The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-19
TEN men WERE KILLED
TWENTY-EIGHT INJURED In A
WRECK IN MONTANA.
Freight and Work Trains Collide on
the Great NOrthern-Au the
Victims Are Japanese.

GREAT FALLS, Mont, Nov. 1S.-A wreck
occurred on the Great Northern at Blair.
Mont, 375 miles east of here, yesterday
morning, in which ten men lost their lives
and twenty-eight others were seriously in
jured. An extra freight ran into a work
train. and it was among those on board the
latter that the terrible havoc was wrought
Forty-one Japanese laborers were aboard
the work train which proceeding west
ward. 1t expected to meet the freight at
Culbertson. There is a sharp curve near
where the trains met. and they were run
ming at q speed of twenty-five miles an
hour each. So great was the force of the
impact that the freight cars were thrown
top of the work train. which was piled
high in a mass of wreckage.
Almost Immediately flames broke forth
and added TO the horror of the scene Those
uninjured Immediately began work to res
cue those imprisoned in the wreck, whose
dying groans and piteous appeals for help
spurred on the workers. At the time the
accident occurred the japanese were at
breakfast. and before they were aware of
the impending danger the cars were
smashed into kindling wood and the dead
and dying men buried beneath the hean of
wreckage. OF the entire number in the
y.
After an hours work all had been account
ed for. and there were ten dead bodies
alongside the track, and several men so
badly injured that it is probable they will
die. 1t was impossible TO check the prog
ress of the flames, and soon seven of the
work cars and three freight cars were in
ashes
1t was some time before word of the
wreck could be communicated TO the out
side world. IL was necessary TO send
man 10 Culbertson, six miles away, on foot
q COrIld =
everything possible had been done to save
those in the wreck Word was sent TO
Glasgow for a relief train and doctors and
as soon as they reached the scene the work
OF caring for the injured began Nineteen
of the injured were brought to the hos
pital here this afternoon and the other nine
men were left at Havre.
OF those brought here all but three prob
ably will recover. Those at Havre were
not so seriously injured
H. MaStOni, foreman OF the Japanese
who was one of the three who escaped in
jury. said tonight that he had no idea who
was 10 blame for the wreck. I'VE were
all seated at the breakfast when the crash
| came" he said When l looked up after
| being thrown clear from the wreck l found
| the dining car was In splinters. | could
| see the limbs of several men sticking out
| from beneath the pile OF wreckage and we
at once set about the work OF releasing
| them.
Il think most of the dead were killed in
| stantly. Most OF them were horribly man
/ gled, some being torn entirely apart. Arms
| and legs were lying around in every direc-
| tion, and there was one head which was
| crushed out OF all human semblance Some
/ OF the dead were badly burned We took
/ them from the flames as quickly as we
could but some were SO pinned down by
/ the heavy timbers that with our limited
| force we could make but slow progress
| The cook stove was responsible for the fire
/ think. 1 understood from some OF the
| trainmen that the orders were for the
\ freight TO protect against the work train
None or the white men were injured"