The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-11-20
Who OPENED
THE SWITCH? ?
Causing The Collision AT
Bolton.
THE PORTER DENIESIT.
The Switch Was Closed at Ten O1Clock
and No Trains Passed Bolton in
the interval.

Saturday morning at II O'Clock
Coroner Mcmahon commenced an in.
quest over the bouy OF Frederick
Goodrich, the Great Northern fire
man VINO was kliled in the wreck at
Bolton, Thursday night, and the jury
composed of George w. Avery, G.
M. Mccarthy, George F. Stannard, j.
G. Edwards, J. p. Bond were in ses-
sion until 1890 when they adjourned
until o'clock, and upon resuming
continued in session examining wit.
nesses until late in the afternoon.
when the jury had concluded the ex-
animation of all witnesses present
an adjournment was taken until Sun
day morning, when number of
Great Northern employees, who were
coming in on No. 3, Saturday night
were to have given testimony. The
train did not arrive until late Sun
day afternoon consequently the in
tended session was not held.
From the testimony of witnesses
already examined it seems evident
that had the switch light been burn
ing the wreck might have been pre-
vented.
Fireman Goodrich's death must
have been most ..orrlDle. He was
pinned in a cloud of live steam for
almost half an hour, during which
time he moancd and gave every sign
OF terrible agony. DR.. C. A. Reed,
who is the Great Northern physician
in this city, and who was called to
the scene of the wreck, testified that
Goodrich must have died from suf-
location from live steam. That
Goodrich was badly scalded, but that
death would have hardly have result
ed from that cause.
Engineer A. E. Bodey, who was in
charge of the engine pulling No. 4
and upon which Fireman Goodrich
was employed, said: I'VE were on the
sidetrack about fifteen minutes.
Shortly after stopping the colored
train porter came up and l told him
to give No. 3 high ball'' when they
showed up as their was no curtain
on my headlight. About 11:2O, |
was standing at my side of the cab
and saw some one, l supposed the
porter give the west bound train a
high ball, and the engineer on that
train answered it. The next in
stant l saw second No. heading ip
on the side track. The porter 1T
that time was probably short dis
tance east of the switch Goodrich
was sitting on his side of the cab.
l yelled for him to get off doing so
myself, was able to get about 25 feet
from the engine, when the collision
occurred, and it was probably is
minutes before any one cou!l have
reached Goodrich owing to the rush
of steam and water.
There was so much noise one could
not have heard him cry had he done
so.
When l got to him he was fastened
between the cab and the water tank
and had evidently been caught while
endeavoring to escape. He was alive
but unconscious. Steam was escap-
ing all around us during the twenty
minutes we worked before it was pos
slble to release the suffering man,
who was taken to the sleeper, where
he died about ten minutes after.
| could not tell whether the east
switch was opened or closed as the
light in the lantern was out. 1t is
my opinion that the train porter
opened the switch as he was near it
nine or ten minutes, but 1T is prob
able that he failed to understand that
ne had done so.
Engineer Manwarring and Fireman
Martinson, who were on the west
bound passenger train told about the
same story. Martinson said: Com
ing round the curve east of Belton |
saw No. 4, and l informed the engi-
neer that their headlight was not
covered. He applied his air, as he
d.d SO | saw man at the switch
giving us high ball." CA signal
that all was clear, to come on. }
Engineer Manwarring answered the
signal and We were given another
"highbalP and we started SO as to
get up the Belton hill The train head
ed into the switch I inmnad out of