Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-11-04

No one in the sleepers was mi ured pas
senger who was in sleeper has reached the
city and gives the following account Of the
disaster:
TOLD BIT A PASSENGER
The irss thing knew about the accident was
when wac thrown up against the end Of the
berth I was sleeping at the time. but this
thoroughly awakened me. Some one ct this
juncture shouted. get the passengers out l
needed no second invitation, but was out OF that
car in no time. Luckily was all dressed and
enabled to be on hand In a very few seconds
after the thing happened Before could reach
the coach beyond the sleepers it was all on fire
inside, and flames were bursting through the
windows and roof. Groans and sbrieks came
from the interior, but we were powerless to lend
hand in saving the unfortunate ones. lady
appeared ~ q window with two children aud
handed them TO . gentleman outside This
was the most touching episode l ever
witnessed, and never want to see anything like
It again Take my childrenl- abe cried. Il am
hurt, and cannot get ont. Their name IL Soherer
and their home Winona They were young
things. the elder about four years, and the
younger scarcely ~ many months. We put
forth our most strenuous efforts to save the
mother. bnt she wes caught In the seat, and the
flames driving about us. we were Obliged to re-
linquish our hold upon her and she fell back
into the fire and persisted. oh, il was q horrible
sight. The burn ing ccacn was run together,
the top bulged up. making sort of an up
turne d shaped mass OF ruins The train men
and surviving passengers did everything In
their power to save the doomed inmates, but all
their efforts were without avail, not q soul ex-
cepting the two children escaping
HEROIC ENGINEER
The engineer of the train was the nerviest man
Il Il first wa
oozing from his mouth and ears but he was Civ
inx orders TO the men about uncoupling the
sleepers from the burning coach. Poor fellow.
be did his duty we'll Had be not applied the
brake as soon as he saw the danger the result
would have been worse, and heaven knows II Is
bad enough The baggazeman told me that
when the accident occurred his stove door was
open. and that the shock threw Goals out upon
the floor. 1 could easily have extinquished the
fire then" he said. but was under q trunk with
my leg broken, and was consequently power
Less The flames instantly communicated to
the coach. BY this wreck lost my baggage and
money, but when think of the people In that
burning coach say nothing
BISHOP wH1PPLK's EXPERIENCE
The bishop described the scene as one of
the most terrible he had ever witnessed He
had witnessed the burning of the cars, and
mad done all in his power to save the suf-
ferers. bit without avail He and Mrs
Whipple spent last night at the Merchants,
where many friends called to hear of their
escape. The bishop said:
When the accident occurred they had retired
to their berths The shock was not severe. but
sufficient to awaken them. They got out Of the
car just as the flames burst forth from the
wrecked passenger coach, and In very few
moments their sleeper and all the other coaches
but one were burning There time TO
save anything. and the shiyering. poorly clad
ones who hal escaped were compelled TO stand
there in the cold night and watch their fellow
passengers slowly burn TO death The air WAS
dlled with the groans and cries and stified
curses and vain pleadings for help. There was
the snap and crackie Of the flames. the horrible
odof Of burning flesh, the hissins OF the steam
as IL escaped from the disabled locomotive, all
combined to make the horrors those of an In
ferno
Capt John Ames of Mortified, who was In
the wreck. describes it as the most awful
one that ever occurred In the Northwest
His story Is very graphic:
CAPT. AsfEs' STORY.
II was between 1920 and 12 80 last night
and was In one Of the sleepers, having boarded
the train at Milwaukee. We were . little be-
forty-fiye miles an hour. All OF the passengers
agree on this. just q short distance west Of Rio
freight train had left the main track ard taken
switch This switch was left open. The first
known OF the accident by the passengers was
three solid jerks to the cars, after which the
train went about three lengths and then came
no trouble, but we got out rs soon possible.
