The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-12-06
N. P. Passenger Train Ditched
Near Butte.
TRAMPS ARE KILLED
Engineer and Fireman Seriously Injured.
Train Was Running at High
Rate of Speed.

Butte, Dec. 5.-The east bound
Northern Pacific passenger train
jumped the track at Blue Bird Spur
between Butte and Rocker at 1880
O'Clock last night. The engine was
smashed to splinters, the mail, bag
gage and express cars all left the
track and were rolled over on their
sides. The list of dead and injured
is as follows: Dead-Three men,
identity unknown, who were stealing
ride. Injured-Nate Kellum, en-
gineer, Of Missoula; Ole Johnson, fire
man, r. G. Metcalf, mail clerk
Singular enough not a passenger
was injured aside from a severe
shaking up. The engineer and fire.
man were severely injured and were
brought to the city on the relief train.
Metcalf, the mail clerk, refused to
come on the relief train, and it is i'm
possible to ascertain the extent OF
his injuries, but at 2 o'clock this
morning he was unable to walk.
The Inflated train, passenger No.
Y, left the coast day before yester
day, and was due in Butte at 1880
last night. The train was in charge
of Conductor George Reamer, OF
Spokane. She was going at a high
rate Of speed and the lights of Butte
were already in sight of the passen-
gers, many of whom were bound for
the city and were stirring around and
getting their traps ready preparatory
to leaving the train. Silver Bow
had been passed, and everything was
going smoothly when suddenly the
crash came. The engine left the
main track and glided over the switch
into a spur. The trucks of the ten
der did not leave the track, but the
engine and tender went rolling down
the embankment. The first baggage
car following into the spur. the trucAs
were loosened and the car thrown high
in the air. The second baggage car
crashed into it. and was badly wreck
ed. The mail car followed on the
main track, struck the engine, and
was turned completely around. one of
its trucks remained on the main
track and the other was thrown to one
side. OF the engine only the boiler
and mass of scrap iron was seen
this morning, SO completely was it
wrecked. For 155 feet from the point
where the engine left the track, the
rails were torn up and the ties re-
duced to splinters. The whole train
came to stop almost instantly. AS
the frightened passengers and unin-
jured trainmen pour out of the pass
enger cars. wild screams of agony
rent the air. A rush was made for
the ruined engine, and the engineer
and fireman, pinned to the ground be-
tween the engine and tender, were
taken from their perilous position
only with much difficulty, after the
arrival of help from Butte and the
wrecker The fireman was hauled
through the window of the cab and
the engineer was almost caught under
the dismantled boiler of the locomo-
tive. Kellum was cut on the head, the
right forearm was torn to pieces, and
he was badly scalded. The fireman
had one rib broken and head cut.
Both men are now in Murray and
Freund's hospital in this city
Directed by muffled groans. passen
gers on the other side of the train
found two men, one under the trucks
OF the first baggage car, The other
just in front Of them Bot. were
covered with blood and dirt, and en-
tirely uni ecognizable. The first had
his head almost severed from the
body. He was about 20 years old.
The other man was about % lie mad
one leg torn to pieces and his chest
crushed in. Both were dead. but
the second lived long enough to ut
ter the groan which directed the
searchers. One tramp who was un-
hurt said he was in company with the
dead men and that there was another
man, making four in ALL This man
said he thought that the fourth man
was under the wreck. It was impos-
sible to find him last night. It is
doubtful if the body of the dead man
can be recovered until the whole car
is moved. The eldest of the dead