The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-07

by ILLS IAAlc lue WiSChdSe udu
caught fire and added to the horror
of the occasion. In the confusion
and excitment it was impossible TO
tell whether anybody had been caught
in the burning debris and this only
added to the chaos that prevailed.
Their Bodies cremated.
Finally it became known that the
mail clerk of No. 5, Andreas Lund-
wall, was in the wreckage and that
his body was burning. Efforts to re-
cover the body proved unavailing be-
ause of the intense heat, which made
it impossible for anybody to APPROACH
the place where his remains were, al
though they were to be seen plainly.
Furthern inquiry developed the
fact that ]. A. Campbell, fireman of
No. 5, had been caught between the
cab and tender of his engine and pin
ned in so that he could not escape.
His body, also, was cremated within
| sight of the Mortified spectators, none
| of whom was able to do anything to-
ward recovering it.
When the relief train and doctors
left the wreck the bodies had been
consumed, with the exception of some
bones that were still lying in the
smouldering embers. 7
Statement by Mr.. Horn.
A Gazette representative, who ac-
companied the relief train, by long
distance telephone reported the ar
rival at the wreck of Superintendent
Horn. That gentleman seemed un-
able at that time to- give an expla-
nation of the cause of the accident.
He said that No. 5 had left this city
a few minutes late and that No. 4
had left Columbus about 2 minutes
behind it's regular schedule time, but
not so late as to prevent it from ar
irving at Rapids en- time. He did
not seem to know anything about the
orders which had been given the
trains as to their meeting, consequent
ly did not know who, if anybody, was
responsible for the wreck.
I The fact that the collision occur
red two miles this side of the switch
caused some to think that No. 4 was
to blame, while others said it had the
right of way and No. 5 was RESPONSE
BILE. This, however, is mere %conjec-
ture on the part of those expressing
themselves.
Mr.. Horn also said that all the ex-
press, mail and baggage on the east
bound train had been saved, but none
Of that on the westbound, all of which
was consumed with the wreck.
Engineers Jumped.
When they saw hat a collision was
inevitable the engineers of both trains
jumped from their locomotives and es-
capped, although Engineer De Groat,
of Nc. 4, received a few bruises, but
only slight ones. Engineer Vaupell,
of No. 5, was not injured at all. His
fireman, f. G. Louck. got Off with
some slight bruises apd cuts.
The most seriously injured of the
many who received injuries of some
SORT was the boy, Robert Broce. He
was with his father and they were
on their way west from Driscoll,
<, Tenn.
DR.. Schulin of this city was seated
in the same car, occupying a seat
back of the one in which the Broces
were sitting. He said that the shock
of the collision was so great and it
all passed so quickly that he could
scarcely realize what had occurred.
: He saw the boy thrown from his seat
and also saw the end of the car, as
it seemed to him, suddenly fill with
broken and jagged timbers. He did
not attempt to move until after the
car had come to a s%tandstill and then
walked out without having sustained
:. as much as a scratch.
Will Hold Inquest.
? A telephone message from Park
? City this afternoon to The Gazette
stated that DIR. Chapple had empanell-
, ed a jury and prepared to hold an in
quest on Lundwell and Campbell.
The jury is composed Of C. s.. Brother,
| R. H. Daniels, E. E. Anderson, John
Gilully, J. c.. Staffek and F. H. Ben
jamin. After the jurors had viewed
the incinerated bodies further pro-
ceedings were continued until 4
; o'clock Monday afternoon.
t At the time the message was sent
) the track had been cleared of wreck
age, except the locomotives. and prep
: arations were making to ditch them.