The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1906-07-27
BIGRAILROADVRECK
GREAT NOR THERN TRAIN G1ES
OYER fMBAEKgEhT
ssvec Bodies Lye at Bottom of Lake
Mini Killed ard Many Injured
Wreck Caused by Rotten State Of
Roadbed.

Roadbed.
Nina Dersons killed aud seven OF
these living at the bottom OF DIAMOND
lake among the wreckage OF a Great
Northern passenger train, and q num-
her more seriously injured, is the latesU
,eport from Camden, where the traln'
bound for Spokane at 4:l8 MONDAY
night, apparently running wild through
the tunnel. bounded from the track and
plunged into the lake.
The passengers seemed to Y a pre-
monition of impending disaster, but IL
was probably simply uneasiness at the
great speed of the train as it 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 a 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 cars.
There was no time to avert disaster.
As the coaches struck the water there
was a binding flash from the explosion
of the acetyline gas tanks and In a
minute there was a 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 ard the fire ex%tinguished.
Some Of the luckier ones were fright
F fully burned and scorched by the fame
and heat. Others were caught in the
: car, s~mothered by the waters, or blind
) ed by the flames. Seven or perhaps
| more are believed to remain, waiting
: for divers to come clear across the
state to bring up their bodies from the
. wreckage at the bottom of the lake.
I Two bodies are recovered, those of
George II. Curtice and I. J. Dolbow.
The rest OF the bodies will probably
not be recovered until a diver arrives
= from Seattle.
e The train was travelling at a high
rate OL bpbtu anu II 10 OOAAONCu W
f mary that the engineer, N. E. Munson
5 Of Hillyard, had lost control of his en-
= CINE or else had lost his head, for the
g train was going swifter than was safe
; around the many curves along thai
D part of the road.
e Both Engineer Munson and his fire
man, George Bell of Hillyard, are bur
e led with the engine. Besides these two
S it is known that Charles Danner, thu
mail clerk, of this city, and the bag
d gageman, George R. Strickland, o
S Kalispell, Mont. are still beneath til.
n water. Ed Newcomb of Spokane ant
r. two other bodies are also reported to b
pinioned in the wrecked cars below tn
4 water.
nj Those Injured.
Is OF the injured there are reported:
Pete Nelson of the Nagel hotel, SpC
kane, head cut and badly bruised.
70 N. E Cash. road overseer, Sand
point, right arm bruised.
Thomas Holland, Usk, Wash, arr
cut.
H. Killeen, checker, Great Northern
st. Paul, Mimi, back slightly injured
Juan Gnoto, Albion block, Spokane
hand smashed.
E. e. Hall, Newport, Wash, rigl
hand and face burned and cut.
J. E. yorum, Minot, N. D., burne
and crushed internally.
Louie Milinks (Austrian), Spokane
On hand cut by glass.
ms @. q. Malhlils, timber cruiser, Spt
TO kane, hands and bead badly burned.
E. B. Newcomb, traveliI 2 salesma
re- for Grinsfelder & Co Spokane, bruise
re- hand.
Over a Fifty Foot Bank.
A half score others were bad.
10 shaken up and received minor iDjurie
-eS which were forgotten in the endeavt
to aid others who were suffering.
oL The train left the rails at the we
.eu exit of the tunnel, one and ore-ha
he miles east of Camden, and plunge
% downward over the so foot bank in.
I'm the deep waters of Diamond lake. tt
ne engine, tender, mail and baggage ca
y are completely submerged, while ii
three passenger coaches coupled direc
ly behind were thrown on their sid
10 amid the boulders and sharp rocks a
most at the waters edge. The dinil
zen car and palace car "Chelan" alone r
pa main on the rails.
OF "
Rotten Roadbed Cause of Wreck.