Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-10-28
COLLISION.
One Man Killed and Two Seriously
Injured.

One Man Killed and Two Seriously
Injured.
MADISON, WIS, Oct. ga serious
collision occurred at 1890 to-day on the
Montfort branch of the Chicago &
Northwestern Railroad, which resulted
in the death of one and injuring of four
others, one of whom will probably die.
The accident happened in deep cut
one mile east of Pine Bluff and fifteen
miles west of this city. The collision
was between wild freight engine going
west and the Montfort passenger train
to Milwaukee, which is due here at !
o'clock and in Milwaukee about -four
o'clock. The track curves through the
cut and the engineers, for this reason.
could not discover the approach Of
either engine until they were almost
upon each other. Both engines were
gong at the rate of about twenty-five
miles per hour and they came together
with terrible force. The cut is the di
vide for down-grade either way. The
wild engine had been used as push tc
help the east-bound freight train UP
over the divide. 1t is said the wild en-.
CINE went down the east grade and
should have been side-tracked at Riley,
two miles east of the scene of the acct.
dent, so as to wait for the passenger
train to pass it. The engineer of the
wild freight, it is said, saw he had about
three minutes in which to back down tc
Pine Bluff, about two and one-halt
miles. and thought he would chance it.
The two engines came together as de.
scribed in cut above.
The engineer and fireman of the wild
engine jumped, the engineer first re-
versing his engine. The tender of the
wild engine was run up on the pas
senger engine and was separated from
the locomotive, and the latter having
been reversed, started off eastward at
a rapid rate without anyone on it. 1t
ran to Verona, six miles distant, where
it was captured, having exhausted its
supply of steam. The tender of the
passenger engine was driven back hall
way into the mail-car, telescoping it
completely. The engine was badly
wrecked.
THE DEAD AND INJURED.
The engineer, Thos. Dolan, of Lam
caster. was caughtin his cab and pinned
in sitting position. His left thigh bone
was badly fractured and should he live
may require amputation. His head was
badly scalded and his recovery is doubt
full.
Martin Comeford, of Madison, his
fireman, was also caught. His left leg
was injured and he was badly scalded.
A man supposed to be Henry Schwenk,
of Madison, who was stealing a ride
between the mail-car and the tender,
was crushed to death, while Mail Agent
G. w. Lusted, of Lancaster, had his
head cut and was scalded somewhat.
The steam and water escaped for about
ten minutes. Engineer Dolan and Fire
man Comeford could not be seen or
approached.
THE WRECK TAKES FIRE.
To add to the horror of the occasion,
the tender and mail-car caught fire and
Dolan was rescued just in time to save
him being burned TO death. Schwenk,
when finally found, was partially burned
to a crisp. The fireman of the wild en-
CINE was injured by jumping. The
name of the engineer of the wild engine
was Martin Kelley
A wrecking train with DR.. Boyd, of
this city, was at once dispatched to the
scene, and the injured and the body of
Schwenk were brought to this city.
Dolan, Concord and Hustled are now
at the hospital here where everything
for their comfort is being done.
Doan. is in serious condition and
will probably die. He can tell nothing
of the accident, but everything points
to the fact that he stood nobly at his
post, trying to stop the engine. 1t is
said that the blame attaches to the en-
gineer of the wild freight. The pas
sengers were badly frightened and re-
ceived severe shaking up but none of
them were injured. All the coaches
NAMED on the track. Most of the mail
was burned.