The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-29
FRIchTFuL ACCIDENT.
A Passenger Train Runs Into an
open Switch
And Is Hurled From the Track Into a
Stone Quarry.
The Demolished Coaches Licked up
BY Fire.
Seven or More Persons Meet Horrible
Deaths.

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 2S.-The limited pas
senger train on the Chicago, Milwaukee &
81. raul railroad, which left here last night
at ~ O'Clock. was derailed at Rio and thrown
intO an OLD stone quarry. Particulars are
hard to get, but it is admitted at the general
once Oh the company in this city that one
c0ach and three Sleepers were wrecked. and
five or six persons killed.
$50 a. NIT Is now reported that out of
Ten persons who occupied the passenger
c0ach, seven were killed. A gentleman from
Chicago, and two children from Winona.
MIMI, were the only ones saved from the
passenger coach. None of the occupants of
the sleepers were injured. Nothing has vet
been learned in regard to the number of
wounded.
b, Lowenbach, job printer of this city, was
on tne wrecked train: He says the scene
after the accident was narrowing. The pas
senger coach, which he says contained be-
tween fifteen and twenty persons, was tele-
scope at both ends, and the fire and smoke
that enveloped the wreck prevented the i'm
prisoned and injured passengers from escap-
Ing. Passengers from the sleepers gathered
around the blazing cars, but they were
poWerless to render assistance.
Men and women could be seen tearing their
hair In the agony of the moment and fright
ful screams issued from the death trap. One
heavy woman tore up one of the seats with
almost superhuman strength, and endeavor-
ed to break her way out Of the flaming pyre:
but her strength failed, and she fell and met
horrible death. Only three persons, Mr..
LowenDach says, escaped from the passen-
ger cara man and two children.
Inc man was observed as he forced his
way through the yentilator ON top of the car.
with all the clothing on his body from waist
downward burned off, and his flesh roasted
and bleeding from cuts inflicted by broken
glass. All the wrecked cars were consumed
with the exception of the last sleeper. which
was cut away from the burning wreck. All
OF the bodies of the victims were burned in
the wreck.
The Managers Statement.
CHICAGO, Oct. 2S.-A special from Mil
waukee says: Assistant General Manager
iucker OF the st, Paul this morning made
the following statement:
Our limited express ran into an open
switch fifteen miles this side of Portage.
Wis. last night The baggage ana mail cars
were demolished, and so far as we know.
i've persons were killed. We do not know
who they were as yet. do not think any
more were killed. don't know how many
were injured, nor how badly The demoi-
lshed cars caught fire and burned up. One
sleeper was also destroyed by fire. We have
sent out two special trains this morning with
physicians and help, and everything possible
Is being done. / don't know what the loss
IS: That Is OF no consequence; the loss Of
life is the trouble"
So far particulars are very meagre. There
is reason to believe that the loss of life is
greater, although the widest stories are in
circulation. 1t Is said the most distressing
and narrowing scenes took place after the
wreck. The accident is the first one to the
new limited express, which runs at a very
high rate of speed.