·"e

Vol. 27, No.1

February 1989

Shattered win­dows in Guada­lupe Hall, sub­zero tempera­tures, loss ofpower acrossthe city, andthe threat ofpoisonousvapors forcedevacuationbefore dawn

us

_..s s••

•os8

The twisted and shattered train which exploded at 4:48 a.m. on February 2,1989, burned with clouds of dark smoke. The explosions caused by the run­away railroad cars rocked the capital city, cutting off electriciy and forcingthe evacuation of thousands as .wind chills dipped to 70 degrees below zero.

~: Gene FISCher, Independent

a

4:ex

Helena, Montana 59625

For our alumni, friends and supporters, our students and their parents

Carroll College

A chunk of rail car weighing hundreds ofpounds, was just one of many pieces ofdebris scattered over the Carrollcampus. This piece landed near Guad.

~by Gene FISCher, Independent

Dear Sir:Enclosed is a small gift. a per­

sonal check, to go into the disasterfund for the damage Carroll Col­lege suffered from yesterday's ac­cident. I was an older student andwas enrolled from September 1979through the fall semester of 1981.The education I received from Car­roll has been of greater value tothose whom I served professionallyonce I finally graduated fromschoof number three than what Ilearned from (she named the othertwo schools) post Carroll. MargaretStuart and Fr. Jeremiah T. Sullivanhave been quoted innumerabletimes to clients, patients and fellowprofessionals. Nancy Hotchkiss'class in SocIAnthro Families in Oif­fere~t Cultures was of inestimablevalue. After graduation, cum laude,I worked with the mentally ill untilreaching age 65 in May 1988. Youare often in my thoughts and wil/be In:.mypplyer5. "Elitki BoWman Kar~ '. 9

Embodying the Carroll spirit, he andhis staff proved indomitable throughoutthe ordeal. Because he is still busy withmeetings with engineers and insurancepeople and his Staff, aDd IS directiOg hemaoy~ oJ~ ......utr.-"I""_kwork and communications, he has giventhe ALUMNUS permission to reprint por­tions of the messages he sent out to theBoard of Trustees and to the parentsduring the past week.

power for the 37,000 -residents living inthe area.' " . .(Photo by Gene Fisch~r, Independeni'Record) "" .,

ELINOR BOWMAN KARNES, fromScranton, Pennsylvania, responded theday after the disaster with a check andthis most gracious nete to the col/egepresident:

Some people slip into retirement quietly...

Carroll alumna sends the first 4:48 gift

1989 marks Ca 0 js80th Anniversary

Dr~ Kerins retireswith quite a blast

Carroll College president Dr.FRANCIS J. KERINS has been dealt theseverest test of his college admininstra­tion at the end of his career. Bui. whathas come out of the disaster is a clearpicture of the strong and caring and viJalinstitution that the college continues tobe as it enters its 80th year. A lot of thecredit for the wonderful relationship thatexists with the community and for thefine organization that runs th~ schoolrests with Kerins.

hurled wreckage from railroad carsthrough buildings a quarter-mile away.Two minor injuries were reported.

"It's a miracle no one was killed or in­jured," said Ed Schild, Lewis and ClarkCounty undersheriff.

Authorities evacuated 4,000 to 7,000people from a square-mile area aroundthe burning railroad cars, said Col. GaryBlair, adjutant general for Montana's Na­tional Guard. City Manager Bill Verwolfput the figure at about 2,000.

Evacuees fled to churches, the Helena !'lCivic Center, the National Guard armory '----~--~

and schools, which were already closedby the severe 30 degrees below zerothat combined with winds to producewind chills of 70 degrees below zero, the .&.- ......1iIZili

National Weather Service said. Snow fell OffiCials take a close look at the twistedintermittently. rail wreckage. The explosion from the

chemicals in the rail carS blacked out

Your tax-deductible contributionwill be appreciated and used tocontinue Carroll's tradition ofeducational excellence. Pleasemake your check payable to CAR­ROLL COLLEGE FOUNDATION4:48 FUND.

As the new Associate Director ofDevelopment, I look forward toworking with you to build the manyscholarship endowments and otherfunds that are so necessary inkeeping the Fighting Saints NO.1.

Classes resumeClasses will meet-Monday schedule of classesSpring recess after last classClasses will meet-Monday schedule of classesClasses will meet-Tuesday schedule of classesFinal ExaminationsCqmmencement-Civic Center

'" 10

The attached special 4:48 FUNDe'nv(llope is enclosed for YOURconvenience in making a specialgift to Carroll College to help withthe renovation and reconstructionof the campus. Money will be re­ceived from insurance companies,but the College stiU needs YOURhelp in getting campus life back to:lOrmal, and improving the livingand dining facilities, classrooms,teaching materials, student recrea­tion and activity center, and provid­ing scholarships for prospectiveand returning students.

YOU CAN HELP THE 4:48 SPECIAL FUND!

Academic schedule for the remainder of the Spring Semester:

by Janet BrookeAssociate Director of Development

Many thanks to the families, faculty, staff, alumni, other students, andour Helena neighbors who helped the women move" their belongs outof Guad. It was a bone-cl:1illing task in the sub-zero cold, and we ap­preciate your warm-hearted actions! And thank you again, to all of thewonderful people who gave our students homes for the three dayswhen the campus was closed.

2-Carroll College ALUMNUS. February 1989

The Orange County Register, and otherpapers across the country carried thisAssociated Press story:

HELENA, Mont. --Two explosionscaused by runaway railroad cars rockedMontana's capital city Thursday, cuttingoff electricity and forcing the evacuationof thousands as wind chills dipped to 70degrees below zero.

The runaway cars derailed and hit apropane tank near the railroad tracks,setting off an explosion. Minutes later,the fire from the. blast caused one of thederailed cars containing a highly flamma­ble chemical to blow up, authorities said.A second car containing plastic alsoburned, producing a cloud· of blacksmoke that prompted the evacuations.

The force of the 4:48 a.m. blasts over­turned automobiles, shattered windowsat a nearby. colleg.e and homes and

Blasts from derailmentrock,frigid Montana city

Monday, February 13Monday, February 20Friday, March 17Monday, March 27Tuesday, March 28Mon-Thur, May. 8-,11Satur.day, May 13

Most of the Guadalupe Hall windowson the north side of the building wereshattered in the blast. (Photo by Bill Sallaz)

Students

The students resident on campus wereevacuated in minutes. For this, FRAN­CEE O'REILLY and ED NOONAN, ourhall directors, cannot be sufficientlypraised. Their work did much to savelives and avoid injury.

