Evaristo Montt
The animita of a railway worker killed in 1924 when a locomotive exploded, which Antofagasta still visits a century later.
In Antofagasta’s Estación neighbourhood, on Valdivia street, stands one of the most visited animitas in northern Chile: that of Evaristo Montt, a worker for the Antofagasta railway company.
What happened
In 1924 (the local press dates it to July of that year), Evaristo Montt walked up to a locomotive to signal its departure when the boiler suddenly exploded. The blast threw his body against the wall on Valdivia street, and the animita was raised where he fell.
Sources disagree about his age: Oreste Plath gives 36, his grave says 24 and the company’s report, 22. Civil registry research cited by El Mercurio de Antofagasta identifies him as José Evaristo Montt Monsalve, born in 1900 in the province of Malleco.
A symbol of the worker
The violence of the accident shook the city. For Memoria Chilena, Evaristo Montt came to stand for the worker left defenceless against the risks of the job, which is why his memory has stayed alive in Antofagasta. His animita is covered in requests and thank-you plaques.
Visiting
The map pin marks the stretch of Valdivia street, not the exact corner. If you know the precise location, help us correct it.