New-York tribune., 1901-09-01
THIRTY SIN KILLED.
FREIGHT TRAIN BROKE IN TWO on
GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD AND
CRASHED INTO PASSENGER TRAIN.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD AND
CRASHED INTO PASSENGER TRAIN.
KalispeH Mont. Aug. 31-Thirty-six lives were
lost and thirteen persons were injured in the
wreck on the Great Northern Railway OF pas
senger train No 8. at Nyack. thirty miles west
of Kalispeu None of the passengers were in
jured, the fatalities having been confined TO
employees OF the railroad company.
The dead are:
DOWNS p T assistant general superintendent Of the
Great Northern lines west of Minot. y. D.
DOWNS Kirk T. his
BLAIR Henry. private Of Mr. Downs
Thirty-three Scandinavian aborers. names unknown
The injured include thirteen scandinavian Ia
borers. names unknown.
The wreck was caused by the breaking in two
of a freight train on the steep grade on the
Rocky Mountain foothiu The rear of the
freight tore loose from the head end, dashed
backward down the mountain. and crashed into
the rear end of the passenger train. which
Just pulling out Of the station at NyaCk. The
car attached 10 the end of the passenger
train was the private coach of Superintendent
Downs. He and his son. Kirk. and their cook,
Henry Blair We're instantly killed. The car
Just ahead contained forty-six Scandinavian la
borers bound from Duluth. Mimi. to Jennings
They were nearly all killed outright. only thir-
teen being taken from the debris alive. Fire
Immediately following the collision. quickly de-
stroyed the private car, cremating the bodies
OF those within
The flames were quickly communicated to the
ahead. or, rather. TO what remained OF IT,
and the bodies OF twenty-eight of the unfort-
unate laborers also were cremated. The third
car from the rear also was burned, but those
within managed 10 escape when the collision first
occurred The fire continued to spread through
the mass of debris caused by the destruction OF
the dozen or more freight ears and their con-
signments OF valuable freight.
Finally the passenger train was cut in two
between the third and fourth cars from the rear
and the were drawn 70 a safe distance
from the fire. All telegraph wires on the poles
alongside the track were soon melted and com
munica ton thus cut OF soon after the
collision.
CITY and ali traffic for time suspended
while the wreck and train crews endeavoTed to
rescue the bodies of the dead and clear up the
debris.
St Paul. MINI. Aug. Sl.-General Superin-
tendent Ward gave The Associated Press the
following statement: About $50 o'clock last
evening. at Essex. Mont. eighteen cars broke
loose from the rear end Of the freight tram
and ran down the hill sixteen miles 10 Nyack
Station where they overlook passenger train No.
g which was Just starting out from that sta
ton In the collision p. T. Downs, assistant
general superintendent. in charge of the lines
west Of Minot n D. was killed. together With
his son Kirk T. Downs; his cook, Henry Blair,
and thlrty-three IabOrers. who were moving
West in a coach attached To the rear OF the
train. None of the regular passengers on the
train were injured.
The wreck took fire and the bodies of all save
five OF those killed We're burned. In addition 10
those killed thirteen were injured.
Mr. Downs entered the railway service on
April l. 1865. as brakeman on the Central
Vermont Railroad In 1886 he became master
of trains on a division OF the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad. and. after holding various
places with Southern and Western roads, en-
tered the service of the Great Northern in 1871.
-v-f.aa VaCiF liant of
kane Falls and Northern would have become
effective tomorrow. September l."