Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-29
ROASTED ALIVE.
A Limited Midnight Express on the
Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul
Runs into an Open Switch.
The Whole Train with the Exception
Of One sleeper Total Wreck.
Narrowing Scene.
sixteen People Lose their Live, most OF
whom are Pinned down by the wreck
and Burned TO Death.
A RAD WRECK

A Rad WRECK.
MILWAUKEE, WIS, Oct. 2s.--.The lin.
tied . ssenger train on the Chicago, Mil
waukee & st. Paul road, which left here
last night ct 10 O'clock, was derailed at
Riocens, when about three hours out,
aud thrown into an old stone quarry.
The particulars are hard TO get, but II is
admitted at the general Offices Of the com
pany that one coach and three sleepers
were wrecked and Ave or six persons
killed. Physicians left the city on an
early train for the scene OF the disaster.
Later, $3.50 q, M: II Is now reported
that out of ten persons who occupied the
passenger coach seven were killed. A
gentleman from Chicago and two children
from Winona, MINI, were the only per-
sons saved from the passenger coach.
None Of the occupants OF the sleepers
were Injured. Nothing has been learned
In regard TO the number OF wounded.
Assistant General Manager Tucker OF
the St. Paul railway tnis morning made
the following statement; "Our limited
expreotl ran into an open switch fifteen
miles tsee tside OF Portsge, Wis, last
night Tbs baggage and mall cars were
demoiiahed So far as we know Ave
people we're killed. Wg do not know who
they were. do not think any more were
killed. do not know now many were
injured or bo6 badly the train was de-
moliahed. The cars caught nre
and were burned up. One
sleeper was also destroyed by fre
We have sent out twoepecial tralns with
physicians'and help, Everything Is being
done. u don't know what the loss is
That Is % 40 consequence, the loss OF
life Is the trouble"
SO far the particulars are very meager
There rs reason to believe that the loss OF
life IL greater, although the widest
stories are in circulation. II is said that
most distressing and narrowing scenes
took place after the wreck. The accident
Is the first one to the new limited-etpress
which runs ats very nigh rate Of speed.
NARROWING sCRNKs.
A passenger who was at nrst reported
killed, was only slightly hurt aud arrived
| In this city at noon. He says that wheI
the crash came he was thrown down will
| two large packing cases, which rente,
across his body. His lungs nlled witt
smoke, and at first he though
he was injured internally. III
was taken from the debris
however, without serious inj1-y, and val
able TO render assistance TO other I'M
fortunates.
b. LoWenbacht, job printer Of thil
city, who Was on the wrecked train, say
the scenes after the accident were harrow
ing. The passenger coach which, h'
gays, contained between flfteen and TWEEN
| ty persons, was telescoped at both ends
and the 1re and smoke that envelopec
the wreck prevented the imprisoned AND
injured passengers from escaping. The
passengers from the sleepers gathered
around the blazing cars, but were power
less
TO RENDER ASSISTANCE.
Men and women could be seen tearing
their hair In the agony OF the moment;
frightfni screams Issued from the death.
trap. One heavy woman In particular, be
says, tore up one Of the seatsfwith almost
supss-human strength and endeavored 10
break her way out OF the flaming pyre but
her strength failed. She fell 10 the door
and met q horrible death. Only
three persons escaped from the
passenger car, man and two
chlldren The man Was observed NJ he
forced his way through the yentllstor on
the top OF the car win all tue clothing on
his body from the wsist down burned on,
and the nesh bleeding from cuts inflicted
by broken glass. Every one OF Inc
wrecked cars was consumed with the ex-
ception OF the last sleeper, which was cut
away from the burning wreck. ALI the
| bodies of the victims VsAs. U,.fncd In uhS
wreck.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
! Another account OF the terrible rail.
road accident, from Portage, Wis, says
| Last night, soon after midnight, the west
bound limited express was ditched at
East Rio siding, a small station shout
thirteen miles east of this city on the
main line 81 the Chicago, Milwaukee 8
| St. Paul road. There are tnree side tracks
at this place, and at the time the Train
was due there last night all were occu-
pied by trains, one by freight
one by wild train and the 0ther By train
No. IA. Conductor H. p. Hhnkey Of this
city had just pulled In from she west 70
allow the limited to pass No. IA, and ths
conductor was at the head Of the train,
relying upon the brakeman 70 attend "
the switch. One report says that the rear
brakeman, whose business IL was 70 close
the switch after the trai2, from acme
reason
NKGLEo1RD TO DO so.
Another more probable story says that
he started back 20 close the switch, Dut
before he could reach It the limited came
along at hity miles an honr and loft the
raifs at the open switch The sidlngs are
Ia cut where the road curves, 90 that
the switch light c4unot be seen from The
east until the frgiu ~ within few rods.
The engineer could not see that the
switch light was tWrped wrong until too
late 70 stay the train The engine
left the track and ran short distance
aud brought up against the side Of the
cut, topping over, end me baggage car
and the Two regular coaches followed
r1e four sleepers KEEP the track The
engine and cars that went OF werf badly
smashed ana soon e, X are from the
stoves Engineer Little and 4 eman kga1
craWled out from under the llcomotiye
badly bruised ami scalded The bag
gagsman bad a leg broken. an the pas
~. mrs Ca fh4 alaunara ant ant lluINfuFld