Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-11-01
WRECKED At RIO.
a Passenger Grain DitcheG ana ut
least Eleven Persons harmed
20 Crfsp.

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 2S.-The limited
passenger train on the Chicago, Mil
waukee {, St. Paul Railroad. which left
here last night at 10 o'clock, was de-
rallied at Rio when about three hours
out and thrown into an old stone quar-
ny. The particulars are hard to get,
but it is admitted al the general office
ofthe company in this city that one
coach and three sleepers were wrecked
and five or six persons killed. Phys
icians left this city on the early train for
the scene Of the disaster. It is now re-
ported that out Of the ten persons who
occupied the passenger coach seven
were killed A gentleman from Chi
cagO and two children from Winona
were the only ones saved from the pas
senger coach. None Of the occupants
of the sleepers were injured. Nothing
has yet been learned in regard to the
number wounded. Engineer Searle. at
first reported killed was only slightly
hnrt. B. Loevenbock, lob printer OF
this city,who was Oh the wrecked train,
says the passenger coach which con-
tanned between fifteen and twenty peo-
pie was telescoped at both ends and the
fire and smoke thatenveloped the wreck
prevented the imprisoned and injured
passengers from escaping. The pas
sengers from the sleepers gathered
around the blazing ears out were pow
erless to render assistance Men and
women could be seen tearing their hair
III the agony of the moment, and fright
full screams issued from the death trap.
One heavy woman in particular, he
says, tore up one of the seats and en-
deayored to break her way out, but her
strength failed and she fell to the floor
and met a horrible death. Only three
persons escaped from the passenger
coach, Loevenbock says. a man and two
children. The man forced himself
through the yentilator ON the top of the
car, with all his clothing from the waist
down burned off his body and his flesh
roasted and bleeding from cuts inflicted
by the broken glass. Every one of the
wrecked ears were consumed with the
exception of the last sleeper, which was
cut away from the burning wreck. All
the bodies of the victims were burned in
the wreck
A special from Portage says: Last
night after midnight the west bound
limited exposes was ditched at East Rio
Siding, small station about thirteen
miles east of this city. on the main line
of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
road. There are two side tracks at the
place and at the time the train was due
there last night both were occupied by
freights, one by wild train and the
other by train No. IA, Conductor FL. p.
Hankey, of this city, which had Just
pulled in from the west to allow the
limited to pass 1t was very long. and
the conductor was at the head of the
train. relying upon the brakeman to at
tend to the switch. One report SAYS the
rear brakeman, whose business it was
to close the switch after the train. for
some reason. neglected altogether to do
SO. The other and more prob. Bile story
is that be started back to close the
switch, but before he could reach If the
limited, which does not stop at any ex-
cept large places, came tearing down
the grade at fifty miles per hour and
left the rails at the open switch. The
siding is in cut where tue road curves,
so that the switch light cannot be seen
from the east until within a few rods Of
II. So the engineer of the limited could
not see that the switch light was turned
wrong until too late to stop The en-
CINE left the track. ran a short distance
and brought up against the side of the
cut topping over The baggage car and
two regular coaches followed, while
the four sleepers kept the rails. The
engine and cars that went off were bad
~ smashed. and took fire from the
stoves. Engineer Little and fireman
Egan were badly bruised and scalded,