All were immediately taken to emer­gency shelters such as the Armory. Bylater" in the day, all of the students hadbeen taken into private homes gener­ously offered. They remained in thoseI~ations Thursday and Friday nights.

We held a meeting with five or six hun­dred students at 7 p.m. Friday in St.Mary's Church. We described the dam­age to them, tried to reassure them, andanswered their many questions as bestwe could. By that time we were able toannounce that the campus would reopenat noon on Saturday. However, the mostseverely damaged areas, the PhysicalEducation Center, GU8da~ ttail,9theFine Arts area (the QIq ~amdott1 .Ii:"brary were still off limits and closed.

At noon on Saturday, most of the resi­dent students checked in at St. CharlesHall and were assigned or reassignedrooms. Women from Guad were placedin Borromeo and S1. Charles. Somemovement was necessary; for example,sections of St. Charles which had beenoccupied by men were transferred towomen, and the men there were askedto move to other male areas.

Some students went home becausewe had announced that classes wouldbe cancelled until Monday, February 13.A few have moved into off-campushouses or apartments. Shodair Hospitaland the YWCA have offered facilities,and some of these will have to be used.When class resumes, we will need shut­tle service from these locations tocampus.

All students are accounted for andtheir locations known. Father Shea andhis people did an outstanding job withthese complex logistics. The studentswere incredibly cooperative and patient.

On the third day after the disaster theauthorities gave permission. for thewomen to remove some of their belong­ings from Guadalupe Hall.

"Our Lady ofGuadalupe was ob­viously on duty forher charges."

Saturday afternoon, and again on Sun­day, we were able to bring the Guadwomen to their rooms ;:1 e")corted groupsto retrieve some clothing and personalpossessions. When they were evacuat­ed, the stud<:!nts got out with only whatthey were wearing; this was a very tryingand distressing experience for them.

Food service was resumed on Satur­day evening, and has since been provid­ed on a regular basis. This is most diffi­cult with constant problems in the Com­mons of heat loss, water breakdowns,freezing and leaks, but Saga-Marriott ismanaging remarkably well

Fur the coming week, when there willbe no classes but many students are oncampus, Jeff Baker is planning programsof faculty presentation, and Father Sheals working to line up activities and sportsfacilities.

We are concerned with psychologicalimpacts, depression, and post-traumaticrepercussions. Especially for the Guadwomen, who were literally blown out oftheir beds in the middle of the night, hadtheir rooms showered with shreddedglass, their living space and possessionsviolated Violently and their lives in greathazard, .these concerns are mostweighty. It is truly incredible that not oneof them was killed or seriously injured:Our' lady of Gtiadalupe was obviously otY(jU(y'for hE:.; cnar~es.

"

(Photo bv Bill Sallaz\.Maintenance efforts have concentrat­

ed on saving boilers, boarding up brokenwindows, controlling water problems andmaintaining heat. Every building oncampus suffered. The mos v r dam·age is in the P.E. Center, GuadalupeHall, the Library and the Fine Arts Area(the old gym). The Commons also suf­fered.

You should be aware that our mainte­nance staff have been truly heroic. Theyhave worked night and day under themost miserable conditions. We owe themthe greatest gratitude and must find away, when this is over, to express ap­preciation to them.

We do not have enough informationyet to make cost estimates or predictwhen buildings will be usable. Expertswill have to tell us whether structuraldamage has occurred. Overall costs willcertainly be in the millions; how far intothe millions we do not yet know. TheP.E. Center is obviously out of commis­sion for this semester, if not longer.Guadalupe Hall will take quite a fewweeks.

Carroll Spirit

In speaking with the students at St.Mary's Friday, I cited a song title fromthe musical THE UNSINKABLE MOLLYBROWN: "I Ain't Down Yet." WellCarroll ain't down yet. Despite the se~vere difficulties we face, we will be upand nJnning and keep doing the job well.We can be immensely proud of ou'r stu­dents, faculty and staff. They are trulymagnificent. We have more genuineChristian community on campus thanever before. So be assured that the col­lege will survive and thrive. Carroll is notbuildings or things, but persons. Thoughbuildings are damaged and things de­stroyed, through God's grace the per­sons have beeR saved.

LET US GIVE PRAISE AND THANKSTO GOD.

Frank Kerins.~ident

Shattered glass covers the Guadalupe Hall lobby.

Report to the Board of Trustees(Continued from page 3)

The pool was saved from cracking be­~ause the maintenance people drainedIt.

(Photo by Bill Sallaz)

Academics

Faculty and Staff

. All of the Carroll people have re­sponded magnificently to this crisis. Wehad a meeting for faculty and staff at St.Mary's at 5:30 p.m. Friday; very many at­tended. We gave them all the informa­tion we had on damage and plans, andreceived many extremely helpful sugges­tions from them. Their spirit of coopera­tion and willingness to help in any waypossible was wonderful. Faculty volun­teers started scores of frozen cars forstudents (and even for the presiC:ent)Saturday and Sunday, for example.

All classes will be resumed on Febru­ary 13. Adjustments will be required, be­cause office and classroom space in theP.E. Center and Guadalupe Hall is out ofcommission. We will try to hold allclasses on campus, and to stay as closeas possible to the regular schedule andacademic calendar. We will also makeup lost instructional time later on as isfeasible. Our truly fine faculty will deliverfull measure of educational opportunityto students. There will, of course, bemany difficulties involved.

Buildings

I will not attempt a detailed descriptionhere; Leo Walchuck (who has been tire­less and a tower of strength throughoutall of this) will be able to give you moreinformation later. Damage is severe; youcannot imagine it without seeing it.Flying railroad debris --some of it huge -­a great deal of shattered glass, ceilingsmangled, projectiles on or through roofs,all wreaked havoc. A power outage con­sequent to the explosion and in sub-zerotemperatures caused all kinds of heatand water problems, leaks and freezes.These continue ,and. will plague us forsome tirnq.

