Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-03
MONTANA CENTRAL CATASTROPHE
TWO PERSONS LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE WRECK LAST NIGHT
WHILE TRYING TO ESCAPE THROUGH A WINDOW.
ALL OF THE PASSENGERS WERE INJURED, SOME OF THEM MOST
SERIOUSLY. E. C0RMlCKS CONDITION
IS PREC ARIOUS.

d. Dewey, Boston, ankle injured.
A. Porter, Butte, head n body cut.
Charles Phillips. Chicago, head lacer-
ated.
Robert Elton. Butte, head and chest
hurt.
T. H. K~leinschmidt. Helena, leg in
jured.
Mrs. George Geddes, Butte. sever in
! juries to back.
were: William Stack, William Duffy,
Miss Farrell, c. M. Atkins Of Butte and
NJ. Roth of Helena.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
The railroad officials were inclined to
: the opinion last night that the accident
!, was caused by the spreading of the rails,
but a railroad man who made an ex-
animation of the wreck this morning,
says hat there Is no sign anywhere Of
I, the track having spread before the ac-
cident. He believed that the accident
was caused by the breaking of the axle
on the orward baggage coach. When
the cars left the rails of course the rails
spread, but at the point where the
coaches left the rails there was no indi-
cation of any defect on the track.
Workmen were engaged all morning in
clearing UP the wreck. The track was
torn up for about 200 feet, the ties were
all torn out and man Of the rails twist
ed out of shape. Near the scene of the
wreck was a ~conglomeration OF hats,
umbrellas, parcels, etc., which had be-
longed to the passengers. The forward
baggage car was nearly on end, and the
trucks of the tender had been pushed
forward above the locomotive.
THE DEAD.
John Lucchesi, one of the killed, had
been on a visit to Butte with his wife
and was returning to his home In Great
Falls, where he conducts a saloon.
When the coach in which he and his
wife were seated left the rails. Lucchesi
raised the window and attempted to
jump out. He had his head and should
ers out Of the ndo when the coach
toppled over, and he was crushed to
death between the ground and the car.
His body will be shipped to Great Fall
for burial. Mrs. Lucchesi escaped with
slight injuries and was able to attend to
the details of the funeral today.
The Kelly boy met his death in almost
a similar manner. He was travelling
with his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. s. j. KEEL
ly of Salt Lake, and was seated in the
rear of the coach. The boy probably mo-
ticed others endeavoring to get out OF
the windows. He raised the window
nearest him and was just in the act OF
getting out when the car rolled over and
he was dragged some distance under The
coach, his body being found jammed
. ! in the window of the toilet room. The
father, Mr.. Kelly, is a prominent Elk OF
Salt Lake. !
A FORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE.
It is a matter of congratulation to
everybody that the lights in the coaches
were extinguished by the jolting of the
cars over the rails, otherwise there would
have been a holocaust to report. The
passengers who were aught in the wreck
and who were unable to e%xtricate them
selves were ap%prehensive of fire and one
man said that the few minutes he re-
manned in the coach after 1t toppled over
seemed to him like as many years. Near
ly all of the men became panic-stricken
and rushed to secure places of safety.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
Mrs. Della Stack, who was going to
accompanied by her two children, one
Is and the other 2 years of age. When the
crash came Mrs. Stack grasped the
younger boy in her arms and when res
cued it was found that both Mrs. Stack
and the baby were uninjured. The old
err boy was slightly injured about the
head by the fall.
j. E. Mccormick. who was en- route
to Helena, was in the sleeper With w.
IN. Lucas when the coaches left the track.
Lucas was sitting on the opposite side
Of the car from Mccormick and when
the coach toppled over Lucas fell almost
on top of Mccormick. Mccormick was
the first up, and Selling q board, ne
1 SIIldSlcu d llIoO" - " ~
window and then helped Lucas out.
Both were badly injured, and after get
ting out they laid down beside eacn
other near the track. They remained
there for about two hours petore tns
j special train came. The night was cold
and blankets were unobtainable.
Miss Farrell of Butte, escaped with q
scalp wound. She was enroute to Helena
and Great Falls to spend her vacation
with friends. She brought back to Butte
- - MEn o~1 AArS OILY nj
Salt Lake., whose young son was killed.
The infant was rescued unhurt from the
wreck by T. H. Kleinschmidt of Helena,
and was at once taken care OF by MISS
Farrell. .
Conductor lick was severely injured
! but he behaved like a hero. All Of the
passengers speak in praise of his ex-
ertions in behalf of the injured.
CONDITION OF INJURED.
The condition Of J. E. Mccormick, who
is at Murray & Freund's hispital is caus-
ing his friends considerable anxiety. HI
rested comfortably for a short time this
morning. but when a reporter called dur
ing the forenoon he way suffering much
} pain from his side. The physicians are OF
: the opinion that he is injured internally
but do not care to express an opinion al
to it's severity.
{ Mrs. O.. T. Crane, of Helena, and hel
two children were OF the wrecked train
They were severely shaken up, but were
able to resume their journey today.
! Mollie Drew, daughter of Dan Drew
a saloonman of Butte, was severely cut
about the arms with glass. She is IN
! considerable pain yet.
{ w. II. Lucas who had several ribs
broken and who was otherwise injured
about the body was resting easily today
! at Murray & Freund's hospital.
: Geo. Smith of Minneapolis and 8. w
Scott, of Chicago, are also at Murray &