PACK RIVER BRIDGE FIRE

One of the most serious interruptions to traffic that has occurred for a long time on the Northern Pacific railway was occasioned by the partial destruction by fire, Wednesday evening, of the long bridge across Pack River, fourteen miles east of Sandpoint.

When discovered by the bridge watchman late in the afternoon, the fire had gained such headway that an alarm was given along the road in each direction from Pack river and all possible aid was hurried to the scene of the fire and strenuous efforts made to extinguish the flames, which efforts were not successful until between eighty and ninety feet of the bridge spans including the upper portions of the piling, were destroyed.

A wrecking and repair train was equipped and sent on from Sandpoint and all the section gangs on the division were ordered to go to the fire. The extensive bridge construction and repair outfit at Missoula was hurried to the scene as was also a pile driver from Pasco, Wash.

Eastbound morning trains arrived at Sandpoint about 11 o’clock Thursday forenoon and the North Coast Limited came in on time and during the afternoon the yards had an animated appearance with the three fine trains standing in a string on the side track. At Hope the sidetracks contained the three westbound trains.

Soon after 10 o’clock Thursday night the repairs were completed and the westbound passenger trains were sent over the bridge and through Sandpoint in rapid succession and the eastbound trains pulled out towards the Atlantic with a speed that will enable them to make up some of the lost time which, in the case of No. 4, was nearly twenty four hours.