.our mainte­nance staff havebeen truly heroic.They have workednight and dayunder the mostmiserable condi­tions. "

DEAR CARROLL PARENTS:

One student suffered a slight cut onthe arm, but officials said injuries werelikely prevented because students werein bed and had their drapenes drawnagainst the intense cold.

Lisa Downs, a 21-year-old junior livingin the dorm, said she woke up when sheheard the explosion.

Then, through her drapes, she saidshe saw --in succession -a series ofwhite, yellow and blue flashes of light.

'The whole building just shook, "Downs said. "Everyone was pretty muchscreaming."

"Jt was so frightening not knowingwhat it was, " she added. "I didn't knowif it was a bomb. It was the most frighten­ing moment of my life. Everyone prettymuch panicked."

Female students ran out into thedorm's hallway, where resident assistantKathi Wells gathered the coeds togetherand calmed them down, Downs said.

Wells made sure everyone was allright, took a head count and told dormresidents to unplug electrical appliances,Downs said.

Wielding flashlights, male studentsfrom another dorm also ran to Guada­lupe Hall and helped lead female stu­dents out through the darkness, Downssaid.

Outside, Downs said she could see acloud of white smoke hovering the in theair.

"The smell was awful," she said.

by Bill Lombardi

Lee Newspapers State Bureau

Glass rains down on Carroll students

Shards of glass frame a Guad window. (Photo by Bill Sallaz)

Carroll College ALUMNUS, February 1989-5

Helena --Karen Gross, a Carroll col­lege junior living on the second floor ofGuadalupe Hall, was sleeping in her bedearly Thursday morning when she wokeup to shattered glass raining on top ofher. .

"It's so weird," she said. "I don't haveany cuts or anythin~. I didn't know whatto think when it hit me. I just ran and gotout of there. It really scared me."

Gross said her bed sits directly be­neath her dorm window.

"I didn't hear the "oud boom," shesaid. "I was just laying in my bed."

Luckily for Debra Dacar, the night be­fore she and her roommate had an im­pulse to rearrange their room on the sec­ond floor, moving her bed away from thewindow.

If she hadn't, she said, she surelywould have been cut by sharp shards ofsplintered glass as all the windows onthe north side of the building shattered inthe explosion.

But a heavy street sign she had hungfrom the ceiling narrowly missed the twostudents when it crashed to the floor be­tween their beds.

"All of a sudden the lights startedflashing and the windows blew in andthen tiles started falling off the roof,".Dacar said.

Cordially,Frank KerinsPresident

in operation. All have been examined byarchitects and structural engineers andfound safe for occupancy.

The remaining exceptions are the P.E. Center and Guadalupe Hall. Thesewill take longer. We are now in the pro­cess of boarding up windows in Guadand thawing the building. Ordering andinstalling windows throughout Guad willtake some time. We still need a good bitof information about the condiditon ofthe P. E. Center and Guad, what will beneeded there, and how long it will take.

With good progress now underway inmeeting student and class needs, we areaddressing some of the financial implica­tions. The January 31 financial state­ments, ordinarily mailed by now, will bedelayed. Adjustments will have to bemade. For instance, no student will bebilled for room and board from February2 through February 12. Charges startingon February 13 will reflect the living ac­comodations now being made. Specificdetails concerning appropriate creditswill be forthcoming. Further, we areworking with Montana Rail Link to pro­cess all claims for personal property thathas been lost or damaged. Again, detailsshould be finalized in the near future.

Thank you for your help and support inthis difficult time.

(Photo by Gene Fischer, IndependentRecord)

Beyond the basic descriptive informa­tion, I would like to emphasize the needof our students for continuing support,reassurance and every kind of helpwhich we can all give. We need and re­quest your assistance in supporting yoursons and daughters through your ownlove for them and your encouragementand concern. .

All of Carroll's students are safe andwell. We escaped death and injury, andfor that we are deeply grateful to God.But they have suffered a terrifying expe­rience and severe physical and mentaldiscomfort. For those of your daughterswho were resident in Guadalupe Hallespecially, this incident involved farmore than mere inconvenience. We mustbe very sensitive to the shock they en­dured. While we are justly proud of theircourage and generous coping with manyadjustments, we must also be aware ofthe difficulties which they now face. Forall of the students at Carroll, resident ornot and in whatever location housed, thisha,s been a distressing experience. Thestudents have responded splendidly.

Each day brings progress. St. Albert'sHall has reopened to student use; the li­brary will begin service this weekend.The Fine Arts Center will be ready assoon as the ceilings can be repaired andcleanup completed. By next week, wehope to have most buildings on campus

(Excerpts from the President's letter toCarroll parents dated February 9, 1989)

by the Independent Recordand Montana Standard Wire Services

Evacuees cheerful•In armory gym

Transformed from a ballroom lastweekend, the Helena National Guard Ar­mory gym served as a temporary disas­ter relief center for Carroll College stu­dents and residents evacuated after arail car explosion Thursday. 'Despite thelack of heat --power was not restoreduntil mid-morning --the mood among the350 evacuees was upbeat, althoughsome complained about the lack of food,which was late arriving.

Mayor Russ Ritter, a Carroll official,said 700-800 students were evacuatedfrom the campus. . . Many of the stu­dents were taken to the armory by theNational Guard in vans and buses, andby evening all had been placed in privatehomes around the city, Ritter said.

Disaster officials had no firm estimatesof the number of other residents whowere evacuated, because most appar­ently went to stay with friends, ratherthan to Red Cross centers.

"You know Montana," said Red CrossDisaster Coordinator Ken Rohyans."Everybody knows somebody."

GOODNEWS .. .

If you have to be evacuated insub-zero weather in the dark underscary circumstances, hopefullyyou'll haw~ Fr. Leo Proxell withyou. Alex Lobdell, editor of thePROSPECTOR, overheard him ex­claim as he burst into O'ConnellHan among the shivering students,"I have an announcement tomake. Your P.E. fees are goingWAY up!"

~. _.. ~ .... ---... ~ .......... "'~

"It was funny to see what peoplebrought with them, " said Alex Lobdell,editor of the campus newspaper. "Therewas a lot of makeup. One girl had herfishtank. "

The girl with the fishtank, MelanieParenteau of Priest River, Idaho, was in­terviewed by the Great Falls Tribune

- and said she decided to evacaute herfour-month:Old pet fish --called "HeyDewey Are You Floating Yet?" --be­cause he survived when the blast' blewout her dorm room window.

