Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-06
|LIvESLOsT N A WRECK
Most Disastrous in Montana
for Many Years.
ON THE NORTHERN PACIFIC
Runaway Freight Crashed Into Pas
senger Train.
CARS COMPLETELY WRECKED
Wreckage Caught Fire and Four
Persons Are Known to Have
Burned to Death.
ON THE NORTHERN PACIFIC
CARS COMPLETELY WRECKED
wreckage Caught Fire and Four

HELENA, Mont, February 6.-The most
disastrous railroad wreck that has taken
place in the vicinity of Helena for many
years occurred last night shortly before
midnight two and a half miles west of Hell
ena.
A runaway Northern Pacific freight train
crashed into a passenger train on the same
line. wrecked it completely, set fire to it and
up to 3 o'clock this morning four persons
whose identity is assured were known to
be dead with probability that two more
whose names it is impossible to learn may
have been burned in the wreck.
The known dead are: J. N. Robinson Mis-
soula; Charles Brickle, passenger conduc-
tor; j. A. Jessup, express messenger, ana
Foster Senegal, merchant of Elliston.
Brakeman Edsard Brown was seriously
injured, but an examination shows not fa-
tally None of the passengers who escaped
with their lives seriously injured.
The passenger train passed through Aus
tin, about eight miles west of Helena on
time. Following 1t was long freight tram
made up of box and fiat cars loaded with
lumber and shingles. AT Austin the engine
was uncoupled from the freight to take
water and the train was left standing on
the track. There is steep grade east OF
Austin and by some means the freight
train got started down the hill.
Fire Followed Wreck.
The passenger train, when it arrived at
the Montana Central crossing stopped, then
the engineer heard sound behind him that
warned him of danger. He started his
train, but it had gone but few feet when
the freight crashed into the rear car. There
were but two cars in the train and they
were smashed and thrown into the ditch.
The engine became uncoupled but did not
leave the track, and Engineer Petty man
aged TO keep ahead of the flying freight.
The freight went probably 800 feet when
1t, too, went off the track. In few min
uets fire started, and for hours the cars
and the lumber burned fiercely.
The crash of the collision was heard by
persons living in the vicinity, who immedi-
ately started for the wreck. When they
got there an awful scene met their gaze.
Forced to Leave Man to His Fate.
The combination was on fire. and
pinned under a mass of wreckage was Jes
sup. He was conscious and heroic efforts
were made to release him from his situa-
ton. Finally the fire became SO hot that
the rescuers had to give up the task.
Jessup still conscious. cried: "It is hard
to lie here and burn to death" He strug-
gled to release himself as the fire took hold
of his limbs, but the effort was fruitless,
and after few screams of agony uncon-
sciousness came to him.
Exposed to full view, with blazing shingles
all about him and his bed mass of red
hot Goals, was the body of an unknown
man. 1t was slowly consumed until all
that was left was the skull, and out
stretched were two stumps that a few
hours before had been arms.
There are supposed to have been eight
passengers on the train, of which two are
still unaccounted for.