River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-12-08
FIRES AND CASUALTIES.

THE heavy gale which has ragged along
the coast of England nearly washed away
the new pier at Folkstone.
Two passengers on a Philadelphia
street-car were killed by runaway team
of the fire department.
A CASE o. smallpox having been dis
covered at Council Bluffs, the mayor
caused the house to be tagged and roped
in.
THE hour-mills of Campbell & Co., at
Ridgetown, Ont, of Stiles Brothers, at
Youngstown, o., and of Mr.. Knox, at
Elkhart City, ILL.,. We're destroyed by fire.
By an explosion in the harrel-works at
Saginaw. Mich, Charles Utter was NOR
tally injured Ira Nichols right leg was
broken, and F. Burchard was badly
bruised.
THE boiler of the Yazoo Miss. oil
works exploded, the other day. with a
terrific noise, tearing away the boiler and
the end of the main building. Seven
colored men were wounded, four of them
fatally.
A swITcH-ENGINE on the Wabash road
blew out its dome in the Union Pacific
yards at Council Bluffs. The fireman was
tossed sixty feet the air and fatally in
jured.
EIGHT persons composing the families
of Frank Cuppernul and Charles Wilson,
hotel proprietors at Eel Bay, were
drown ed by the upsetting of small boat
while on their way to Gananoque, Ont.
A PURE at Augusta. Ark, destroyed over
forty business houses, besides the schools
and churches, infictipg a loss Of $500, 900.
Several persons were injured by flames or
falling walls.
A SWARM of rats attacked lad OF 8
years who was accidentally locked in a
school room at Erie, Pa. He fought des-
peratelv, and when found was lying sense
less, with the animals tearing his flesh.
JERRY MCKIBBEN, who left Philadelphia
three months ago to conduct the new
Worlds hotel at St. Joseph, Mo, fell dead
of apoplexy while showing some visitors
around the house.
WHILE switching at the Chicago &
Northwestern yards at Green Bay the
other day, train of freight cars collided
with an ore train. Two cars OF the former
were demolished, and a brakeman receiv-
ed broken lex and other serious and pos
sibly fatal injuries.
i HE IaSlnO sCnu0l DuliulDR, u large
two-story structure, at Bellville, Ill,
caught fire in the roof and the whole up
per story was DESTROYED. Loss on build
ing and fixtures 5000. The lower story
was occupied by Peter Chuse with a stock
of general merchandise valued at $1,000.
His loss is estimated at 90 500; insured
The building was insured for $4,000, as
fellows. In the German. of Freeport, g.
600; b ffalo German, 81 600
OSE of the most stupid and inexcusable
pieces of careless ness on record was perpe-
trated the other evening by one of the
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Oma-
ha switchmen, at Hudson, Wis. 1t seems
he had opened The switch on the dump"
of the lake, where the River Falls track
connects with the main line, for the pur
lose Of letting an engine down onto side
track, and then forgot TO close it. The
result was that a regular freight train,
coming along soon alter. had the engine
and four heavily loaded cars ditched, and
the road was INSTRUCTED for about three
hours. The night express aud Wisconsin
Central trains were delayed in consequence
and the only wonder is that an extensive
smash-up did rot ensue. The swiichman,
of course, was not long in getting his
walking papers, and the company is doing
all in its power to repair damages.