St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-29
BURNED ALIVE
Frightful Accident to the Milwau-
kee & st. Paul Limited Near
Portage, Wis.
The Train Goes Dashing Through
an Open Switch, Wrecking
Several Cars.
The Forward Passenger Coach Takes Fire
and All But Three Inmates Are
Cremated.
The Oharred and Unacceptable Bodies of
Eleven of the Victims Already
Recovered.
People in the Sleepers Saved by the
Gallant ConducI of the
Engineer.
Agon1zIng Scenes Subsequent to the
Awful Catastrophe--Th Dead
and Wounded.
People in the Sleepers Saved by the
Gallant ConducL of the
Engineer.
Agon1ZIng Scenes Subsequent to the
Awful Catastrophe--Th The Dead
and Wounded.
An Awful Accident.

PORTAGE, Wis, Oct. 2S.-This morning
soon after IL O'clock the west-bound linz
tied passenger train on the Chicago. Mil
waukee & st. Paul railroad. was ditched at
East Rio Siding, a small station about
thirteen miles east of this city on the main
line. 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 II. T.
Hankey. of this city, which had just pulled
in from the west to allow the limited to
pass, No. IA was very long and the con-
ductor was at the head OF train.
relying upon the brakeman 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 alto
gether to do so. The other, and the more
probable story, is that he started back to
close the swith, but before he could reach
it the limited which does not stop at any
except large places came
TEARING DOWN GRADE
fifty miles an hour and left the rails at the
omen switch. The siding is in cut where
the road curves so that the switch light
cannot be seen from the east until a train
is within a few rods, so the engineer Of
the limited could not see the switch light
turned wrong until too late to stop. The
engine left the track and "a n short dist
ance and brought up against the side OF
the cut. topping over. The baggage
car and two regular coaches fol-
lowed, while four sleepers kept the rails.
The engines and cars that went off were
badly smashed and soon took fire from the
stoves, and Engineer Egan crawled out
from under the locomotive, badly bruised
and scalded. The whole train. excepting
one sleeper which they were abe to un-
couple and draw away, was burned up.
Superintendent w. G. Collins was on
the east bound passenger No. 2. which
was waiting at the station few miles this
side of the wreck for the limited. and
THE wRECKING TRAIN
with surgeons went from this city and did
all possible to alleviate suffering and save
life. No was obliged to back up to this
city and over the Northwestern to the Mil
waukee division via Horizon, Beaver Dam
and Fox Lake. The same route has been
USED Dy CrdlilS IO-udy, DIS thO WIOCh 10 Hot
cleared. Conductor Hankey, of the freight,
was so demoralized by the accident, the
responsibility of which rests ON his crew,
and thus also on him, that he took to the
woods in despair. leaving his
train. He has always been a
most careful and efficient man. much
trusted by the company. 1t was a
most horrible and sickening spectacle, the
roasting people making the night hideous
with their yells. while bystanders were I'M
able to render assistance. 1t was lie worst
wreck ever known in the Northwest The
burning of the baggage obliterated the only
clue to the identity of the occupants of the
burned car and it may not ever be known
to certainty how many persisted in the
wreck.
Conductor Hankey, of the freight, who
fled into the woods Immediately after the
catastrophe. has been found wandering
around in a raving condition. He is likely
to become helpless maniac.