the father of Brakeman
Mix, who is SO severely injured, sai'
this afternoon, in speaking of Laird
"I do not hold any hard feelings agains
| the man. He is human, and we ar
| all liable to make mistakes. mis-
| take in a railroad mans life, 1T is true
! may result fatally, but | do not thinl
| that Laird Should be blamed, as he ha
been by some. This is the sentimen
expressed by many railway men VIII
| have spoken to-day. The poor fellow
deserves sympathy rather than cen
| sure"
One-third off on all holiday goods re
| naming this week. Globe Stors.