The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-11-04
nlnaatroun Wreel..

Vhen about three hours out, and thrown
nto an old stone quarry. The particulars
re hard 70 get, but IL Is admitted at the
general offices Of the company in this city
hat one coach and three sleepers are
wrecked and Eve or six persons killed.
Physicians left the city ON an carly train
iJr the scene OF the disaster.
$50 3. m.--IG is now reported thst out /
II ten persons who occupied the passenger |
coach, seYen were killed A gentleman
rom Chicago and two children from Wi
mona, Minnesota, were the only ones saved i
from the passenger coach. None of the j
of the sleepers was injured |
Nothing has yet been learned IN re-
gard TO the number wounded. |
Engineer Scarf who at first was reported |
killed Ia only slightly hurt and arrived 10
this city at ii O'Clock this morning. He
says that when the crash came ne was
thrown down with two large packing cases
which rested ACROSS his body. His lungs
were filed with smoke and at first thought
he was injured internally and that he was
bleeding at tine lungs. he was taken from
the deblis, however, without serious in.
Jury and was able 10 render assistance TO
other unfOTiunates. b. Loewenback, a job
printer Of this city, was on the wrecked
train ana says the scenes after the accident
were narrowing. The passenger coach
which he says contained between fifteen
AMI twenty persons telescoped at both
ends and the fire and smoke that envel-
oped the wreck prevented the imprisoned
and injured Passengers from escaping.
Passengers from the sleepers gathered
around the blazing cars but thew were
powerless to render assistance. Men and
women could be seen tearing their hair IN
agony. Frighttul screams issued from the
death trap One heavy woman in particu-
lar he says, tore mp one
of the seats with almost superhumsn
strength and endeavored to break her way
out OF the flaming pyre. but her strength
failed and she fell to the floor and met
horrible death. Only three persons es-
capped from the passenger car, Mi. Loewen.
bach says, man and two children. The
man wss observed SIS he forced his way
through the ventIlstOr on top of the car,
with all the clothing on his body, from the
waist downward burned off, aud his flesh
roasted and bleeding from cuts inflicted
by broken elasa. Every one Of the
wrecked cars were consumed, with the ex-
ception of the last sleeper, which was cut
away from the burning wreck. Ali the
bodies of the victims were burned in the
wreck.
4 dispatch TO the Evening Wisconsin
LIOh ESAOf LAO SCCHC "a AhSt EikHA AoAA-
road accident, says: Louis Brinker and
Emil WaltersdOrf of Columbus, Wiscon-
sin, are among the dead. The names
and residences OF the Others cannot now
be ascertained. The burning of the bag
gage Car Oblitsrstes the only clew to the
identity OF the occupants of the
burned car, and 1t may never be known
to certainty how many p=rished IN the
wreck.
A ,~o,t.t - .ka ur,ro,,s,,-, TU-,,,,,sf,,
from Portage says: Last night soon
after midnight the west bound limited
ditched at East Rio Siding, a small
station about thirteen miles east Of this
city, on the main hne of The Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. LOUIS railroad. There
are two side tracks at that place and al
the time the train was due there laat night,
both were occupied by freights. One by
| q Wild train, the other by train No. II,
Conductor II. II. Houkey OF this city,
which had just pulled in from the west
| to allow the limited to pass. No IA was
very long, and the conductor was at the
head OF the train relying upon the brake
man to attend to the switch. One report
| says the rear brakeman, 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 swiicn, but be-
| fore he could reach IL the limited, which
does not stop at any except large places,
came tearing down grade at flfty miles
! an hour, and left the rails AZ the open
switch. The sidlnEs are in the
cut where the road curves so
that the switch light cannot be seen
from the east until the train ia within q
few rods, so that the engineer Of the
limited could not see that the switch lighI
was turned wrong until too late to stop,
The engine left the track and ran short
| distance and brought up against the side
of the cut, topping over the baggage
car and two regular coaches followed
while four sieepers kept the rails. The
engine and cars that went IF we're badly
smashed and soon took fire from the
stoves. Engineer Little and Fireman
| E8Gsn crawled out from under the
locomotive badly bruised and soalded
The bsggagemAn had his leg broken
All passengers that were in the sleeperl
got out unlpjured except slight bruises,
but in one day coach thirteen were
penned In AMI burned to death. Many
others were injured by a severe shaking
up. The names of the Victims are no
vet known here. The whole II lin eXoep
one sleeper, which they were able to I'm
couple aud draw away, burned up. 4
wreokiDg train with surgeons went frou
this city and did ali that was pos sible "a
alleviate the suffering and save life. i
was q hiOGb d%hN EpSN'
tacle. Roasting people smsking nigh
hideous with their yells, while bYstandert
were unable 10 render any assistance
It was the worst wreck ever known il
the northwest.
| CHICAGO, Oct. 2S.--Fhe Evening Jour.
nails Milwaukee special says: Assistant
General manager Tucker, OF the st. Pau
railroad, this morning made the follow
Ing statement: EtOur limited express
this morning ran into an open switcl
fifteen miles this side of Portage, Wis
cOnsin. The baggage and mail cars were
demolished and so far as we know fiv
people were killed. We do not know
who they were, and l do not think an!
| more were killed. l do not know how
many were injured or how badly. Tht
demolished cars caught fire and Wert
burned up. One of the sleepers also wa
destroyed by fire. We sent out TIVE
special trains this morning with physi
clans and help. Everything is beinI
done. l don't know what the loss is
That is OF no consequence. The loss o
life is the greatest trouble. So far TIT
particulars are very meagre. There
no reason to believe the loss of life an
greater, although the widest stories ar
| in circulation. It is said the most Tar
rowing and distressing scenes took plac
after the wreck. This accident is III
first one that has happened TO the limiteI
express, which runs at very high rate o
speed.
| CHICAGO, oct. Is The Inter Ocean
Milwaukee special says: The report tbs
Bishop Whipple of Minnesota was Ol
the train that was wrecked near POrtag
last night. caused considerable of = sti
among that gentleman's friends of thi
city. IL he was on the train, however, bt
undoubtedly was on one of the sleeper
and escaped. The train was composed
of one baggage car, one mail ear, on
passenger coach and three sleepsTs
The mail car was In charge OF John B
Eseh, Of Plsiufield, who, with his five
men, escaped, though badly bruised
! They got AL the valuable mail out be
fore The Car burned. Sixty bags Of pa
pers were destroyed. OF the passenger
In the day coach all persisted excep
two small children of Mr
IC. X. Scherer, OF Winons
| Minnesota. Mrs Scberer and he
mother lin law, Ms. r 1sina Johns, wer
In the car aud persisted, but were able L
! put the children out through q windOV
: 20 the out siders. The children wer
| sent home. The coach contained abou