Christopher McCandless

http://www.theledger.com/article/20111214/news/111219591?p=all&tc=pgall

Accessed from a much shorter MSNBC article. For once, ITW and Chris seems to have had nothing to do with it. He was part of a group of friends who apparently were friends with some rail-riding tramps, and ultimately adopted the wandering life. He and his girlfriend apparently were laying on top of a heap of coal in a railcar, and died when the coal was dumped out of the bottom, falling the equivalent of several stories and ultimately being buried. The two were apparently unfamiliar with top loaded, bottom dumping commodities holding rail and road cars-the design can hold anything from coal to corn, and is used as a rail car or a trailer pulled by a big rig.

Just read this article, very tragic. The article mentioned Artes once carried a guide that was created by his traveling friends about hopping trains, I wonder if it had mentioned anything on trains transporting coal. The story is a sad truth of the dangers of being a railroad tramp.

Such a sad way to go. I bet they had one hell of a story.

So the question remains. In their last moments did they find the answer they ultimately were searching for. If so then their life was a success in my mind. On the flipside if they were running from problems what a tragic end to it all...