The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-29
Bishop Whippie at st. Paul.

ST. PAUL, Mimi, Oct 2S-The Milwaukee
train bringing those saved from the wreck
reached mere at 620 tonight Among the pas
sengers were Bishop Whipple and wife, ,f Fari-
bault. Apart from great fatigue and nervous
prostraton, the Bishop was uninjured. He de-
scribes the wreck as the most terrible sight he
ever saw. The personal baggage of the
Bishop and his wife was destroyed.
Captain John Ames, of Mortified, was
in the sleeper, and says Bishop Whipple worked
heroically to save the passengers imprisoned In
the wreck and brought out the children OF Mrs.
Scherer, of Winora but could not lberate her.
After comparing notes with other passengers,
he thinks there were between fifteen aud twen-
ty-three passengers in the day coach, of whom
only three escaped.
The Daily Globe has the following interview
with Bishop Whipple "a freight train reached
the point about twenty minutes before the linn
tied express train which was wrecked" said
Bishop Whipplc, ''and the switch had been left
open. Our train was going at the rate
OF forty-thre miles an hour, so the train Of
Gals said, and the courage and bravery OF the
engineer cannot be praised too highly. He
stayed with the engine, and l never knew an
air-brake to be so quickly and strongly set as
that one was. Our train composed of an
engine, mail and baggage car, a day coach and
three sleepers, and all except the sleepers
went off the track and took fire Immediately. /
was in the first sleeper and had the berth in the
end next to the day coach. Mr. McGnnis, of
Morris, was in the berth opposite me- The in
stant he felt the shock he sprang from the berth
and ran to the front end of the car, but it was
impossible to get out that end for that Tend had
telescoped He rushed back and cried ont,
Come and help me save these people, who are
being burned TO death. had been awake but
few minutes before, and looked at my watch 1t
was 1890 o'clock. / had followed McGinnis in
my stocking feet He ran faster than 1. and
when came to the burning coach
he had taken two children of q
woman near the rear of the coach
She said her name was Chever, of Winona, and
asked him to save her children, for their father,
who was living. We both tried to lift the woman
from the car, but we could not, for she was
wedged in beneath the broken seat moment
after we reached her her dress took fire. and she
tainted and was burned to death before our eyes.
There was comparatively little screaming com
ing from the car, but there rather the low
moan of suffering, and l believe that most of
The car telescped at both
ends Mr.. Ames, who was on the train, saw the
passengers IN that COACH and so did my wife,
and they think there were seventeen. There
were two Sisters of Charity, who boarded the
train and were bound for Winona; there was
mother and daughter, whose names are unknown;
three young men, middleaged man, Mrs.
Shearer, her mother and two children;
a man who got on at Columbus, two more who
boarded the car at Watertown junction and Mr.
Clarke. who Climbed out at the top He and the
two children were saved; the others were burned
to death In about hour and a half Mr.
Collins, superin tendent of that division, ar
rived from Milwaukee, Philip Langtry and
Mr.. Boyd, Of the company, were on the
train, and everything was done that could be
done for the comfort of the passengers who were
left. The ladies on the train were especially
kind in caring for the two motherless children.
One was a little girl. about four years old, and
the other a.baby, little boy. The passengers
in the sleepirg-cars had some slight br uises but
none were seriously injured