Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1901 — THIRTY-SIX ARE DEAD. [ARTICLE]

THIRTY-SIX ARE DEAD.

Disastrous Wreck on Great Northern Line in Montana. Thirty-six persons were instantly killed and thirteen injured, some of them fatally, in a wreck on the Great Northern Railway nt Nyack, thirty miles west of Kalispell, Mont. The dead include thir-ty-three Scandinavian laborers. None of the passengers was hurt, the fatalities being confined to the employes of the road. The wreck was caused by the breaking in two of a freight train on the steep grade of a Rocky Mountain foothill. The passenger train wns just pulling out of Nyack, when the rear end of the freight train came thundering down the track nt terrifle speed, crashing into the rear end of the passenger train. The private coach of Superintendent Downs was the first to suffer, it was smashed to kindling wood nnd he nnd his son and their cook: the only occupants of the car, were killed. Just ahead of this car was one containing forty-six laborers on their way from Duluth to Jennings, Mont. Only thirteen of them were taken out alive, and some of these will die. Fire immediately broke out in the debris, consuming the broken cars. The bodies of the dead were cremated anu some of the injured must have been burned to death. The bodies of twentyeight of the laborers were reduced to ashes along with the remains of the inmates of the private car. The third car from the rear was also badly smashed and caught fire, but those within managed to escape. Twelve freight cars, filled with valuable merchandise, were destroyed. The passenger train was finally cut In two between the third and fourth cars and the remainder of the train was drawn to a place of safety.