The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-31
36 DEAD.
Frightful Wreck on the Great
Northern Railroad.
Train Breaks in Two and e
Cars Run Away
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
Crash Into a Passenger Train
Without Warning.
Two Passenger Cars Demolished
and Set on Fire.
Superintendent Downs and His
Son Killed.
BODIES WERE BURNED.
Remains of All but Six Of the
Dead Cremated.
Thirty-three Of the Killed We're
Scandinavian LabOrers.
BODIES WERE BURNED.
Remains of All but Six of the
Dead Cremated.
Thirty-three of the Killed We're
Scandinavian LabOrers.
THIRTEEN INJURED.
Three Passenger and Ten
Freight Cars Burned.

KaiIspiel. Mont. Aug. s1.-Late re-
ports from the wreck at Nyack. on the
Great Northern. thirty miles west Of
here, are more serious, thirty-six lives
having been lost and 1S injured AS
nistant General superintendent Downs
OF the Great Northern. his son, cook
and thirty-three Scandinavian laborers
were killed and 1s laDorers were in
5ured. Downs and his son and 2S labor
srs wara burned in the wreck. The
laborers we're bound from Duluth to
Jennings for railroad work and occu-
pied the rear car No passengers were
injured Three passengers and 10
freight cars we're burned
Kalispiel. Mont. Aug. s1.-A west
bound passenger train on the Great
Northern road was wrecked about $50
O'Clock last night near Nyack station,
40 miles east of Kalispiel in the noun
tains. An east-bound freight backed
out OF the switch at Essex and broke
in two. IS cars going down the noun
tain. crashing into the passenger train
without warning. The special car OF
Assistant General Superintendent P. /.
Downs Of the Great Northern and
day coach Of laborers were demolished
and caught fire and burned
Superintendent Downs and his son
were instantly killed, as was also their
cook Many laborers were killed and
burned. but the number can not at this
time be ascertained
The sleeper caught fire. but it is re-
ported that all passengers were gotten
out safely. 1t is not known the extent
or number of injured among the pass
engers. All the physicians in Kalispiel
with q wrecking crew have been sent
TO the scene Of the accident. Ten cars
Of shingles and other freight caught
fire. which added to the horror Of the
disaster. A train loaded with dead and
injured arrived this morning.
TWENTY KNOWN DEAD.
St Paul. Mimi. Aug. 31-Partieulars
regarding the Great Northern railway
wreck near Kalispiel. Mont last night
are meagre at the general offices here.
owing to the fact that all the railway
wires are down in the vicinity of the
wreck The officials. however, confirm
Lnt AEaLA QL OOHllS
mis- son and IS laborers.
THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.
St Paul. Mimi. Aug. 31-General
Superintendent f. T. Ward gave the
Associated Press the following state
ment of the wreck on the Great North
arn at Kalispiel:
At $50 p. m, August so. at Essex.
Mont, Is cars broke loose from the rear
end Of the freight train and ran down
the hill Is miles to Nyack station where
It overlook passenger train No. S.which
was just starting out from the sta
ton In the collision, Mr.. P. T. Downs
assistant general superintendent in
charge of lines west of Minot. n d.
was killed together with his son. Kirk
IT, Downs, his cook. Henry Blair and
about % laborers who were MOVING
west in coach attached to the rear Of
the train None of the regular passen-
gers on the train was injured. The
wreck took fire and the remains of an
except five Of those killed were burned
IT Is therefore not known positively
how many fatalities resulted In addf-
ton to those killed. y laborers and
Brakeman Burke were injured
Mr- Downs was born April s. 1877. in
Ireland He entered railway service
April 1, 1868, as a brakeman on passen-
ger train, Burlington branch of the
Central Vermont railroad. IL 1886 10
became master of trains on the Louis
vile division OF the Louisville & Nash
Vile then comprising the main line of
the BeardstOwn & Glasgow branches
OF the Knoxville division and the
Chesapeake e. Ohio branch. May 1. 1885
to December 81, 1890 he was superin
tendent OF the same division and
branch. all on the Louisville 6, Nash
vile railroad. for year ending April
80. 1891. he was trainmaster of the CUR
Colorado & Santa Fe railroad He was
made superintendent of the northern
division Of this road on May l. 1891.
From May III. 1888, 70 July I. 1895. he
was superintendent transportation. He
vas made assistant general superin-