As soon as we were on the ground we saw that
the passenger coach had been telescoped from
four TO six feet at each end, and that fire had
broken out in It. This all within less than
inmate. Thea the horrors began. We none OF ns
knew how many there were in the passenger
coach. but by comparing notes We came to the
conclusion that there were from fifteen TO TWEEN
ty-three. The conductor in the shake-up. had
lost bis tickets and could not tell. bot the gen-
erai impression seemed to nix Gu twenty-three.
- A
man, crawled through hole IN the top of the
car. and there were two children belonging 20
Mrs Scherer OF Minona taken out by Mr.. Me-
Ginnis OF Morris and Bishop Whipple. The
heroism Of these two men was something Won
derfui. working as they did 10 save not only the
children but Others; McGinnis' bravery was
unexampled. When he got ont OF the sleeper.
he found Mrs. scherer. her mother-in-law aud
her two children at oue OF the windows OF the
burning coach. The two women were pinioned
down BY she seats. Mrs. Schcrer passed out one
Of the children TO McGinris and Bishop Whipple
got the other.
SLOWLY ROASTED TO DEATH
They then attempted to iiberats the women
but it was impossible. The seats held them
Mrs Scherers ciothes caught on fire and the flames
ranup to her head. Tnere were shrieks and groans
for perhaps seven minutes, and then all ceased
They were literally roasted to death before our
eyes As to who was in that car, while couid
not get names, we did have descriptions. and as
near as we could make out. there were two men
from GlnUUa. MIS-. scnerer OF M1nrnA, lef Two
children and her mother-in-law: q woman about
thirty-five years old. and young girl OF eigh-
teen: two men who got on al Columbus: hve
unknown men and three half grown boys. This
makes sixteen In all. out of whom but three es-
capped. But many of the passenger who had
passed thrcugs the car before the accident
t IN When ssss 5e sSoek sss sss
conductor. baggageman and brakeman were in
the baggage car. The sudden stoppage threw
the baggage dowa on to them. and broke the leg
off lint ffao
out The engineer was cut some about tho head
and had his toot hurt, and the fireman was
slightly scalded. We understood that the con-
ductor anc two brakemen of the freight train
had taken to the woods and escaped The Mil
waukee road treated us with the utmost court
esy. We were transported around by way Of
Madison. fed, and cared for in every way possi-
bic.
Capt Ames escaped without any serious
loss or damage Alithe baggage on the train
was burned and ton and q half of mail
mostly papers Most of the passengers aside
from their loss OF baggage, lost hand sachels.
jewelry and other personal effects that were
left In the sleepers
THE VICTIMS.
Mrs. C. R sCHERER, winons, MINI.
Mrs. RoSINA JOHNS, winona, her mother
in-law.
LOUISA BRINKER, residence unknown.
young women. believed to be Mrs. GEORGE
A. MARI Of Chicago. Her identity. however, Is
very uncertain.
EMIL wALTERsDoRF, ST. Paul
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 10 found
a new convent.
WALLACE STUART. aged %, of Columbus,
Wis, on his way to Idaho.
The injured include
Conductor LUCIUS SEARLE, Milwaukee.
badly hurt about the chest. but probably not
fatally
WADE CLARK. oconomowoc, baggageman.
leg broken.
CHARLES F. SMITH, SIG Wabash avenue,
Chicago. broken arm and wrist, face cut badly
by broken spectacles.
JAMES PHILLIPS, brakeman. badly cut about
the head
No passengers in any of the sleepers were
killed
A later dispatch estimates the number
OF people burned at 26.
The Sweeney Law.
Des Moines. Iowa, Special Telegram, Oct.
25.-This was the day set for hearing oral
arguments by the supreme court in cases
involving the validity of the Sweeney law re-
lating to corporations of other states doing
business In Iowa The counsel for the cor
porations asked Tor u continuance till the
December term. on the ground that the
f,rinta1 n rgn .uant NJ fha .,ffa-navs To- fha