The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-29

smashed. and soon took fire from the stoves.
Engineer Little and fireman Eagan crawled ont
from under the locomotive, badly bruised and
scalded. The baggageinan had a leg broken. All
passengers in the seepers got out uninjured. ex-
cept for slight bruises but in one daycoach thir-
teen were pinned IN and literally burned to
death. Many others were injured by the severe
shaking-up The whole train except one sleep
or, which they we're able to uncouple and draw
away, was burned up
Superintendent w. G. Collins was on the east
bound passenger No 2, which was waiting at
the station fewmiles this side Of the wreck for
the limited, and was soon on the scenc. A
wrecking train ~ith surgeons, went from Mil
waukee, and did,nll possible to alleviate suffer
ing and save life No. was obliged to back up
TO Portage, and went over the Northwestern to
Milwaukee, via Horizon, Beaver Dam and Fox
Lake. The same route has been used by trains
to-day. as the wreck is not yet cleared.
Conductor Bankey. Of the freight, was so de-
moralized by ee accident, the responsibility OF
which rests on his crew aud thus also him, that
he took to the woods in despair leaving his train.
de has always been most careful and efficient
man, much trusted by the company.
1t was most horrible and sickening specta-
Gle, the roasting people making the night hideous
with their yeaas, while bystanders were unable
to render assistance 1t was the worst wreck
ever known inthe Northwest
The report that Bishop Whipple, of Minnesota.
was on the trait that was wrecked near Portage,
last night, caused considerable of q stir among
that gentlemans friends in Milwaukee IL he was
on the train, however, he undoubtedly was on
one of the sleepers, and escaped The train was
| composed of one baggage car, one mailcar. one
passenger coach and three sleepers. The mail
car was in charge of John Beich, of Plain6eld
| who, with his i've men, escaped. though badly
bruised. They got all the valuable mail out be-
fore the car b1xHed. Sixty bags of papers were
destroyed OF the passengers in the day-coach,
all perished except two small children of c. r.
| Scherer, of Winona, Miln Mrs. G. R. Scherer
kr.s lu,x- TAl..
in the car and perished, but were able to put the
| children out through window to the outsiders.
| The children were sent home The coach con-
| tanned about twenty people, and the momentum
of the sleepers behind it raised the center Of it
| uD like letter A, when the bottoms came to-
| gether, smashing everything to pieces and pin
| ming the people down with the seats
| General Manager Miller, who went out to the
scene of the az sident at o'clock this morning
returned at O'clock this afternoon. The corre-
| spondent saw him when ne reached his Office.
| He sald in response to question, that he had
| little information to give beyond what mad al
ready been gwen. He believed that twelve per-
| sons lost their lives in the wreck. Of these he
| had been able to get but few names. These
| were Mrs. Scherer, of Winona, and her mother
n-law, Mrs. Rosna Johns, of the same place.
| Their two children were saved The poor
mother, almost enveloped in fames thought of
her children first, and succeeded in pushing
! them out of a window. There were two women
wearing the garb of nuns, both of whom had
| passes. One was a mother superior of
| some convent. Information received here
leads to the belief that she was the
mother superior Of convent at New Castle. in
Fond du Lac county The order is known as the
Third Order of franciscan Sisters. merchant
at whose store the Sister bought goods says there
were three of them, and that they had their
| packages taken to the depot to 60 up on the
night train to ST Paul The other victims
whose names Manager Miller had were Louis
Brinker, of Ashland, and Emil Woldersdorf, a
merchant of Columbus, Wis. The only man
who escaped from the burning car was DR.. Smith,
of Chicago If the merchant is correct about
there being three instead of two franciscan Sis
ters who we're going on that train, there should
be one added to Mr. Miller's list of the victims
making in all thirteen This is probably the
full number. It may be several days before the
names of the others are secured.
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 the baggage car The only occupants who
escaped were two children. whose mother, Mrs.
c. r. Scherer. of Wnona, handed them out to
brakeman. Mrs Scherer was pinned down by a
seat and already enyeloped in flames. The res
cuers' hands SA2 burned to crisp. None of
the charred reisA sIfsean be identified. AS far
MRS. c. r. SCHERLR. of winona, Minn.
MRS. ROSINA JOHNS, of Winona, her mother
in-law.
LOUIS BRINKER residence unknown.
A young woman believed to be MRS. GEORGE A.
! MARI. of Chicago. Her identity, however, is very
uncertain.
EMIL WOLDERSDORF, residence unknown.
Five or more unknown persons.
Two Sisters of Charity, one believed to be MOTHER
ALEXIA. superior of q convent at Winona Mimi
who was in Milwaukee to establish a new convent
The injured include Conductor Lucius Searle
| of Milwaukee, who is badly hurt about the chest,
but probably not fatally; Wade Clark, of Ocono-
| mowoc, baggageman, leg broken; Charles F.
Smith. of 116 Wabash avenue, 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 sleepers were
killed.
Conductor Searle was in the baggage car when
the shock occurred. With the baggageman.
Clark, and Phillips, brakeman, he was pinned
under several heavy trunks. Unable to e1tri-
cate themselves, to their horror they saw flames
burst in from one end of the car. They re-
doubled their efforts, and Phillips managed to
crawl out. Conductor Searle thus relieved, fol-
lowed him. Clark, with broken leg, was got
out and the three crawled through window as
the flames had crept up to within few feet of
| them
Conductor Searle is now lying prostrated at
| his home in Milwaukee, and tells this story: He
says, as nearly as he recolect, the occupants
| of the Car where the frightful incineration oc-
CURED included with a little girl of
about six years; another dark-haired woman
with babe less than a year old; blonde
woman OF thirty, who seemed to be companion
of the former both bound for st. Paul; two Sis
ters of Charity travelling pass. He can re-
call no description of any others, but says there
were not to exceed fifteen, all told. He has
lost his tickets so there is record.