Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-02-09
FATAL WRECK
NEAR HELENA
Runaway Freight Train Crashes Into
a Stub on the Outskirts Of the
Capital City.
FIVE PERSONS ARE KILLED
Terrible Fate Of Edward Jessup, Who
is Burned to Death in Sight of
Spectators.

Helena Feb. IA rearend collision
between a freight train from Austin
and passenger train No. 16, known as
the stub from Garrison on the Nor
thern Pacific, a short distance west OF
the Great Northern track crossing on
the outskirts of Helena about H.
last night resulted in the death of five
persons, injury to several and extern
sive damage to both trains as we'll
as to the track and telegraph lines
adjacent. Following the impact Of
The runaway cars fire broke out add
ing to the horror of the situation,
burning the bodies of three victims
TO a crisp and making the work of
rescue very hazardous undertaking.
In the history of mountain railroad
ing in Montana few wrecks more ap-
palling in results, more sickening in
their narrowing details have occur
red within the immediate vicinity of
Helena.
There is no little speculation as
10 the exact cause of the calamity and
until the coroner has held an inquest
and the company has made an investi
cation the public will be more or less
in the dark as TO the unfortunate
chain of circumstances which started
IA stationery train down one of the
steepest grades of the Northern Pa
cific, its speed constantly accelerat
ing until, going at perhaps a hundred
miles an hour, it dashed into the rear
OF passenger train just approach.
ing Helena and slowing up for it's
destination, hurting the two coaches
from the track, piling up cars, freight.
and human beings in one great mass
OF debris which became in a few min.
utes an actual funeral pyre
Passenger Engine Escapes.
The most remarkable feature OF
the entire disaster was the perhaps
unprecedented feat of the engine OF
the passenger train remaining upon
the rails following the impact and es
Gaping from the accident without 4
scratch, as did also the engineer and
fireman in the cab. Not only die
the engine remain upon the rails. bu
the force of the collision resulted in
breaking the coupling that held thf
engine to the coaches, giving the en-
CINE such an impetus that it was pro
PEELED far beyond the point of dan
ger.
Numerous explanations are given t
account for the runaway train, ths
generally circulated one being that thu
engine of the freight train, No. So
was switching in the Austin yards anC
was at the time on one of the side
tracks, when the train, standing OF
the main track, gathered momentum
from some unknown cause before tn,
train crew realized what was hap
pening and that before it could b,
brought under control it had gather
cd such Roadway that nothing coult
have stopped it.
The engineer of train No. So is re
ported to have made the remark a
BlOssburg, the station at the SUNNI
OF the continental divide and few
miles west of Austin, that he did no
care to follow too closely behind the
passenger train coming down the hill
because his air was nearly exhausted
and he was dubious about holding his
train.
CHASTITY Scene at the Wreck
The scene at the wreck, viewed by
the fitful glare of burning coaches
and cars, was CHASTITY. Spread upon
the grass, covered by blankets. await
ing conveyances from the city, were
the mangled bodies of Conductor
Rrickell and Bridge Carpenter Robi
son, while in the furnace of flames
could be seen the charred and flesh
less bones of three of the victims
whom the rescuers could not extri
cate from the debris.
Fully thirty freight cars were piled
up in a hopeless confusion a short
distance to the east of where the two
passenger coaches were burning, the
flames having likewise spread to
ha vivid -.
lighted up the heavens and attract.
ed many horror-stricken spectators
to the scene.
All the hacks in the city were i'm
mediately pressed into service and
those who were at all injured were
hurried to the city for medical treat
ment Outside of the five know
dead, it is doubtful if any more fatal
ties will occur. The most seriOusl
injured is brakeman jeff Brown. VIII
was taken from the wreck in badl
battered condition. 1t was thought a
first that his back was broken but e,
animation showed that there had or
ly occurred conclusion, from whic
he will speedily recover.
Coroner Samuel Bennett left 70
the scene of the wreck early thi
morning
Inc engineer and fireman of tn
passenger train at once reported tn
accident.
Particularly horrifying was tn
death of Express Messenger JessuI
Jessup was pinned. down by wreck
age, but the heat was so intense tina
approach was cut off Finally, on
daring individual, at the cost of hi
eyebrows and eyelashes, made a rus
in and secured hold of Jessup, bu
could not pull him free.
Was Coming to Lewistown.
Miss Lena Anderson one of tn
injured, who is at ST. Peters hospita
had just come from her home in Wi.
cOnsin and was on her way to Lev
istown, where she expected to talk
position. Miss Anderson is fror
Wisconsin, but has been living in tn
west and was en- route to Lewistow1
Mont, where she had secured a DOS
ton. She was very badly shaken u
and is suffering most from the snocl
her heart beating at a tremendou
rate. Her back was badly wrenchet
also, but it is believed that she wi
soon be fully restored to health