'He was right next to the window andwhen it blew in he lived," she said, " soI said I better bring him along."

Elizabeth Pratt, a junior from KlamathFalls, are., said some girls in GuadalupeHall ... were frightened by the blast, butmainly because of the glass blown intotheir rooms from the dorm's oversizedwindows.

Lobdell said the e_arly hour and the in­tense cold may have helped avert inju­ries because students were in bed andhad their curtains or draperies drawn.

BAD NEWS ...An axle and rod from an explodingrail car landed in the living room of79 year old Catherine DeBree, aneighbor of the college on RalphStreet. The machinery soared overthe entire Carroll College campusto narrowly miss the sleepingwoman.• A similar huge chunk of metal

crashed through the roof of the li­brary and flattened a stUdy tablewhere JUSt a few hours later asmany as six students might havebeen studying.

Evacuated area residents and Carrollstudents huddled in an emergency shel­ter.

(Photo by Gene Fischer, IndependentRecord)

"Thanks, Helena,for taking us in!"

Carroll students seemed to enjoy their stay at the Armory even though theheat was off there, too, because of the blast.

(Photo by Gene Fischer, IndependentRecord)

Most students evacuated their dorms dressed for warmth rather than style.They did not have time to take much with them. For several days were"campers" in the homes of parents, friends, faculty, staff, older-than-aver­age students, alumni and other citizens of Helena. By 1 p.m. on the day ofthe explosion, all the students were in homes, and still the switchboard rangwith calls from people willing to take in a Fighting Saint or two.

"

-

EMERGENCY­PROCLAMATION

Helena Fire Marshal Bob Knudson stands beside the huge ice formationwhich covered a fire department pickup truck at the site of the train wreck.The ice formed from mist from fire hoses spraying water on the burning railcars. The bed of the truck can be made out on the right.

(Photo by Gene Fischer, IndependentRecord)

Boarding the bus for the trip to an evacuation center.(Photo by Gene Fischer, IndependentRecord) ,

.' r. '.

At 9:30 a.m. as the on-site commandpost discovered other potentially hazar­dous materials at the wreck site, theevacuation was expanded west, north,east and south. As they got more infor­mation, they shrank the zone back, butthe college was always in a state ofevacuation, As late as Sunday they stillhad fire danger.

At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Thurs­day I declared the city a disaster areawhich officially then gave us access toother elements of government for help,vis a vis, Malmstrom AFB with theirpumper trucks, Fort Harrison and theNational Guard.

Our story made every major network ­ABC,CBS,CNN, and NBC.

The National Transportation SafetyBoard (NTSB) sent about nine investiga­tors to Helena. One had just come backfrom investigating the 747 disaster inScotland. The NTSB began an immedi­ate investigation of the incident, attempt­ing to check all the debris which wasscattered over a five mile radius.

The explosion and evacuation was anexperience which brought out the best ineverybody, especially in the Carroll fami­ly.

•• 4 , , ~......,., \- .-

"\:t~.~ -. -. 0: , a

campus, because we didn't know wheth­er or not there would be another blast.

We arranged for the Civic Center toopen. Someone had already contactedthe Armory. Then the bus people startedshowing up. I think Francee and Ed hadcalled them.

We were severely hampered by havingno power. So we tried to use the radio tocommunicate. I made sure the radio sta­tions were informed that there had beenno casualties, but two stations were tem­porarily off the air. KMTX was on emer­gency power, so I did a live broadcast.

Then the police chief said they had toevacuate the area immediately aroundthe college. I went on the radio again, di­recting people to go to the Civic Center,Helena High, and the Armory.

Then Paul Spengler, the county disas­ter and emergency coordinator, contact­ed me to activate the emergency operat­ing center (EOC). At our request, USWEST immediately call forwarded allcalls for the College to the EOC, so wecould continue to answer parents' ques- ­tions and take messages.

In the EOC we had city, county, lawenforcement, Montana Power, U.S.West, everybody in one place. That wasreally crucial. If anyone thing made thisrun as smoothly as it did, it was when wefinally had everybody in one room, andall the decision-makers were working inconcert with each other. .

The police were brought in to sweepthe campus and evacuate everyone elsebetween 8:30 and 9:00 am. when it wasdiscovered that a second tank containingthe same product as the first tank thathad exploded was at the site, creatingthe possibility of another blast.

Once we felt that the campus was se­cured, Jeff Baker and I moved FeliceFechter, Debbie Michalson and PatZanto, the skeleton crew of volunteerstaff members who had come in to try to

, answer calls from worried parents, downto the EOC.

The last person, a Guad supervisor,road out in my Bronco after we haddriven two loads of students to the Armo­ry. Bob Robinson hauled students awayin his pickup, and later kept 21 Carrollstudents and 20 relatives at his home forseveral days.

By 1 p.m. on the day of the blast,everyone was housed some place in Hel­ena.

First his emergency beeper went off, andthen he received a call -from PatriciaZanto of the Development Office, andquickly Mayor Russ Ritter, Vice-Presi­dent for College Relations, was on hisway to the campus in the pre-dawnhours:

I'd heard the blast at my house, andcouldn't identify what it was, except itwas a loud bang. It got our attention athome. I saw where it came from, be­cause our bedroom blinds were open.

Then Pa( Zanto called me and said,"They're looking for an official at the col­lege. There was an explosion downthere."

I immediately dressed and called JeffBaker. He had received the message,too, and he was leaving for the college. Iprobably arrived by 5:15 a.m. It didn'ttake long.

The lights and heat were out all overthe campus due to the power outage. Isoon discovered that my outside line wasthe only phone working in O'ConnellHall. I called leo Walchuk, but he wasalready on his way to the campus.

Although Dr. Kerins was snowed in atSalt lake City, stuck in the airport, hecan be complimented on his networkthat covers the "What If" situations. Hehad the whole thing set up. The adminis­trative staff had such good communica­tions, that within ten minutes the three ofus knew about the disaster and were onthe campus. And when Frank did arrive,he was tireless in his efforts to serve theCarroJi students.

In the dim morning light of O'ConnellHall I ran into Bob Robinson, one of ouralums, chairman of this year's IMPACTScholarship Drive, who had planned tocome for a breakfast meeting in theCommons. Instead he came to help.

