Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-07-27
Big RAILROAD WRECK.
GREAT NORTHERN TRAIN GOES
over EMBAKKwENT.
Seven Bodies Lye at Bottom of Lake.
Nine Killed and Many Injured
Wreck Caused by Rotten State of
Roadbed.

Nine persons killed and seven of
these lying at the bottom of Diamond
lake among the wreckage of a Great
Northern passenger train. and num-
Der more seriously injured, is the latest
report from Camden, where the train,
bound for Spokane at 4:t8 Monday
night, apparently running wild through
the tunnel, bounded from the track and
plunged into the lake.
The passengers seemed to have q pre-
monition of impending disaster, but it
was probably simply uneasiness at the
great speed of the train as il neared
the fatal bend. The men were speak
ing of the danger of such fast travel
and just before the engine cleared the
tunnel it may have come to the minds
of many that they were riding down
hill behind runaway engine.
Then the crash came. The engine
tore through the rails at the curve and
made straight for the lake. AS the
huge locomotive plunged under the
water, it drew down the mail coach,
the baggage car, the smoker and the
day oars.
As the coaches struck the water there
was binding flash from the explosion
Of the acetyline gas tanks and in :
minute there was fire in the lake
which added to the horror of the situa-
ton. Some of the passengers broke the
windows and fought their way out, be-
fore the smoking car was filled with
water and the fire extinguished.
Some of the luckier ones were fright
fully burned and soorohed by the flame
and heat. Others were caught in the
oar, smothered by the waters, or blind
cd by the flames. Seven or perhaps
more are believed to remain, waiting
Tor divers to come clear across the
state to bring up their bodies from the
wreckage at the bottom of the lake.
Two bodies are recovered, those of
George III. Curtice and T. J. Dolbow.
The rest OF the bodies will probably
not be recovered until a diver arrives
from Seattle.
The train was travelling at high
rate of speed and il is believed by
many that the engineer, N. E. Munson
OF Hillyard, had lost control of his en-
CINE or else had lost his head, for the
train was going swifter than was safe
around the many curves along that
part of the road.
Both Engineer Munson and his fire.
man, George Bell of Hillyard, are bur-
led with the engine. Besides these two,
1t is known that Charles Danner, the
mail clerk, of this city, and the bag
gageman, George r. Strickland, of
Kalispell, Mont, are still beneath the
water. Ed Newcomb of Spokane and
two other bodies are also reported to be
pinioned in the wrecked cars below the
water.
Those injured.
OF the injured there are reported:
Pete Nelson of the Nagel hotel, Spo-
kane, head cut and badly bruised.
"a. E Cash. road overseer, Sand
point. right arm bruised.
Thomas Holland, Usk, Wash. arm
out.
II. Killeen, checker, Great Northern,
st. Paul, Mimi. back slightly injured.
Juan Gnoto. Albion block, Spokane,
hand smashed.
e. E. Hall, Newport. Wash. right
hand and face burned and cut.
J. e. yorum, Minot, N. D., burned
and crushed internally.
Louie Milinks (Austrian), Spokane,
hand cut by glass.
O. q. Malhills, timber cruiser, Spo-
kane, hands and head badly burned.
Il. b. Newcomb, travelling salesman
for Grinsfelder 81 Co., Spokane, bruised
hand.
Over a Fifty Foot Bank.
A half score others were badly
shaken up and received minor injuries,
which were forgotten in the endeavor
TO aid others who were suffering.
The train left the rails at the west
exit of the tunnel, one and one-half
miles east of Camden. and plunged
downward over the 90 foot bank into
the deep waters of Diamond lake. The
engine. tender, mail and baggage cars
are completely submerged, while the
three passenger coaches coupled direct
ly behind were thrown on their sides
amid the boulders and sharp rocks al
most at the waters edge. The dining
car and palace car "Chelan" alone re-
main on the rails.