Old Missoula

Rapelje Nearly Killed in Rail Accident – 1909

One of Montana’s well-known railroad men, John Rapelje, was injured in an accident near “Eddy” Montana in 1909. Eddy was located about ½ way between Plains and Thompson Falls, Montana. When the accident occurred the Daily Missoulian gave it a front-page headline:

Rapelje Sustains Serious Injuries

While Directing Work of Wrecking Crew Near Woodlin, Superintendent of Northern Pacific Is Struck on Head by a Grappling Hook and Knocked Down a Fifteen-Foot Embankment Against Pile of Ties – Collar Bone Fractured and Four Ribs Broken – Brought to Local Hospital.

While directing the operations of a wrecker in overturning a derailed car between Woodlin and Eddy yesterday afternoon, Superintendent J. M. Rapelje of the Rocky Mountain Division of the Northern Pacific, was struck on the left side of the head and knocked down the 15-foot embankment with terrific force, sustaining injuries of a very serious nature.

Eyewitnesses of the accident say that the superintendent struck on his right side against a pile of ties and was rendered unconscious for nearly an hour and even after that time he could remember very little of the occurrence. The wrecked car was being lifted by means of grappling hooks attached to a steel cable and as the car reached an acute angle one of the hooks slipped, Mr. Rapelje being struck as the cable recoiled. Medical aid was immediately summoned from Thompson, a cursory diagnosis revealing much damage to the ribs on the right side. Engine 2103 was detached from train No. 16 and a special was made up of Superintendent Rapelje’s private car, which was brought to Missoula, reaching here about 9:45 last night. . .

 

Rapelje spent several days in the NP Hospital in Missoula. With broken ribs and a punctured lung, the danger of pneumonia was the immediate concern. Several local Missoulian articles reported on his slow recovery and from comments in these articles it is clear that Rapelje was a well-liked figure in the area. He did make a recovery and went on to a long career with the NP.

He was well known before he came to Missoula, having been involved in a notorious train robbery in 1893. In what was later called “The Great Grey Cliff Train Robbery”, Rapelje was the acting conductor on a Helena train that was bound for Billings when it was stopped and robbed at Big Timber, Montana.

Author Dave Walter wrote a fascinating account of the robbery and the subsequent capture of the 4 miscreants who committed it.[1] Not unlike the famous Butch Cassidy Gang, the bandits stopped the train and systematically searched and robbed every one of the passengers, including Conductor Rapelje. Walter wrote that Rapelje was allegedly “combative” with the perpetrators. One of the bandits cast a Robin Hood aspect to the affair when he remonstrated with his compatriot who was using profanity. He was quoted, saying “There are ladies present. Remember that you are a gentleman.” None of the passengers appeared to have been hurt.

After eluding efforts of several posses chasing them and other other close encounters, the bandits were cornered more than a month later by a special NP Deputy near the town of Blackfoot, Mt. Surrounded by law enforcement they elected to shoot it out which resulted in the killing of one of them and the capture of another. The others escaped but were later apprehended. When the last of the gunman was found after a reward had been offered, he was shot in a cold-blooded manner by his captor and a further controversy erupted over the affair. A subsequent trial resulted in an appeal to the Mt. Supreme Court and the granting of a full pardon to one member of the gang.

When Rapelje came to Missoula he had been promoted by the NP several times. When he died in St. Paul in 1925 he had risen to become the Vice President of the NP.

 

A Daily Missoulian article upon his death furnished some good information about him:

J. M. Rapelje Dies; Vice President N. P.

End Comes at Hospital in St. Paul; Was Superintendent Here Two Years.

John M. Rapelje, vice president of the Northern Pacific system and former division superintendent of the road in Missoula, died at St. Paul yesterday morning following an operation to which he submitted there recently for appendicitis. Mr. Rapelje was held in high regard by the army of Northern Pacific forces in Missoula, many of whom had been employed on the division while he was superintendent.

Mr. Rapelje began railroading with the Northern Pacific on the Yellowstone division more than 30 years ago, as some of the men now here were associated with him at Glendive in those days recall. He was a freight and passenger conductor for years. During a washout between Miles City and Glendive, which tied up all traffic for three days in mid-summer, Mr. Rapelje was placed in charge of the transfer of passengers and other work incident to carrying on travel despite the mishap, and displayed such ability at that time that he soon found promotion. He was afterwards made division superintendent at Glendive.

Mr. Rapelje came to Missoula as chief of the Rocky Mountain division in 1908, while the work of double-tracking and other expansion was going on, and remained here until 1910. He then took charge of the Idaho division, became general superintendent at Livingston, general manager of the N. P., and finally vice president in charge of operation. The interest he always took in Montana since he became one of the leading executives of the company made him many friends throughout the state. Whenever he stopped off in Missoula, he always made it a point to greet the men with whom he had long been associated during his railway career.

His wife and two daughters survive Mr. Rapelje.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on January 21, 1925.

 

Mr. Rapelje had a town in eastern Montana named for him. The pronunciation of the name has long been a topic of interest. Residents and those familiar with the topic pronounce it Rap – el – jay.