An interview with Russell J. RitterVice President for College Relations

Catroll College AWMIUS, February 1989-7

Through the eyes of the Mayor... -

The lower level of O'Connell was fullof students. Francee O'Reilly and Ed

"Noonan had done an outstanding job.Everyone was out of Guad, St. Charlesand Borromeo, and Francee and Ed andtheir staff had swept all three bUildings. Ithink the thing we have to keep empha­sizing was that no one was hurt. That initself was a miracle. 1

I radioed to the city manager and chiefof police to find out where we could putthe students. My- first concern was theirsafety. We couldn't leave them on

"Wemens·our sultyaare tcent. "

,ere•••

Cars were frozen up all over campus, but once the ev.lifted, faculty and staff came and helped the studentgoing.

E

Ce ebrati g.80 years a

It must have been almost 100 degrees warmer when all this was moved in (Photo b Bill saillast August! y az

The bitter cold made picking up one'sbelongings a difficult task. In somerooms clothes were frozen into drawers.

8-Carroll College ALUMNUS, February 1989

It was so cold in Guadalupe Hall. thatthe floor tiles began to come unglued (Photo by Bill Sallazland pop off, creating an additional messto clean up beyond the glass which wasfrozen to the floor.

be im­roud otts, tac­ft. Theymagniti-

With high spirits Guad women and their helpers trek down the hillside withboxes and bags to pick up their possessions.

(Photo by Bill Sallaz)

One of Carroll's foreign students gazes forlornly at her home away fromhome while she waits for a ride to her new room assignment. She is sur­rounded by her belongings. ~urriedly gathered into plastic sacks the morethan twenty degrees below zero cold.

(Photo by Bill SalIaz)

Windows on both sides of the Guadlobby had been ~Iasted out.

(Photo by Bill SalIaz)

10-Carroll College ALUMNUS, February 1989

Everything we say about Carroll COllege is real!Student Health center has been movedto Borromeo, and Francee' O'Reilly,Guad's resident director is now living inBorromeo. •

"I'm really thankful for the way theHelena community and the Carroll com­munity responded to the physical needs,and the shelter needs, and the safleyneeds, and the psychological needs ofthe students," said Shea.

He said he and his staff found housingfor the student body in two or three days,a job they normally would have had allsummer to do, as well as finding ac­comodations for the athletic departmentand other displaced personnel. And theymastered some new skills like running ashuttle service, in addition to caring forthe students and organizing activitiesduring the week's break in classes.

"With movie tickets, donuts, dancesaDd pizza parties, " quipped Shea,"Some students may say they've neverbeen treated so well."

Shea has taken the opportunity offeredby the disaster to start something new.

"One thing I like is the daily chat withthe students at 5:45 p.m. I go to the din­'ing hall and talk to them and answertheir questions, give them a progress re­port on what's happening, fill them in onthe news."

"As of Friday, February 10 at 3 p.m.,not one person has dropped out," saidShea. "The college has a liberal creditpolicy due to changes in living condi­tions."

"Why hasn't there been all the posttrauma stress that the arm~hair psy­chologists talk about?" Shea asked."Because the students were allow8d togrieve and people were there to offersupport," he answered, praising hiscounseling staff and caring faculty mem­bers.

"It does require a tremendous amountof adjustment, but we're not seeing aber­rations of behavior," he continued.

"People are respecting one another.Yes, there are continued adjustments tobe made, but people are really respect­ing one another. That's why we don'thave people acting crazy. These peoplewere honored and respected and validat­ed in their stories. As opposed to thepost-Vietnam War experience. Thosepeople were not validated or honored oraccepted. Post traumatic experiencedoes come out ef the Vietnam experi­ence. That's where I see the big differ­ence -the Helena community and theCarroll community validated and wel~

corn.ed our kids.""Not that we haven't had a few adjust­

ments or a few temporary rubbed elbowsor tempers," Shea confessed. "We'veseen our way through those, and wecontinue to see our way through those."

One interesting sidelight was the com­ment Father Shea made to a CNN re­porter covering the explosion:

"We're not a wimpy school. We weregoing to stay open to 35 below. But wecouldn't sustain both 35 below and atrain explosion."

Father Shea commended his staff forresponding so well, especially FranceeO'Reilly, Patty McAllister and Ed Noonanand all the RAs.

'1 see our kids and faculty coming outof this better than ever," he said. "Andthe Carroll opportunity becoming betterthan ever. "

Even the pieces of shrapnel litteringthe campus may be turned into some­thing good, says Shea, as Fr. Dan Hillenand.QIIJers 818 discussing making a free­forn'I aQIIplure out of the hundreds offl8gm8l1ts.

(Photos by Bill Sallaz)Father Dan Shea

A huge blackboard in the St. Charles Lobby served as a message center forthe returning evacuees.

"It proves we are a caring community.'Fr. Shea commented that the shuttle

bus running now from the YWCA andShodair and the motel accomodationswould remind some of the alumni of thedays of Immaculata, Dean and SienaHalls.

As of the 13th the students would beout of the motel housing, said Shea. Thecollege is allowing people to break hous­ing contracts and live off campus.

"I think it's interesting that Father Kir­chen relates this as much more seriousand much more traumatic than the earth­quake of 1935," commented Shea.

There have been many changes oncampus. Women are living in Borromeofor the first time, and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and4th Main are now women's residences,along with the second floor of Borromeo.Men's residences are now Submain and2nd, 3rd, and 4th South and the base­ment and first floor of Borromeo. The

Vice President for Student AffairsFebruary 10, 1989

"This disaster has proved all the thingswe say al?out Carroll College," said Fr.Dan Shea at the end of a incredibleweek of activity for his office of StudentAffairs. "The community of Carroll Col­lege is not just a public relations phrase,it's a reality."

Father Shea saw a lot of good thingscome out of this incident. "The com­munity responded so quickly and sothoroughly to the needs of those peopleimpacted by the disaster. I've never seenfaculty and students and staff work soclosely together; whether that was toprovide housing and meals for twentystudents like one_ staff member did forthree days; or whether it was facultymembers driving trucks and cars helpingpeople evacuate their rooms and carrytheir belongings; or whether it was the

_counseling that went on and the supportand the understanding that studentsgave to other students or the faculty afldstaff."

