Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-09-25
WRECK IN MONTANA
FOUR ,'TRAINMEN and FIVE
TRAMPS were KILLED.
Fast Passenger and Freight Trains Met
Head On Through Error of Telegraph
Operator Mitchell at Perma-WrecK
Occurred on Curve-Some Cars Jump
ed Into River-Fire Follows.

Missoula, Mont, Sept. 6.-Four train
men and five tramps were instantly
killed Saturday in a collision between a
passenger and freight train on the
Northern Pacific railroad at Paradise,
near here.
The dead: Firemen Merrick and
Robinson, Engineers Valentine and
Munson, all of Missoula, and five un-
known men.
The wreck was caused by a confusion
of orders The five tramps were riding
the bumpers of the freight when the
collision occurred.
1t is definitely stated that none of
the passengers on the westbound train
sustained injury. Considerable of the
equipment of the two trains was de-
stroyed by fire which broke out follow
ing the wreck. George W. Valentine,
one of the engineers, who gave up his
life, was a veteran in the service of
the Northern Pacific railroad.
The blame for the wreck so far as
investigations have been made seems
to rest principally on the shoulders of
Operator Mitchell at Perma. He is
said to have reported passenger No. 5
not having passed his station when in
reality the train had gone by several
minutes previous. Dispatcher Kelley of
the company headquarters here, upon
receiving this information, issued an
order to hold the passenger at Perma
to meet the freight, which was allowed
to pass Olive, station six miles west.
A few minutes later Operator Mitchell
at Perma flashed the dispatcher s Office
that he heard the terrific crash of the
collision of the trains and saw a great
light in the sky, which was attributed
to the burning cars.
The wreck occurred on a sharp curve
and where it was impossible for either
engineer to see any distance ahead of
his train. The track here skirts the
river, with a perpendicular bluff on
the opposite side. The engines collided
with such force that they were com
pletely telescoped and all that remains
is heap of twisted iron and steel The
baggage car of the passenger pitched
over the bank into the river and other
cars of the train were deraiIed, but re
manned on the embankment. Four cars
of the freight train were split into
slivers and the contact was so great
that the caboose of the train wa.
hurled clear off of the track and int
the river.
A wrecker, carrying all equipmen
available to care for the wounded, wa,
rushed from Trout Creek. Four doctors
from Plains and two from Missoul;
were taken to the scene in another spe
clal as quickly as possible and every
thing possible was done to relieve suf
fering and recover those under tn
wreckage.
George w. Valentine was 50 years o
age and leaves wife and two sons il
this city. He had been in the company
service for q years and on the Rock,
Mountain division since 1895.
7. A, Monsoon leaves a wife in tbi
city. He was 40 years old and had bee
with the Northern Pacific for man
years, coming to this division seve
years ago.
Z. F. Herring was a well know
young man of MissouIa, son of job
Herring, secretary of the local Norther
Pacific club. He was married an
leaves besides his wife one child t
mourn him.
4. y. Robinson was a single ma
and had relatives living at Bozemal
He had lived in MissOula three wears.
,. Brakeman Harvey Dixon was in tn
:. cab of the freight engine when tn
e crash came and was thrown throne
!. the window. He is badly scalded an
r suffered internal injuries. 1t is though
I he will recover.
+ Louis Fold was stealing ride in
4 rear refrigerator car, with the tbr,
t tramps who were killed. He has
n wife and 10 children living at 1873 Yves
: ern avenue, Minneapolis. He is had
r injured about the arms and chest. b,
d his case is hopeful.
1t is probable that Operator Mitche
of Perma, who is blamed for the acc
dent, will be held pending an invest
/ CATION into the affair.