Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1886-10-29
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.
A Passenger Train on the Chicago.
Milwaukee & St. Paul Road
Thrown From
The Track by Misplaced Switch
and a Terrible Loss of
Life Ensues.
Graphic Details.

Graphic Details.
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 28.-The limited train
on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul rail-
way, which left this city at 10 o'clock last
night, was derailed at Rio, fifteen miles
southeast of Portage, at 1920 this morning,
by running into an open switch and
plunged into sand bank. The mail, bag
gage car and day coaches were piled on
top Of each other. They at once took fire
and burned. Of those in the day coach,
only three escaped the fiery death. From
the most reliable accounts obtainable to-
night, the number who perished does
not exceed ten, and these were all in the
passenger coach next to the baggage car
The only occupants who escaped were two
children, whose mother, Mrs. G. r. Scherer,
OF WinOna, handed them out. Mrs. Scherer
was pinned down by a seat and already
enveloped in flames. The rescuers' hands
were burned to a crisp. None of the
charred remains can be identified. As far
as learned up to tonight, those who per-
iShed are:
MRS. c. r. SCHERER, of Winona, MINI.
MRS. ROSINA JOHNS, of Winona, her
LOUISA LOUISA BUNKER, residence un-
known.
MRS. GEORGE AMAM, a young woman
believed to be of Chicago. Her identity,
however, is very uncertain.
known, and five or more unknown persons.
Two sisters of charity, one believed to be
Mother Alexia, superior of a convent at
WlnOna, Mlnn., who was in Milwaukee to
found new convent.
The injured include Conductor Lucius
Searle, of Milwaukee, badly hurt about the
chest, but probably not fatally; Wade
broken; Chas. F. Smith, Sig Wabash ave-
nue., Chicago, broken arm and wrist and
face cut badly by broken spectacles; James
Phillips, brakeman, cut badly about the
head. No passengers in any of the
sleeping cars We're killed. Conductor
Searle fhs shovH was in the baggage car when
Clark, James Phillips, brakeman. He was
pinned under several heavy trunks, and be-
ing unable to eXtricate themselves, to their
horror, they saw the flames burst in from
one end of the car. They redoubled their
efforts, and Phillips managed to crawl out.
Conductor Searle, thus relieved, followed
out, and the three jumped through win
dow as the
FLAMES HAD CREPT UP
to within few feet of them. Conductor
Searle is now lying Frustrated at his home
in Milwaukee and tells his story He says
as nearly as he can recollect the occupants
of the car where the frightful incineration
occurred, included woman with little
girl about years old; another dark haired
woman with babe less than year old; a
blonde woman of 80, who seemed to be her
companion, both bound for st. Paul, and
two sisters of charity travelling on pass.
He can recall no description Of any others,
but says there were not to exceed fifteen
altogether. He has lost his tickets and so
there is no record.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
Paul Bouche, of New York city, men,
Der of the French importing firm of Bouche
Sons & Co., was one Of the passengers who
returned to Milwaukee. He said: II was
fortunate enough to be in the Milwaukee
sleeper. After leaving Milwaukee I fell
asleep and was awakened by sudden
jerk. Ididn't at first know what was the
matter, and didn't suppose there was any
danger. In moment the conductor came
along and told us excitedly that we would
was burning and there was danger of
our car catching fire. The fire seemed
to catch instantaneOusly like spark ap-
piled to barrel of powder. The collision
and the fire came at the same time. The
cries of the victims who were pinned down
in the coach were heartrending, but they
lasted not longer than four or five minutes,
when all were
SMOTHERED TO DEATH.
Words cannot do justice to the noble en-
gineer, who stood at his post and put on
the air brakes. He said that the switch
was open, but he reversed the engine and
in that way he probably saved the lives of
all those in the sleepers, for the sleepers
would otherwise have telescoped the other
cars and all would have been piled in a
heap. After the engineer escaped from his
engine he ran back to the sleepers and
warned the pOrters that other cars were on
hre, and that the passengers must be gotten
out quickly. He was covered with blood,
but seemed to have no thought about him
self, but only for those in the train. One
OF the men from the postal car was equally
helpful. From all accounts there must
have been
A FRIGHTFUL SCENE
in the car where the fatality occurred. The
pressure caused the coaches to assume the
position of the letter A. Lamps were
broken and stoves overturned, scattering
fire and flames in all directions. Mangled
and bleeding, nearly all of the passengers
were pinned securely by the broken seats
many heaped one upon another. Their ag-
0nized shrieks told the story of fractured
limbs, to which was added the horror Of
cremation alive. 1t Is positive that only
three escaped.
TwENTY-sIX PERIsHED.
A late dispatch to the Sentinel estimates
tha M m har NJ nannIa hmm ad ot tunnty civ