"I guess what I saw is what we alwaystc.lk about -the community of Carroll Col­lege. I see students welcoming in newroommates. I see students and the ad­ministration being flexible with policiesand being adaptable to the new reality. Ithas allowed and forced all of us to getout of the stereotypes we build for oneanother."

"I saw President Frank Kerins walkingup and down the halls of St. Charles dis­tributing pizza. .I saw Fr. Dan Hillen andFr. Bob Butko moving students' belong­ings. I saw people like Guido Bugni andJohn Downs and Jori Krutar starting carsfor their students. I saw the maintenancestaff working 24 and 30 hours straight.Then you have the people who worked atGuad helping the. students get into theirrooms."

"This incident allows us to see beyondthe stereotypes. We see people comingthrough honoring each person's wholeexperience because there was a differ­ence in all the experiences. The Guadexperience was different from the St.Gharles experience or the off~ampus

experience. "

, Local stores provided clothes and 8Upp~ tpr Vle, Guadalupe women to use.. ' untI they could be allowed back into tfltt'r.1WIJIl:'for several cia;';''ViIihad

been living with jUs{ What they had worn-Orritieit backs the ~'ot.theblaSt.

An interview with Father Dan Shea

The men of St. Charle ~allantly movedto other quarters in tt> uilding to givethe Guad women a pia a live.

I

(Photos by Bill Sallaz)

Jeannie Downs and the St. Charles staff manned the droom assignments on Saturday,·February 4.

IGuad ladie~ in the St. Charles lobby awaiting new room as

'l1aking new

nents.

11-"CarrOIl &;Ollege ALUMNUS~ February 1989

The Carroll Community' helped celebrate the Mass. Aftewards the Bishophosted a dinner.

•We are deeply in debt for our deliv-

erance. And what we have to do torepay Christ told us; that you love oneanother, as I have loved you.

As we return gradually to routine,this can be hard. The person whowas, on February 1st, a kind of painIn the neck, at least for you, did notsuddenly become a St. Francis Assisitype by February 3. She is stili kind ofa pain, at least for you. Only nowshe's your roommate.

The months ahead will be difficultin some ways. We must bear with oneanother, be patient with one another,help and support one another.

We are speaking about "Carroll ­better than ever." This is our theme,and it is a good one. In time, all of thebUildings will be repaired, the campuswill be lovely again, students and fac­ulty will continue their work in fulln~mbers. Spring will come oncemore.

But suppose we were to make Car­roll profoundly better than ever, withthe love Christ told us to show? Wecould set as a goal really to try everyday to be kind, to be friendly, to behelpful -to be such a place and to besuch persons that the world canspeak of us as the worl~ spoke ofChrist's early followers: Behold thoseCarroll people; see how they love oneanother.

-

T.~=, Reverend EI~,n .F: ,qurtlss, Bishop of ~~Ie~a and Chancellorof l College, offlCiatecfat a Mass of ThanksgIVing In the Lower Com­mons ~~ February 13. the first Clay of classes after the disaster.

A MeditationAt Liturgy of Thanksgiving

Monday, February 13, 1989• Dr. Francis J. Kerins

On behalf of our whole Carroll com­munity, thank you for your generosity,your labor and dedication, your cour­age and help over the extraordinarylast twelve days in our lives. I do notwant to start listing; everyone hasbeen magnificent, and I would misssome. But I do have to mention Edand Francee and Mike, and our main­tenance people: Butch, Wayne, Larryand Vickie and Leo and all of thosewho did so much.

We have much to be thankful for.God was good to us. And we havesome powerful Intercessors: Our Ladyof Guadalupe, St. Charles Borromeo,Bill Racicot.

I had a fantasy, an imagining of aconversation in heaven. God asks:Bill, what do you love most backthere on earth?

My building.And what do you love more than

your building?My Carroll students•.. (a pause) ..Hey, walt a minute. What kind of

deal Is this? Well, ,all right. Gee.However it happened by divine

providence, we are all here, alive andwell. We give thanks to God. But whatmore? Our prayers must flow Into ourlives. Jesus told us: Not everyonewho says to me "Lord, Lord" willenter the kingdom of heaven, but hewho does the will of my father.

and care for people above every otherconsideration; the marvelous humor inthe midst of chaos (someone told methey expected Fr. Dan Hillen to be busilysculpturing ice in his devastated studio).

We who are the disciples of Jesus,even when we are weak ones, know thatwe live within the pale of the paschalmysteries. We are learning to accept theburdens and disappointments and set­backs of life in a spirit of peace, andeven joy, because we walk in the foot­steps of Jesus. We are learning to meas­ure ourselves, not by our successes orachievements or self-determined goals,but by the way we are able to live withour vulnerability and 5>ur weaknessesand our losses and our failures. And weare becoming more human in the pro­cess.

We have begun lent this year with avivid reminder of our mortality and thefleeting security we have in materialthings. And we have been powerfully re­minded· of the reality of God's provi­dence and the special spirit that per­meates this college and all of us who arethis college. And just as the lenten sea­son gradually gives way to Easter and itspromise of new life, so this time of dis­ruption and inconvenience which assailsus now will gradually give way to a newspring of vitality and growth for Carrolland all of us.

This then, is a celebration of God'sprovidence in our lives, and we rejoicewith the Lord in these paschal mysterieswhich we celebrate in this eucharist, per­haps a bit more poignantly now becauseof the events of these past days. Wecannot begin to celebrate the eucharistwell until we have learned to live the eu­charist. The lessons sometimes are diffi-­cult, but they are worth it. , ••••.

May God be praised DOWM1d.forever.AMEN.

Mass of ThanksgivingFor Our Deliverance

Carroll College CommonsFebruary 13, 1989

Bishop Elden F. Curtiss

It is good for us to come together thisafternoon to celebrate God's obviousprovidence in our lives, and God's spe­cial care for our college.

We have gradually become aware ofthe tragedy that could have been a fewdays ago. I am so grateful that God keptHis arms around you who live on thiscampus and in the area. We are gratefulthat we are able to begin again today asa college.

My predecessor, Bishop John Carrollwho founded this college, wrote to afriend that Mt. 5t. Charles was built on agreat solid mountain and on the provi­dence of Almighty God. We have sur­vivect a devastating earthquake in the30's and epidemics and crises of variouskinds these past 80 years (Father PaulKirchen has lived through most of them).But God has spared our lives over theyears and He has helped us rebuild andgrow stronger through each crisis. Car­roll surely stands in the providence ofGod, and for this we are grateful and wepraise him today.

