The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-30
THE RIO DkAsTER.
The Story as Told by an Eye-wIt-
ness.
Bishop WhIPpIe's Vivid Description
OF the Scene.
The Story as Told by the Conductor
'of the Fated Train.
Now Believed that Twenty or More
Perished In the Wreck.
Affecting Sights at the Scene of the
Horrible Accident.

ST. PAUL, Mimi, Oct. 29-Bishop Whipple
who arrived at st. Paul direct from the
scene of the Rio, Missouri, railway wreck
last night, tells the story Of the wreck. He
says:
A freight train reached Rio about twenty
minutes before the limited express train
which was wrecked, and the switch had
been left open. The express was going at
the rate Of "A miles an hour, so the train
officials said. The courage and bravery of
the engineer cannot be praised too highly.
He stayed with his engine, and have never
known an air brake TO lie set so quickly and
strongly as that one. was in the first
sleeper and had berth in the end next to
the day coach. At the Instant Of the shock
passenger in the berth opposite me sprang
from the berth and ran to the front end Of
the car, but 1t was impossible TO get out al
that end, for it had teen' telescoped. He
rushed back and cried out, Come and help
me save these people who are being burned
to. death" | had been awake but few
minutes before and had looked at my watch.
1t was $780, l followed the man in my
stocking feet. He ran faster than |, and
when came 10 the coach he had taken two
children from woman near the rear of the
car. She said her name was Scherer of Wi
mona, and asked him to save her children,
for their father was living. We both tried
to lift the. woman from the car, but could
not, for she was wedged beneath broken
seats. A 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
coming from the car, but there were low
means OF suffering. believe most of those
who perished were killed outright. The
passenger coach was telescoped at both ends
Mr.. Ames, who was on the train, saw the
passengers in that coach, and so did my wife
a N Thar
two Sisters of Charity who boarded the
train and were b0undfor Winona; mother
and daughter, whose names are unknown;
three young men, middle aged man, Mrs.
Sherer and her two children, a man who got
on at Columbus, two men who boarded the
car at Watertown Junction, and man who
climbed out at the top. He and the two
children were saved The others were
burned to death. In about an hour and
a half Mr.. Collins, superintendent Of that
division arrived from Milwaukee; also
Philip Langley and Mr.. Bayden of the COM
pany.. Everything was done that could be
done for the passengers who were left. The
ladies' on the train were especially kind in
caring for the two m0therless children. One
was little girl about four years old. and the
other little boy still Younger The passen-
gers In the sleepers had some slight bruises,
but none were seriously injured.
CHICAGO, Oct. 20-Petter, the English
man who survived the accident to the limited
train on the Milwaukee and st. Paul de-
scrlbed the disaster as follows:
1 was partially awake when the accident
happened. The train must have been run
ming at high rate of speed. The first
sound was that of an indescribable crash. /
can only liken it to the swapping Of number
less timbers with the rapidity Of fusilade.
Then l heard woeful, appalling wall, com
blned appeal and despair of many voices.
Before | could dress a lurid light from
burning coach next ahead of us flashed
into the vestibule of our sleeper. In three
minutes the three sleepers were emptied Of
passengers. When | alighted the day coach
was ablaze in every part. In another minute
the flames had spread both ways and | was
out of my car just in time to see woman,
her body half within and half without the
burning coach She handed child
to man enjoining him as she did
SO to save the child for its dear
fathers sake Two men struggled to pull
limbs were securely fixed in the wreck and /
saw the poor creature burned to a crisp.
Meanwhile, we caught glimpses of others
through the breaks OF the blazing wreck, and
heard means down to the last audible sound,
but we were powerless to help the victims
for the heat was so fierce that no one could
stand within hundred feet of the fire. Par
ties threw blankets and bedding from the
sleepers until they were driven so closely by
the flames that one of them had to tumble
crew from onesof the side tracked trains at
tached locomotive to the rear sleeper and
tried to pull the car away to place of safe
ty, but the coupling being bent the cars
could not be moved without dragging the
burning coaches and so only one of the rear
sleepers was successfully attached. The
lighted up the whole neighborhood and the
grass and fences and telegraph poles near
by were on fire.
MILWAUKEE. Wis, Oct. 29.-Conductor
Searle of the ill-fated train that was wrecked
and destroyed at Rio, though badly hurt and
confined to his bed, was better today. He will
recover. He remembers and can describe IL
people who were cremated and knows there
were more in the ears. 1t is evident that the
fatalities must have been at least twenty,
and probably more. Among those whom he
describes are Mrs. G. S. Cherer, of Winona,
her children and her mother-in-law; Mrs. r.
Jones, two Sisters of Coarity bound for Wi
mona, L. Prenker and Emile Waltensdorf, of
Columbus, Wis; two women who got ON at
Chicago, one with q child Charles Smith,
who escaped; an unknown man of about 40
years of age. who boarded the train at Wat
ertown, and who was bound for Mansion,
Wis. a man with ticket for Wausan.
This list does not include Walter.Sc0tt, j.
L. Lincoln, Mrs. G. n Mohr of Rock Island
a commercial traveller, Dibble or Mrs. Low
cry Of Milwaukee, The latterIis probably a
mistake as no such person is known here.
There is little doubt that three men whose
presence on the car, Conductor Searle re-
called today for the first time, perished. He
had left them but five minutes before curled
up asleep on benches. The identity of the
Catholic sisters were fully established
today. Mother Alexea, Superior of the
Franciscan Convent at Wenona, was not one
of them, as it was first reported. The vic
tins were members of her convent, however,
one was Sister Alph0nsea,a and well known In
Catholic circles throughout the Northwest.
Another was Sister Dionesia. They were
accompanied by Albertine Schmidt of New
Cassel, Wis, who was a candidate for ord
ers.
A postage despatch says, the
work Of identifying the dead il
progressing slowly. The body of a man
whose legs and arms were burned off, and
whose disturbed face bore evidence of the
terrible agony he had suffered, was identified
as that of Louis Grencker. The body OF
Emil Waltersdorff was found under pile Of
cinder and every particle of his clothing haC
been destroyed The remains were identified
by means of ring found on one of his fin
gers. The bodies of Sisters Alphonse and
Dionesia were found close together. Ont
was in kneeling position will
her hands clasped as though deatl
overlook her while engaged in prayer
The body of man supposed to be Walter
Scott was removed from under seat. Hi
name was written on his collar which, strang,
to say, had not been touched by the flames
As fast as the bodies were removed from tn,
wreck they were taken to the village of Rio
where Coroner Allen and the district at
torney had summoned jury preparatory Il
holding an inquest
I,.ros>,ant Aoafno% +. n.u.-, 49,