The Washington times., 1906-02-06
FIVE ARE KILLED
BY TRAINS DASH
DOWN MOUNTAIN
Wild Freight Ran Into
Passenger at Helena,
Mont, Station.
| ENGINE SHOT INTO DEPOT
Cars of Both Trains Were
Upset by Impact and
Burned.
ENGINE SHOT INTO DEPOT

HELENA. Mont. Feb. 6.-Five per-
sons were killed and three injured. one
perhans fatally, in one Of the most
spectacular wrecks imag ginable here as
midnight.
Passenger train No. Is. eastbounds
was run into by a wild freight train
which had gained a momentum esti-
mated at more than 10 miles an hour IN
its run Of fourteen miles down the east
side Of the Rocky Mountains. The i'm
pact was so great that the engine OF
the passenger train was Jared loose and
literally shot into the Helena union
station This fact accounts for Engl-
neer Dietz and Fireman Ely not being
added TO the list Of dead
Both Catch Fire.
The freight train, the heavier of tbs
two. literally lifted the passenger train
into the air. but was itself wrecked BY
debris. Both trains instantly caught
fire and for several hours burned Te-
IcntIessIy, the freight cars as a ruls
being loaded with lumber and rendering
assistance impossible.
The dead:
Conductor Charles Bricknel, Of Hels-
na.
Bridge Inspector ] F Robertson. OF
Helena.
Express Messenger Edward Jezick, Of
Helena.
Two unknown passengers.
Express Messenger jezick was plnnea
down b. debris and talked rationally
until the moment Of MS death sew
eral Intellectual efforts were made 70
enough to grasp his hand. but not 70
pull him loose JeZick met his death
with true indian stoicism-
Escape Through Window.
Three passengers, including a woman.
escaped from the first coach through
3 window. Passenger Rossman severely
cutting his hand in breaking the win
dow
The fire illuminated the entire val
ley for miles and miles
The bodies Of BrickneIl and Robert
son were thrown clear Of the right OF
way. The bodies were wrapped n
blankets and guards stationed ever
| them.
| owing to the distance Of the scene
/ Of the wreck from the city limits ana
the absence Of hydTants. the. ran ram "a ~
! officials made no attempt 70 save rs
. wreck from the flames, and, IN All pToo-
ability. foriy cars, incI0dln6 t"O pas
{ senger coaches, were cons lIleu- -.
/ The freight cars were laden Win luIl-
/ Der and caught fire and burned quickly
Track and Poles Destroyed.
The track itself was torn up for a
distance of several hundred yards,
while several teIeg-a aph poles were de-
stroved by fire. which cut of ali south-
ern and western connections
The. injured were removed TO 81
Johns Hospital. where, with the excep-
ltion of jeff Brown. none is regarded aS
seriously hurt
Browns death is momentarily eN'
pected.
tt will be many hours before the DEBRIS
cools of so as to permit Of an exam
jnation of the wreck. and thus deter
mine tie exact number OF dead
The engineless freight train was IN
charge of Conductor Goode. and ran
an the mair, line at Austin. while the
engine was switching
Started From Top.
The freight train got beyond control
near the top Of the mountain slope and
in a moment was dashing down the east
: side of the Rocky mountains at ter
rife speed. 1t was a straight stfetch
. Fof fourteen miles to Helena
, At every mile the train gained IN
momentum. until it attained speed or
l fully I20 miles an hour. The passenger
train was Just pulling out Of the sta
. tion at Helena when the freight crashed
into II.
In an instant both trains were an al
most undistinguishable mass of debris:
: From the mass, flames shot up and
soon the whole pile was ablaZe- That
any person on either tram escaped