Our lives have been disrupted thesepast days since the explosion -the dislo­cation and relocation and temporary lossof major facilities; and all the damage.Many people in the Helena communityare suffering through these hardshipswith you. I had many pipe breaks in thehot water heating system in my homeand a flooded basement because of thepower outage caused by the explosion.

But it is in the midst of this dislocationand inconvenience and irritation that theunderlying spirit of Carroll has beenmanifest with renew~ vitality -the sel·f1ess generosity of s.aff tf \fa tty "Mdadministration and students; t~ concetl1

VIDEO TAPE AVAILABLE;The Carroll Administration has

prepared a special video tapedwalk-through of the recent explo­sion damages to the campus. Thistape has been sent out already tomembers of the college Board ofTrustees. Extra copies of the build­ing by building tour narrated byLeo Walchuk are available fromthe college Development Office for$20 per tape. (That includes post- .age and h,andling.)

For safety reasons, most peoplewere not allowed anywhere nearsome of the scenes that Walchukand cameraman Barry Wall wereable to film. If you want a sense ofthe devastation and the extremecold, this is the tape to have. Makea mug of steaming hot chocolate tosip while you watch, because you'llshiver for several reasons. Thethoughts of what could have beenif tt'l"s had nappened at any otherho -ar cbiIliI'\Q.i'h't;leed!

Carroll College ALUMNUS, February 1989-13

-

WAS THE RAILWAY EXPLOSIONWORSE THAN THE EARTHQUAKE?

TV COMMERCIAL TELLSEVERYONE CARROLL ISBETTER THAN EVER!

IIt was cold, but Carroll students

gladly participated in the filming of atelevision commerical that will beginairing on February 17 in the North­west. The message is that althoughwe had a crisis, the college is func­tioning again, and in fact, Carroll Col­lege is BETTER THAN EVER!

During Carroll's eighty year history, itsstudents have survived other majorcrises, .perhaps the most devastatingbeing the earthquake of 1935.

Father Paul Kirchen has said, how­ever, that the February 2 train explosionwas'much more serious and much moretraumatic for our students than even thatbig shake-up.

What are your recollections of theearthquake or other hard times at Car­roll? How did you survive and what effectdid the event have on your life? Sharewith us~nd we'll print your memories ina future ALUMNUS.

Send your comments to Molly McHughor Nancy Robbins. Carroll College.Room 258 O'Connell Hall, Helena, MT59625. .

by Father Leo Proxell

At the first meeting of the students,staff, faculty and administration followingthe blast of February 2, 1989, I prayedthis prayer. It is a prayer from Fr. EdHayes' book PRAYERS FOR THE DO­MESTIC CHURCH. I did a little revisionto fit the situation . . .

AMessage from the Campus Chaplain

"Lord and Divine Protector, when yourtrustful servant Noah came forth fromthe ark after a long and difficult time, hebuilt an altar where he and his familygave praise to you, their God, for savingthem. Your holy rainbow was both a signand a shrine for that prayer of grati-_tude."

"We, like Noah, come now to thankyou for protecting ps in a time of danger.That danger. is now passed and weprayerfully give you thanks that you, OurLord, have kept us safe within your holyhands."

"We thank you not only for safetY!r2.mharm, but also for the opportunity toplace all our trust in you. This peril hasbeen for us (and continues to be) asource of renewed devotion and of dedi­cation to each other and to you.... "

We all continue to rejoice that the wholeCarroll family, especially our extendedfamily in the alumni, ·continue to praywith us. It is a source of true redemptionthat we all rose to the occasion and gaveone another c urage, love and strengthin a time of crisis. The pain and hurt isnot over, but we have come to know thatwe care for one another and will.contin­ue to do so.

"Blessed are you, Lord our God, whosaves those who trust in Ynll "

, "

Hurldreds of holes in the ceiling yawnopen to the cold grey sky. Pieces of railcar and ceiling tiles litter the gym floor.

One chunk of debris gouged a hole inthe floor.

The roof panels rained down on thebleachers in the P.E."Center.

" .be assuredthat the college willsurvive and thrive."

A huge piece of railway car smashed into the doors on the east side of theP.E. building.

(Photos by Bill Sallaz)

Carroll's P.E. complex is out of com­mission until at least this summer, aftertaking the brunt of the flying debris fromthe rail car explosion on Feb. 2.

Meanwhile, workers are busily board­ing windows, repairing roofs and thawingand replacing pipes in several buildings ­-including' Guadalupe Hall, the women'sdormitory that will be unhabitable forsome time, Kerins said.

Undergoing extensive roof-tile recon­struction, the Fine Arts Center will be outof commission until late next week, itsmusic and art classes temporarilyhoused in other facilities.

Despite a huge chunk of railroad carthat crashed through the roof andsmashed a study table, the library is op­erating at full capacity, said Kerins, reolieved the "heart 'o(the academic func-. . ...

==.>::::r::r.:-,,;; ~~~~h~e~.f~fl~·g~KI air of the abandoDed8Er~..:"eer are pJa'IUng

14-Carroll College ALUMIIUS, February 1989

Valentine's Day headlines in the Independent Record...

Carroll:,'back on its feet:Class 0;' begin on Monday

"'~ {j.,"Z 'rJ, ' by Andy Bird>,Ijjt,~ IR St ff W 't'i/'-'ff:. a n er

Carpenters, glass ,plumbers tion" was not forced to move offadd a peculiar eleme~.lle academic campus,population at Carroll" , but other Structural engineers provided Kerinsthan a few displaced!;' s, it's bu- more reason to breathe easier, findingsiness as usual o' ~patched-up that St. Alberts, the Fine Arts Center andcampus.' the library are structurally sound after

All classes resum examinations last week,some adjustments" -, The crew, consisting of city and pri-opened for academic' . . vate architects, are now examining the1Q-day unscheduled:~ P.E. complex and Guadalupe Hall.Francis Kerins, colleg~ • With a sink in every room, Guadalupe

The adjustments " was frozen solid after almost every win-physical education a dow was blown out by the explosion,and local health club Kerins said.tal hygiene instruction Carpenters just finished boarding uptal at Fort Harrison . gaping window frames and the buildingclinics. ,~'I.. is "thawing out" after more than a week

"To the extent possi. • 're keeping of exposure to below freezing tempera-everything on campus, "!'j ns said this tures, added Kerins, who said he ex-morning. "But you ca 'Id a swim- pects workers to find a maze of brokenming class anywhere tJj"4:JjjJa swimming pipes.pooL" ~.~ ; More than 200 Guadalupe residents--------oI!....'I!i;~Ijii.".loj ---- are crowded into afready full rooms in St.

