Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-31
fERRIBLE ACCIDENT
ON GREAT NORTHERN
,.,,,ht Train Runs Into a Passenger
- Thirty-six Killed, all Burned in
Wreck Except Five.

general superintendent, In charge Oh
lines west OF Minot, N. d., was Killed.
Together with his son, Kirk I. DOWNS
his cook. Henry Blair and about tWen-
v-five laborers, who we're moving west
in n coach attached to the rear OF tne
train None Of the regular passengers
ON the train were injured. The wreck
took fire and the remains OF all except
Ave of those killed were burned IL -
therefore not known positively now
many fatalities resulted. In additloI
10 those killed, twelve laborers anu
brakeman Burke were injured .
Mr.. Downs was born April 8, ls4i' III
Ireland. He entered railway service
April /. 1865, as a brakeman on passeh-
ger train. Burlington branch or the
Central Vermont railroad In 1880 ne
became master Of trains on LoulsViiie
divIsion of the LOUISVILLE and NashVllle
road. then comprising the main line Oh
the Rardgtown & Glasgow branches Oh
HE Knoxville division and the mesa
neake a. Ohio branch. May /, 1880 10
december 81, 1890 he was superlntehu-
ont Of the same division and branch
ali ON the Louisville & Nashville ran
road. For year ending April ~ Hsl'
no was trainmaster OF the Gun, Cor
orado &. Santa Fe railroad. lie was
made superintendent OF the northern
division of this road on May 1891 from
Nav I, 1898 to July /, 1896, he was super
Intendent of transportation. lie was
made assistant general superintendent
Julv / 1896 which he held Tor SIX
months when he was made assistant
sunerintendent of the Atlanta " west
point railway and the Western Halfway
of Alabama. In September, lssi' ne
was appointed superintendent OF lne
same roads. which position he held uh-
IN November 10, 1899. At this period ne
came 10 the Great Northern, peihg
made assistant general superintendent
December /, 1899. for the Great North-
ern lines west Of Minot, N. D. HIS ap"
poIntment as vice president OF tne
Snokane Falls Northern would nave
become effective tomorrow. September
THIRTY-sIX DEAD.
snokane. wash. Aug, 3i,-A special
70 The Chronicle from Kalispell, Mont.
saws: AT $3.50 last evening q tram oI
twenty eight cars loaded with shingles
and lumber broke loose on the noun
tain grade on the Great Northern near
Essex fifty miles west OF mere ihe
grade is very steep and the cars came
down the mountain at frightiul speeu
and crashed into the rear end OF pas
sender No. 3. just pulling out OF Nyaek.
seventeen miles below. on the rear OF
The train was a coach load OF laoorers
from Duluth bound for the rai'roau
work at Jennings. There were ior.y-
six OF them, all but thirteen MeIe
killed All but Ave OF the killed were
burned In the wreck. II Is imposslbie
70 get names at this time but most OF
them we're Scandinayians, Next 10 ,ne
rear car was the private car OF ASSIST
ant Superintendent p. T. Downs OF the
Great Northern. Mr.. Downs ana ms
son and the cook were In the car. inc
hodv of the cook was pulled out but no
trace of Mr.. Downs or his son mas peer
found. The wreck caught. fire almost
Immediately and the three cars OF the
passengers and ten cars Of the freight
we're consumed. AT least three OF the
laborers were burned alive. None OF
the messengers in the Pullman or IN the
dav coaches forward were injured
Those OF the dead not burned and the
wounded have been brought to kalis-
pell. The dead so far as known mum
! Der So.