The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-19
LOCAL RAIL WAY CIRCLES
Things Have Again Quieted Down
on the Northern Pacific.
ACCIDENTS AND FLOODS
Brilliant misunderstanding for the
Body OF Mr.. Rslf-Heavy
Stock Shipments.

MiSSOula, June 1S.-The past week II
local railway circles has been in mark
ed contrast to the one that preceded it.
There has been almost no variation
from the regular routine of business,
while the week before was crowded
with accidents and fatalities Several
tramps lost their lives and the big col
lision at Perma made things lively for a
time. The sad drowning of Engineer
II. c. Relf was the unfortunate climax
of that weeks list of mishaps but since
then things have moved more smoothly
and the railway men have lost little
of the dread that almost always fills
their minds during such an avalanche
of accidents. During the past week
there was a slight accident at the water
tank that is on the Idaho line on the
west end, in which some cars of work
train were damaged and Engineer Titus
sustained a fracture of an ankle. This
has been almost the only interruption
to the traffic on this division and that
was not serious as a delay.
The Bitter Root kept the track and
bridge departments humping for two or
three days early in the week and the
fight was an interesting one for awhile,
but the intervention of the cool wave
that followed the rains of Sunday pre-
vented much more serious damage than
what actually was done. The Riverside
bridges short distance this side of Ham
ilton, is one of the largest bridges on
the Bitter Root branch. The rise in
the river undermined the south pier
and the collapse of this caused the
south span of the bridge to go out. The
structure tloated down the river short
distance and lodged upon bar. There
it went to pieces and all that it is good
for now is the scrap pile. When the
water recedes some of the iron
work may be recovered, but
thai is all. AS soon as the
span went out the bridge men,
with the pile driver and a big force of
helpers, went to work to replace it with
d temporary structure. The river was
still rising and the current was as swift
as an arrow. The work of driving the
piles for the new crossing was as hard
task as was ever undertaken by any
bridge crew. The water rush along SO
swiftly that it was almost impossible to
get pile started. AS fast as the big
timbers We're placed in position for driv
ing the current would sweep them away
and it was a long time before a system
was devised by which the force of the
current could be overcome. This was
finally accomplished by letting the pile
drop down with the driving weight,
and then the work progressed in better
shape. During the time that the bridge
was out the passengers and mail were
taken up to the bridge on the freight
train and there transferred TO wagons
AS the county bridge at Corvallis was
impossible on account of the high
water. the wagons took their loads to
the west end of the saWmill dam at
Hamilton and the river was crossed on
foot over the walkway on the big dam
For a while it was not certain that
this dam would not go out and this
mode of travel was not one that was
pieasurable to timid people. But all
the transfers We're accomplished with
out accident and on Thursday night the
first train crossed the temporary bridge
in safety. Since then the trips of the
branch trains have been regular
The old time card did not even make
a brilliant finish. From the time that
1t was put into effect it has been operat-
ing under hoodoo, and No. 3 has never
been on time at this place. On Friday
1t was reported on time and quite a
crowd assembled to witness its arrival.
but, true to its record. it ran according
to form and fell down to the tune of Is
minutes. The crowd was disappointed
and then 1t was realized that the card
was under an evil star. Saturday the
train did not come in at all, there be-
ing some trouble in Eastern Montana
As it looked on paper, the card was a
good one but practically it was a fail
ufe as far as the westbound trains
nave been concerned. 1t is hoped that
the new card starting out with the new
"a
nave been all kinds of lamentations nj
tered to-day, and if there is any virtue
IN signs and omens, the trains will do
better now. There is lot of business.
however, Tor one overland train and il
Will keep all hands busy to take cave
of it all and have the trains on time
there Is a heavy amount of passenger
lraNel this spring. The Copper CITY
-ii'ilteu VIII relieve the overland trains
VI c9hsluerable of their local business
on TINS division and this will help out a
nu.It.
many anxious friends are watching
with deep interest the efforts thai are
belns made for the recovery of the
oooy OF {. II. Relf the popular civil
engineer whose tragic drowning fur
nisned the principal railway item of
last week. The first efforts of the
dlVer, who has been brought to Plains
pv the company, We're not encoura sing
nut the work will be continued as long
as there is the slightest hope of recov7
,er1hs the remains of the unfortunate
man.
'lhe heavy stock shipments continue
TO Keep the freight trains busy. There
nave been several trainloads of cattle
taken over this division this week. one
OF these big loads went up the Bitter
ROOT. 1T was composed of young cat
tie that will be fed on the fine ,anoae
OF the Bitter Root stock farm and will