Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-11-05

An appalling railroad accident and
loss of life occurred at East Rio siding,
near Portage, Wis, last Thursday, on
the main line of the Chicago. Milwaukee,
and st. Paul road. There are two side
tracks at the place, and ut the time the
train was due there that night both
were occupied by freight trains, one by
n wild train, and the other by train No.
IA. Conductor II. p. Hankey Of Por-
taee, which had just pulled in from the
west to allow the limited to pass. No.
II was very long. and the conductor
WAS at the head Of the train, relying
upon the brakeman 10 attend to the
switch. One report says the rear brake
man, whose business it was TO close the
switch after the train, for some reason
neglected to do so. The other and more
probable story is that he started back to
close the switch, bat before he could
reach it the limited, which does not
stop ut any except large places. came
tearing down the grade at fifty miles an
hour and left the rails ut the open
switch. The siding is in Il cut where
the road curves, so that the switch hight
cannot be seen from the east until 4
train is within few rods, so the engi-
neer of the limited could not see the
switch light turned wrong until too late
to stop.
The engine lett the track, ran short
distance, and brought up against Il sand
bank, topping over. The baggage car
and tN regular coaches followed, while
four sleepers kept the rails. The engine
and the cars that went Of were badly
smashed, and took fire from the stoves.
Engineer Little and Fireman E2an
crawled out from under the locomo-
tive, badly bruised and scalded. The
baggageman had leg broken. All the
passengers got out uninjured, except
for slight bruises, but in one day coach
thirteen were pinned in and burned to
death. Many others were injured.
The whole train except one sleeper,
which they were able to uncouple and
draw away, was burned.
B. Loewenbach, a job printer of Mil
waukee, was OH the wrecked train. lie
says the scenes after the accident were
narrowing. The passenger coach
which contained between fifteen and,
twenty persons, was telescoped at both
ends, and the fire and smoke that envel-
oped the wreck prevented the imprls-
oned and injured passengers from es-
Gaping. Passengers from the sleepers
gathered around the blazing cars, but
were powerless 10 render assistance.
Men and women could be seen tearing
their hair in the agony of the moment,
and frightful screams issued from the
death trap.
One large woman tore up one OF The
seats with almost superhuman strength,
and endeavored to break her way out of
the flaming car, but her strength failed,
and she fell TO the floor and met hor-
rible death. Only three persons escaped
from the passenger car. Mr.. Loewen-
bach saw man force his way through
the ventilator oil the top ofthe car, with
all the clothing on bis body from the
waist downward burned off, and his
flesh roasted and bleeding from cuts in
ficted by broken glass. All of the
bodies of the victims were burned in the
wreck.
A wrecking train from Milwaukee
with surgeons went 30 the scene of the
wreck, and did all that was possible to
alleviate suffering and to save life.
Conductor Hankey of the freight was
so demaralized by the accident, the re-
sponsibility of which rests on his crew
and thus also on him, that lie took 10
the woods in despair, leaving his train.
He was afterwards found wand ering
around in dazed condition, and is
likely to become maniac.