Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1900-05-25
FREIGHT TRAINS WRECKED
SEVEN EXPLOSIONS OCCURRED.
No One Was Seriously InJured-TwO
Large Engines Were Completely
Wrecked-Three Carloads of OIL
Caught Fire-Nine Cars Burned.

Spokane, May PA shrill whistle, the
grating Of wheels, terrible crash, \
series of tremendous explosions, followed
by the dazzling light Of flames shooting
800 feet into the air-that is the brief
story of the train wreck which occurred
on the Northern Pacific at Trent, nine
miles east of Spokane, about 1880 q. III.
Monday.
Strange to say, not a man was hurt,
the engineers and fremen both jumping
in time to save themselves. Had there
been any one in the cabOOse OF the log
train there would have been scarcely one
chance in a hundred for escape. Tnis ca
boose was literally ground to pieces un-
der two engines, the wheels and iron
binding being the only reminder that
ever such car existed.
The wreck presents remarkable sight.
Two large freight engines are reared into
the air, telescoped, and are linked to-
gether by the tender Of the head engine
Six oil tanks, which were last night filled,
are shattered and totally destroyed, while
the tangled mass of iron and wire re-
minds one of junk shop that had been
hit by cyclone.
yesterday morning, it was not till lO:3O
that the first train could pass. The
road was opened by building a track
around the wreck. The work might
have been accomplished earlier but for the
heated mass OF iron that could not be
handled.
How Ii Happened.
Shortly after | o'clock log train
coming in from Thompson's spur, about
SO miles east of the city, stopped at
Trent to fix hot box. Shortly after
wards an extra engine in charge Of En-
gineer j. II. Montgomery came up and
was tagged. The engineer stopped his
engine short distance behind the log
train, waiting for it to pull out.
An extra freight of 40 cars, with Jake
Palmgreen, engineer, was coming along
short distance behind the single engine.
Whether amy one went back TO flag this
train or not is the question that the Off
4 cials Of the road are trying hard to settle.
The road here is a little down grade and
I freight can get up good speed.
\ Just as the engine came across the high
bridge which spans the Spokane river at
that place the engineer saw what was
4 ahead of him. Quick as flash his whis-
n tie was sounded and the air brakes ap-
piled, but this was not enough to stop a.
I train of 40 loaded cars in $50 yards. See
ing there must be collision, the engineer
and fireman jumped. Both had their
faces slightly skinned, but were not 9TH
8erwise hurt.
The Crash.
II As the engine Of the freight struck the
&single engine, the latter was driven with
<terrific force into the rear end of the log
train. Such was the force that the lone
xengine was pushed right over the caboose
of the log train, grinding it to pieces. 1t
was followed in the mad plunge by the
seeond engine, which telescoped into the
first.
Ten seconds after the crash the train
8burst out in mass of flames that mount
ed hundreds Of feet in the air. Three
train, each with two loaded tanks, were
thrown into the pile and caught fire. As
fthe flames neared the oil it could be heard
Ito sizzle. A tremendous explosion fol
slowed, throwing iron and scraps 300 feet
pinto the air. Six other explosions fol-
z1o"ed in quick succession. One of these
#fx xplosions was caused by an engine boiler
bursting.
Although there was a bare ten seconds
%between the crash and the outburst of the
Flames, the train hands did not seem to
pose their heads for one instant. The
engineer of the log train put on steam
nd pulled his train out of the way. sav-
'59ng about Is cars from the flames. The
pniy damage done to the log train out
elde OF the caboose was that the logs were
&ehghtiy Jared, not badly enough to ne
ressatate the reloading of the train.
zM As soon As the wreck occurred two
$Prakemen ran to the rear of the freight
s'rain to flag another lone engine which
fts"as due about this time. This engine
II sfrivcd shortly and was quickly coupled
&c the rear end of the freight and pulled
ht~t OF the train out Of danger AL
"gether nine cars we're DESTROYED and
tso engines