The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-02
TWO FREIGHT TRAINS GAME TO.
GETHER NEAR MissoULA.
FOUR TRAINMEN ARE HURT
Hobo Riding in Box Car Has, Leg
Broken and Is Sent to
Hospital.

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east of the city limits this morning.
shortly after 6 o'clock. Freight train
No. So, eastbound, in charge Of Engi-
nee w. l.. Brewer and Conductor
Young, collided, head-on, with an eS-
ia w%est-bound freight in charge of
Engineers Stearns.
we'll MS sever loaded freight cars,
while Eve men were injured, two quite
seriously. Engineer Brewer, on the
eastbound train, received the most
severe injuries, sustaining a double
fracture of the leg below the knee
ard compound fracture of the thigh
bone. 1t required some time for the
company surgeon to dress his wounds
and reset the broken bones, broken
parts having to be fastened together
with silver wire.
The injuries to Brakeman Doyle and
Fireman Ruegamar and Reynolds con-
sist of abrasions and decorations Of the
face. A hobo, named George Schrug,
who was riding in a car load of house
hold goods, had his leg broken in two
places.
Train No. So, in charge of Conduc-
tor Young and Engineer Brewer, vas
given orders to leave Missoula as soon
as the extra freight from the east had
arrived. The train had stood in the
yards for some time and some n is
alleged to have asked Brewer why
he was waiting. He replied that he
was waiting for the extra to pull in
from the east, that he had orders to
pull out as soon as it arrived. His
questioner, it is said, then informed
him that the extra had pulled in some
time before, and was in the west
yards. Believing the man knew what
he was talking about, Engineer Brew
err got on his engine and pulled out.
AS they were rounding a curve, just
east of Buell. Hyde's gardens, his fire
man, Charles Ruegamar, said he saw
a headlight ahead. Brewer reversed
his engine and he and his fireman
jumped, but were caught beneath the
debris of the wrecked cars.
Frank Reynolds, of the westbound
extra, saw the headlight on Brewers
engine about the same time, and he
jumped, while Engineer Stearns
started back over the tender. The col
lision occurred just as he was getting
upon the rear end of the tender. The
force of the collision stood the tender
on end. and he was thrown down into
his cab again, but escaped without in
juries. All the cylinder heads were
knocked off the engines, and the
trucks from beneath engine 1860, but
engine 1855 escaped with less injury.
Both engines being of the heaviest
on the road, they stuck close to the
rails and the damage done was to
on either train. On the Westbound
train five cars were demolished. Two
were loaded with coal, one with stove
pipes, one with strips of hoop steel
and one with household goods. In
this car there was a horse belonging
to Charles E. Graefer Of the United
States army, which was en- route from
Fort Leavenworth to Portland. Her
man Center accompanied the horse
to care for it, and both escaped with
out injury, while George Schrug, a
hobo, whom he had allowed to ride
in the cal, had his leg broken.
On the %eastbound train two cars
loaded with lumber were wrecked. :
The injured trainmen were brought
to this city and taken to the company
hospital for treatment, while George
Schrug, the hobo, was taken to Par
sons hospital and the fractures re
duced.