Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1905-08-23
EIGH1PEOPLEk
LOADED TROLLEY CAR At BUTTE
xAS STRUCK BY TRAIN.
Over a Score Of Persons Were injured,
Some Fataily-Motorman Thinking
Everything Clear Started Across the
Track, When Trolley Car Was Run
Into and Crumbled to kindIing.

Butte, Mont, Aug. 21.-Eight per.
sons were killed and a score were in
jured. some fatally, here Sunday night
as the result of freight car dashing
into crowded open trolley car at the
crossing of the streetcar and Great
Northern railway tracks on Utah
street.
Passengers on the car. men, women
and children, were returning from Co.
lumbia Gardens. The motorman, as
usual. stopped his car. before reaching
the railroad crossing. At that mo-
ment Butte, Anaconda & Pacific yard
engine was making flying switch
of loaded freight cars across Utah
street. The motorman, thinking every
thing was clear, started across the
railroad track. when the trolley car
was struck by freight car, thrown
% feet and crumbled into kindling
wood, the freigL. car piling on top Of
the mangleO passengers.
John Harvey of Spokane was one of
the first to be taken from beneath the
wrecked car. Harvey was suffering
from a broken leg and severe bruises
about the body, but still retained con-
troll of his faculties. In the ambulence
en- route to the hospital. Harvey de-
scribed the accident as seen by him.
The car was crowded with men
and women and was proceeding SLOW
ly up town because of the grade. AS
we neared the railroad crossing the
motorman turned off the power and
came almost to stop. Then sudden
ly, before | realized what had happen
ed, he started up again and in a mo-
ment came an awful crash. Our car
was turned clear over and the pas
sengers buried beneath. I was in the
rear of the streetcar and was one of
the first to be taken out.
THE scene beneath the wrecked car
was one that | will never forget. 1t
was so dark you could hardly see any
thing and the air was filled with the
shrieks and groans of the injured and
dying. Womens agonizing screams
mingled with the deeper means of the
men for few minutes, then a sudden
quiet came. broken only by the groans
of those who were most seriously In
jured. could hear men on the out
side giving orders and trying to clear
away the debris and in few minutes
| was taken out"
The Dead.
Maggie Harrington, waitress South
ern hotel, aged 20.
Maud Johnson. aged 10.
Mrs. Jacobs. colored, aged 40.
Maggie keefe. aged 10.
We're Naughton. aged IA.
Mr.. Fisher, barber.
One unidentified man and one wo-
man.
Mrs Sadie Smith, colored.
The workers were forced to jack up
the freight car in order to get at the
victims underneath the wreckage Of
the street car. Many Of the passen.
gers assisted In taking out women
from the less damaged portion Of the
car, while others got out by them.
selves.
In the meantime. with terrible SLOW
ness. it seemed, the more seriously
injured were taken one by one from
the debris Of the wreck.
A big engine was hltched to the car
and it was pulled over the mass OF
timber and iron, exposing the wreck
in all its awfulness. but disclosing the
fact that there were no more bodies
beneath the car. Tne grinding of the
timbers as the freight car was slowly
pulled of the street car was sicken-
ing, as the horror of the affair was ex-
posed in all its tragical details.
Helpless Ones Crushed Down.
The front Of the car was filed with
women and many of these managed to
jump In time to avoid the crash, but
SO sudden was the tragedy enacted
that many were too late. The reason
for the extensive loss Of life is that
the freight car went directly over the
front end of the street car. crushing
down upon the helpless ones, and pin.
ming them beneath its weight. The
sound OF the crash was heard for
blocks and people rushed to the scene
from all directions. A number of
men from .Ae M. o. r. smelter we're
soon on the spot and assisting In get
ting out the injured.
Four bodies were found huddled IN
sickening manner under the trucks
in a horribly mangled mass.
Escapes from death or serious in
jury were numerous. Jesse Foster,
who lives at the Braund house. was
standing on the right footboard and
saw the danger. He attempted to
jump. but was thrown on and struck
against pole. bounding back almost
under the wheels of the car.