The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-11-21
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
A ScOundrelly Attempt to Massacre q
Train Full Nf PASSENGERS.
From the Lafayette Qnd0 JournaI

I From the Lafayette (1nd) Journal Nov. IA.
! One of the most dastardly and fiendish
attempts at the wholesale destruction of
human life that ever came under our no.
tee was made on the line of the Toledo,
| Wabash and Western Railway, little
west of the town of West Lebanon, in
Fountain county, night before last. AS
the train from the west, due at this city
about eleven o clock approached the SPOT.
the engineer, Mr.. Israel Dodge, discov
/ cred an obstruction on the track. and
promptly whistled the brakes on, and re-
yersed the engine. Although going at
very moderate speed, he was too close to
avoid striking 1t, and the engine, tender
and express car went off the track and
down the enbankment, distance of not
less than twenty feet. The balance of the
train remained on the track, with the ex-
ceptlon of the baggage car, the trucks at
the forward end of which went off, twisting
the rails and tearing up the road bed. Mr..
Dodge, the engineer, was found behind the
! tender with eneslog badly smashed below
the knee, and his arms somewhat scalded
by the escaping steam and hot water
from the locomotive. His fireman was
On the outside of the machine
olling the valves when it went
over on the opposite side to him, and he
jumped off unharmed. The express car,
In which were the messengers for both
the Merchants Union and the American
Companies, turned over once before
touching the ground, and landed bottom
side up, slightly ca,ted to one side. Its
occupants fshed themselves out from
among the scattered boxes and bundles
of freight unharmed, but very much Jolt
ed and not a little frightened Upon ex-
amining into the cause of the disaster, it
was found that quantity of old railroad
tles--fully two horse wagon load-had
been put endwise into a cattle guard and
wedged III, SO that about three feet of
them stood UP above the track 1t was
also discovered that quantity of ties had
been piled on the track this side of the
town, so as to catch any train that might
be going west. Assistance was sent for
to Attica, and the engineer taken to town
and amputated about four inches below
the knee. When the train arrived, at
about nine O clock yesterday morning, he
was doing well, and his physician had
strong hopes of his recovery. Mr. Dodge
is one of the oldest and best engineers
on the road. and has long
enjoyed the confidence and esteem of the
Company and OF the public. Had he felt
disposed he might have saved himself and
sacrificed the passengers, but he mag
unanimously chose to risk his own life for
the sake Of the lives of those he had in
charge. What object the fends could
have had who placed the distractions on
the track is left to conjecture. We are
informed by gentleman who was on the
train, that there is dwelling house
within twenty OF thirty rods of where the
accident occurred, aud the night being
bright moonlight one, it is hard to coniec-
ture that the villains could have placed
the obstruction there without being OBJ
served or known. We are the friends
and advocates of law and order, but will
in this instance say that if the guilty par
ties can be apprehended, they should be
hung on the spot, without judge or jury.
1t behooves the railroad company to
leave no stone unturned to ferret them
out and see that they are punished
We neglected to mention that after the
accident, purse of S2O3 was raised
among the passengers and presented to
Mr.. Dodge as slight testimonial of their
appreciation Of his service liz saving them
from danger and death.