Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-09-05
THE WRECK A HORROR
MANY OF THE VICTIMS ARE
CREMATED.
TWO SCORE LIVES ARE LOST.
They Burn to Death in Cars While
Willing Hands Are Powerless
to Rescue.

SPOKANE, dSn., DtpL' - 'N"F'' -
show the wreck on the Great Northern
was the worst in the roads history,
and one most agonizing in the annals
OF American railroadings. Thirty-four
lives were lost and ten persons IN
iured Three of the injured VIII dle
and the others are seriously hurt.
BY strenuous and heroic efforts, 10
bodies were taken from the wrecked
cars. All the others were cremated,
including Superintendent Downs and
his son.
Two engines had taken
train of 20 freights up a very steep
grade and had drawn off for water.
While doing this the cars broke loose
and started down the grade at fright
full speed, and crashed into the rear
of the westbound passenger near
siding at Nyack superintendent
Downs car was attached to the pas
senger and next was coach filled
with laborers from Duluth The train
struck a caboose and coaches on the
siding, wrecking them Fire immedi-
ately started from oil lamps in the
caboose
The point where the train crashed
into the passenger was several hun
dred feet away, and it was two and a
half hours before the flames reached
the main wreck. The wreck was piled
high and wedged into almost an hope
less confusion and in spite of super
human efforts the flames burst
through the wrecked cars before the
L Iaf ,l,I
ored. the cook in the Downs car, was
taken out alive but died In a few min
utes. It was impossible to get at the
bodies of Downs and his son.
The runaway rounded the curves at
the rate of 70 miles an hour where
regular trains barely crawled along.
With a roar it burst around the curve
and jumped split switch. This
turned It to a sidetrack and 1t crashed
into the passenger There was neither
time or opportunity for escape.
The Downs car and that of the la
borers was smashed into kindling, the
occupants of the private car meeting
instant death. The debris of the
freight burned like finder, the flames
forcing the train crew back from
the work of rescue. One man pene-
trated as far as the private car, where
he saw the dead bodies of Downs and
his son and from where he dragged
the body of the cook.
In laborers ear many Of the 46 oc-
cupants were SO piled they couldn't
be reached. and burned before the
eyes OF the spectators. The fire was
so fierce the rear sleeper could not
be saved, though 1t had not left the
track It's occupants entered the for
ward cars. which were hauled out of
the reach of e fire.
All the doctors in Kalispell were or
dered to the scene The injured are
given every attention. and the train
with its grucsome burden of dead dy-
ing and injured was taken to Kais-
pell
Downs death east a gloom over the
city. He was about to assume the du-
ties Of vice president of the Spokane
Falls and Koontenai Valley railroad
Downs left Monday IN his private
car with his guests, Lieutenant Victor
Blue, the American naval officer, and
wife, He had accompanied his guests
as lar as Minot and was returning
home when the wreck occurred.
The number of dead at the Great
Northern wreck is now placed at fl
and tn" probabilities are II will be in.
creased. While the wreck was burn
ing several men were loudly calling
Tor help and begging that If they could
not be gotten out that they be killed.
The resCuers were compelled by rca
son OF the intense heat TO stand aside
and see the victims being burned
kalispell Mont. Sept. 1.-The body
of Assistant superintendent Downs
was Identified at the morgue Saturday
by n watch bearing his name in his
clothing His body was mangled be
yond recognition. The names of the
laborcrs at the hospital here are.
u. NJ. COOLEY
PBHER LACHANCE.
DAN MACHAN.
JOHN n. RHODES.
AUGUST ROLFF
JOHN SEAlIARD.
LOUIS MULLER.
ARTHUR PLATTS
DAN HOPE
ID. r OLSEN.
CHARLES GALLAGER.
JOHN T.. erickson.
Out of u laborers ia the car, those
whose names are given above are the
only ones who escaped alive.