,~ Charles and Borromeo Halls and YWCANew places:/'\;:, and Shodair Hospital facilities., PE classes being~" " at local While he couldn't pinpoint a datehealth clubs. ' 1'1::...:,:,: Guadalupe residents can move back in,.. Dental hygiene _ at VA Kerins said they will be out longer thancenter. ~".":"; originally expected.• Guad Women living'.1he YWCA Special ordering and replacing Guada-and Shodair.·: ':.-:. lupe's oversize windows will cause much

of the additional delay.-

Despite the, upheaval and 1Q-day lay­off. the academic semester will finish onschedule, but students and faculty willlose a couple of three-day weekends,Kerins said.

"The students are glad to get backinto class," said Kerins, who describedthe mood at Carroll "upbeat."

Meanwhile, Carroll's lawyers are scan­ning the college's insurance policies todetermine what type of damages arecovered, Kerins said.

With total damages expected to beseveral million dollars, Kerins said thecollege doesn't carry enough insuranceto cover it all.

What isn't covered, such as fees forstudent use at local health clubs to com­pensate for the loss of the P.E. center,will be included in a claim with MontanaRail Link, he said.

I'

Item fUUantitv Size Color Unitl>rll:e Total

-........--.-.., Sub TotalMail this form to:

UMfor__

Shipping &CARROLL COLLEGE

.2.51 for ____

HandUngBOOKSTOREclo Louise Robinson Total

Helena, MT 59625 Ship to:(406) 442-3450, Ext. 217

Now Acceptiilg Name

• • Address

City State ZipExp.Oate _

ICard Number

On a lighter note, it was just over a a purple sweatshirt with the special com­week after the train explosion when the memorative logo for yourself or your sonfirst "I GOT BLASTED AT CARROLL or daughter, the sizes and the prices areCOLLEGE" shirts showed up in the Car- as follows:roll Bookstore. Short sleeved white cotton, S, M, L, XL

Soon both students, faculty and staff ...$8.50were sporting the upbeat message of Long sleeved white tee shirt, S, M, L, X,survival. XL. ..$10.50

If you would like to order either a short Purple long sleeved sweatshirt, S, M, L, .or long sleeved white cotton tee shirt or X, XL ...$16.00

1 1----------------------------------,

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDPermit No. 19

Helena, Montana 59601Non-Profit Organization

Damages to the Library Building wereprimarily confined to the suspended ceil-

- ing and glass breakage. We lost heatingin the building due to the power outage,and freeze-up of a heating coil. Since thelibrary Building is relatively new andwell-insulated, we had little damage tothe heating system.

The other buildings on campus beingfurthf}r back from the explosion site hadfewer damages. These were primarilyconfined to broken windows, freeze-upsof heating _systems, as well as someholes in the various roofs.

Current assessment of damages isconfined to visual inspections of build­ings as a result of several walk-throughs.Our maintenance personnel workedaround the clock to keep all boilers inoperation and _repairing leaks whereverthey occurred without which ·our dam­ages would have been much more ex­tensive.

We have engaged the services of ar­chitects, structural engineers, mechani­cal and electrical engineers to do a de­tailed inspection of all buildings to deter­mine the extent of structural and otherdamages, and a detailed report will beprepared.

We are in the process of making tem­porary repairs to prevent further damageand maintain heat within the buildings.We are proceeding as rapidly as possi­ble as conditions permit with the highestpriority for safety of all personnel.

At this time we do not have an esti­mate of the damage costs to the CarrollCollege Campus as a result of the explo­sion. We will need to receive reportsfrom the structural and engineering peo­ple as to the extent of building damagesbefore any accurate estimate of dam­ages can be compiled.

c

February 1989

CARROLL COLLEGEHelena, Montana 59625~r.....s Correction Requested

The plastic facing material around theroof of the P.E. Center was shattered bythe blast.

(Photo by Gene Fischer, IndependentRecord)

Volume 27, Number 1

a report from LEO G. WALCI1UKVice President for Rnancial Affairs

There is a gaping hole in the ceiling rightoutside 'cthe door to the late Coach BillRacicot's office in the P.E. Center.

(Photo by Bill Sallaz)

llCarroll College is not buildings or things.but persons. Though buildings are damagedand destroyed. through God's grace the per-sons have been sav....··

(Dr. Frank. Kerins)

As a result of the explosion of the rail­road tank car on Groundhog Day, Febru­ary 2, 1989, Carroll College sustainedextensive damages to buildings andequipment directly fTOm the explosionand indirectly from freeze-ups since wewere without electrical power a good ~rt

of the day. The temperature was 28 de­grees below zero with a windchill factorof 70 degrees below.

The explosion occurred directly northof the Physical Education Building abouta block away at the Elk River ConcreteProducts Company site. The three struc­tures closest to the explosion area werethe Physical Education Building, Guada­lupe Hall, and the library Building, andthese sustained the most damages. -

The plastic facial material around theperimeter of the PhYsical EducationBuilding is almost entirely blown out ordamaged beyond repair. Part of Ii rail­road car wheel and other debris camethrough the roof of the Physical Educa­tion Building and also damaged the floor­ing material. The suspended ceiling isscattered throughout the building, andwe have a considerable amount of glassbreakage. We were able to save the,wimming pool by draining the 'water be­ore it had a chance to freeze.

In Guadalupe Hall most of the glass inthe windows on the north and the eastsides were blown out, and a high per­centage of the window fra-mes are bentbeyond repair. We were fortunate thatthe new drapes that we installed in Gua­daulpe Hall this summer were closed atthe time of the explosion and containedmost of the flying glass which could haveinjured our students in the individualrooms. The plumbing in both wing~ ofGuadalupe Hall was frozen up becauseof the lack gf heat from power outageand will have to be thawed out and re­paired.

16-Camll College ALUM.US. February 1989