Details of the Wreck on the Northern Pacific Near Helena in Which Five Passengers Lost Their Lives

DISASTROUS WRECK ON NORTHERN PACIFIC

PASSENGER TRAIN IS DEMOLISHED AND FIVE PERSONS ARE KILLED OR BURNED.

Helena, Mont., Feb. 6.-Unless other victims were totally incinerated leaving no vestige of their bodies behind, the total number of dead in last night's collision between a runaway freight on the Northern Pacific and the local passenger from Garrison at the Great Northern crossing near Helena, numbers five, as follows:

CHARLES BICKELL, conductor, Helena

J. F. ROBINSON, bridge carpenter.

EDWARD JESSUP, express messenger, Helena.

FOSTER SENECAL, butcher of Elliston.

Unknown passenger, sex undeterminable.

The injured:

JEFF BROWN, brakeman.

ERNEST ROSSMAN, butcher, Helena.

LENA ANDERSON, on the way from Wisconsin to Lewiston.

All will recover.

The through passenger train passed through Austin, about eight miles west of Helena, on time. Following it was a long freight train made up of box and flat cars loaded with lumber and shingles. At Austin the engine was uncouple from the freight to take water and the train was left standing on the track. There is a steep grade east of Austin and by some means the freight train got started down the hill.

The passenger train when it arrived at the Montana Central crossing stopped when the engineer heard a sound behind him that warned him of danger. He started his train, but it had gone but a 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 PELTY managed to keep ahead of the flying freight. The freight went probably five hundred feet when it, too, went off the track. In a few minutes 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 immediately started for the wreck. When they got there an awful scene met their gaze. The combination car was on fire and pinned under a mass of wreckage was JESSUP. He was conscious and heroic efforts were made to release him from his situation. Finally the fire became so hot that the rescuers had to give up the task. JESSUP still conscious, cried: "It is hard to lit here and burn to death." He struggled to release himself as the fire took hold of his limbs, but the effort was fruitless and after a few screams of agony unconsciousness came to him.

Exposed to full view with blazing shingles all about him and his bed a mass of red hot coals, was the body of an unknown man. It was slowly consumed until all that was left was the skull, and, outstretched were two stumps that a few hours before had been arms.

There is supposed to have been eight passengers on the train, of which number two and are still unaccounted for.

Grand Forks Daily Herald, Grand Forks, ND 7 Feb 1906