The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-11-27
DEVELOPS
NOTHING NEW
RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEATH OF
o. r. MEAchAM is NOT
DETERMINED.

by an accident We are unable to
place the blame for the wreck of engine
No. %. caused by the same running
into n landslide four miles west Of
Iron mountain on November %. 1909,
causing the death of O. r. Meacham."
Such is the verdict rendered last
evening by a coroner's jury in the in
quest held to determine the RESPONSE
biiity for the death of Oliver II.
Meacham. the Northern Pacific engi-
neer who was killed last Tuesday
morning, when his train ran into a
rockslide. The verdict was signed by
+. l.. Smith. Don Hoon. A. II. Hart
ley. Sam Elder. James Hartley and
+. III. Collar.
The inquest convened at :: 80 o'clock
last evening in the office of Coroner
w. ID. Kendrick, who presided. The
first witness called to the stand was
]. W. O'Donnell. conductor of the ILL
fated train. He told a story about
the same as was published in The
Missouilan of last Wednesday
Conductor Tells Story.
Mr.. 0'DoDnell was the conductor of
freight extra westhound. engine No %.
running from Missoula to Paradise via
the St Regis cutoff. The train was
"A heavy one and did not make over
10 or Is miles an hour. II left Iron
Mountain about 5:35 on the morning
of the day on which the accident &C.
Cured. The conductor was sitting at
the desk in the caboose and when
about four miles west of Iron Noun.
tain was thrown to the floor by jar.
All the lights were extinguished by
the shock and IL took him some time
to realize what had happened. Then
he realized that he was in n wreck
and left the train, going to the rear
to send out a flagman. He then start
ed for the head end of the train and
met Brakeman Brown and the two
men continued to the engine, meeting
on the way Fireman Byrd. who was
seen to be somewhat injured. The
fireman was taken to the caboose and
the other men went to the engine and
saw the engineer, who was lying al
the side of the tender. The con>uctvr
saw that nothing could be done without
assistance. and started for Iron Noun
tain. He got an engine at that place
and ran back to the scene of the
wreck. Meacham, the engineer, was
placed I'm the caboose and taken to
Iron Mountain, where he died at about
. o'clock. The conductor stated that
he had received several slow orders,
advising him to proceed carefully on
account Of the rain having a tendency
tn cause dirt, rocks and water to get
on the track. One order was to the
effect that trains should not exceed
five miles per hour where the track
was bad. Another order advised that
the train crew look out for dirt and
rock on the track. But no order was
given that applied directly to the
particular point at which the accident
occurred. The slide at that point was
not expected The scene of the wreck
was sharp curve on the mountain
side. bending on the west side to the
south. with the river perrendicularly
down on the north, or right side. 1t
would be almost impossible to see the
slide. The headlight of the engine
was burning. The character of the
material in the slide was rock. The
train was running at not over 10 miles
per hour at the time of the wreck.
The slide had evidently secured but
n short time previous to the accident.
as an eastbound freight had passed
the point about an hour before. The
doctor at Iron Mountain arrived to
attend to Meacham just about the time
he died.
The train was scheduled to leave
Missoula at 6 p. m. on November -.
but was delayed for an hour and 40
minutes To allow the air to be tested
and be pumped into the tanks. This
operation usually takes about Is min
utes, but 1t required longer this time,
rs the engine was not in the best of
order. The brakes were not In good
working order. due. perhaps to the
condition of the air tanks. However.
the train was able to handle the heavy
load, but not in the best manner. At
the time of striking the slide there
Was no possible way To stop the train.
even had the air been in perfect con-
dition.
ar,Lapau Rroup