Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-10-29
WRECK on THE NORTHWESTERN.
The Collision Near Pine Bluff. Dane Co.
ONE NAN KILLED AND FOUR OTHERS
BADLY INJURED.

ONE NAN KILLED AND FOUR OTHERS
BADLY INJURED.
MADISON. WIS, Oct. ga serious
collision occurred at 1890 o'clock to-
day on the Montfort branch of the
Chicago & Northwestern railroad.
which resulted in the death of one and
the injury of four others, one or two of
whom will probably die. The accident
happened in a deep cut one mile east
of Pine Bluff and fifteen miles west of
this city. The collision was between a
wild freight engine going west and the
Montfort passenger train to Milwaukee
which is due here at l O'Clock. Both
engines were wrecked and the baggage
and mail cars were burned with their
contents. The victims of the disaster
are: Henry Schwenk, of Madison,
killed; Thomas Dolan, engineer, fatal
" hurt; Martin Comford, fireman,
seriously hurt; George W. Lusted, mail
agent. badly injured; Conductor
kuhns, bruised.
The track curves through the cut
where the disaster occurred and the
engineers, for this reason, could not
discover the approach of either engine
until they were almost upon each
other. Both engines We're running
about twenty-five miles an hour. and
they came together with terrible force.
The cut is the divide for a down grade
either way. As ~. -.".acS came to-
gether the en~iuser and fireman of the
wild engine jim pei. the engineer first
reversing his engine. The tender of
the wild engine was separated from
the locomotive. and the latter, having
been reversed, started off eastward
at a rapid rate without any one on it..
1t ran to Verona, six miles distant.
where it was captured, having exhaust
ed its supply of steam. The tender of
the passenger engine was driven back
half way into the mail car, telescOping
it completely. The engine was badly
wrecked.
Engineer Doian, of Lancaster, was
caught in his cab and pinned in a sit
ting position. His left thigh-bOne was
badly fractured, and. should he live,
it may require amputation. His head
was badly scalded, and his recovery is
doubtful. Martin Comford, of Madi-
son, his fireman, was also caught. His
left leg was injured and he was badly
scalded. y man supposed to be Henry
Schwenk, of Madison, who was steal
ing a ride between the mail car and
the tender, was crushed to death. Mail
Agent LuSted, of Lancaster had his
head cut and was Scalded somewhat.
The steam and water escaped for
about ten minutes after the disaster
and Engineer Dolan and Fireman
Comford could not be seen or APP
preached. TO add to the horror Of the
disaster the tender and mail car caught
fire. Dolan was rescued just in time
to save him from being burned to
death. Schwenk, when found, was
partially burned to a crisp. The fire
man of the wild engine was injured by
jumping. The names OF the engineer
and fireman of the wild engine cannot
be learned.
\ Wrecking train with DIR. Boyd of
this city, was at once dispatched to
the scene, and the injured and the
DDlN VI fNtIh tiIh NtIt DLoISiiJ " tillo
city Dolan, Comford and Lusted are
now at the hospital here, where every
thing for their comfort is being done.
Dolan 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 for the collision attaches to the
engineer of the wild freight, which, it
is alleged, should have been side-track-
ed at Riley, two miles east Of the cut,
in order that the passenger train
might pass it, 1t is charged that the
engineer, finding that he had about
three minutes to back down to Pine
Bluff, about two and one-half miles,
thought he would chance it.
The passengers were badly frighten
ed and received severe shaking up.
but none Of them was hurt