Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-30
THE MIDNIGHT WRECK.
OVER A SCORE OF PEOPLE BELIEVED
TO HAVE BEEN ROASTED.

Further Details Of the Frishtfui Hoio-
eaus. on the Chicago, Milwaukee a st.
Paul Road-List Of the Identified Dead
The Scene Described by the Surviyors-
A iIeartrenafnx Account - --t
MrLwAuKEE, Wis, Oct. 30-The wreck Of
the limited train on the Chicago, Milwaukee
& st. Paul road at midnight, Wednesday
lGght, at Rio, rises to the magnitude of an
appalling disaster with the later develop
ments Over score CT people are now be
lieved 10 have persisted III the burning train
The responsibility fer the catastrophe is pri-
marty with G. H. Wells, the brakeman on
the freight train which had been side-tracked
to let the limited pass H. B. Hankey, the
conductor, is blamed fcr not personally see
ing that the switch through which his train
had just passed was properly closed in time.
When he did inquire of Wells the latter
rushed to the spot to repair his error, but the
express rounded the curve and was
at tho switch before he could reach it.
Wells ran off and has not been seen
since. Hankey also left the scene
hurriedly, but made his way to Portage,
where he arrived in half dazed condition
early Friday morning. 1t is thought he will
sink into insanity. He was constantly re-
peating the question: "Why Didn't he tell
Inc he hadn't closed the switchg' In lucid
moments it WIS learned from him that hs
was in The front part OF the train which was
long one, attending to the two front
switches and called back to Wells to know if
the rear one was all right.
The removal of the blackenei and charred
trunks from the wreck was a CHASTITY spec
tacle. The boly of man who's. arms and
legs hal been burned off and whose distorted
face sill bore evidence of the terrible agony
he had suffered before death came to his re-
lief was identified as Louis Brinker, of Co
| lumbus Emil Waltersdorf, a gentleman
| from the same ciC-, found under pile
of iron rods and trusses. Had it not been
| lor ring which he wore upon one of his
fingers it is doubtful if his identity would
ever have been known His head was
burned to cinder, and every particle of
| clothing on his body had been destroyed.
| Thc ,haIr,d bottles If two women, supposed
| to be Sisters Of Charity, from Milwaukee,
were pickle up close together near the rear
| of the coach One of them was found in
kneeling posture, with her hands clasped
upon her breast, as Though death had over
taken her while engaged in prayer The
body of II man, who rs believed 10 be W alter
Scott, was found under a seat. His name
was written on his collar, which, strange to
say. had not been touched by the fire. 1t is
not known where the unfortunate man re-
SIZED
The names of the dead so faI ascertained
are: Mrs. Conrad Scherer and mother-in-
law, Of Wmona; J. Tourin Lincoln>, 2 Forty
ninth street, Chicago; Walter Scott; Louis
Brmbcr, of Columbus, Wis Emil Walters
dorf, of Columbus; Mrs Rosina Johns, of
Winona; Mrs. Eliza Lowry, daughter of Mrs
Johns; S Dibhle, commercial traveller, of
Chicago; Wallace Stuart, of Columbus; Mrs
Girorge A. Mari, of Chicago; Mother Alexia,
superior of the convent of Winona, and an
other Sister of Charity
The injured are Charles F. Smith, of Chi
ca-0, arm AMI wrist broken, and head cut
I.urius IL Searie, conductor. bruised about
| Tie chest; Wade Clarke, baggageman, leg
broken: james Philips, brakeman, head cut
{. ". Ilagendorf, Of New York, bruised
| Thomas Little. engineer, cut about the face
The sole surviv orS Of the passenger coach
gre {. F. Smith, the medical student, and
two children of Mrs. Scherer Mr. Smith is
| tyuIg at Columbus, Wis, and will be sent to
| has home in Charles City. Iowa, Sunday. His
| statement of the accident was that he was
asleep and awoke suddenly to find the blood
streaming down his face and his right arm
helpless He managed by hard work to get
ont of the car through window, when the
| fire was but ten feet distant from him.
| The passenger train was pulled by Engin-
ear Thomas Little The latter saw the red
light of the open switch just a second or two
| before the train was the treacherous rail
! With quick movement he set the air brake,
| at the same time eNclaiming to his fireman:
| Goodbye, Bob" This action of the brave
| engineer saved the train from a more serious
| wreck, as the rear cars did not leave the
| IaiL