Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-12
THE FATAL BRIDGE.

The FATAL BHIO0G.
A Passenger Train on the milwaukee & st.
Paul Road rails Through a Bridge-A
Number Killed and Many Injured.
NEW HAMPTON, Iowa, April Ga terrible
railroad accident occurred about four miles
0vest of this town on the Milwaukee & St.
Paul road by which at least dozen per-
sons lost their lives and from fifteen to
twenty were injured
The train which left Chicago at IL :3O
Wednesday morning and was due here at
2:13 yesterday morning passed here nearly
on time and when about four miles west
plunged into creek which had been swol-
len by the immense amount of water which
had been running off for the past few days
and had been further blocked by an ice
gorge which, previous to the arrival OF the
train, had carried away portion OF Inc
bridge. There was nothing to show that
there was danger ahead and the train
plunged into the swollen stream while run
ming at full speed.
Tee engine and three coaches were
thrown into the creek and were Immediate
" submerged in the torrent or water which
overhowed the banks. A scene or wild
Gynfusion ensued and those of the train
crew and passengers who escaped death
or injury were Immediately called into SER
vice to relieve the drowning and impris-
oned passengers. 1t was with great diff
Guilty the passengers could be reached,
owing to the rushing Of the waters through
the car windows. Those who were rescued
from the smoking car, which was almost
entirely submerged, were taken from the
windows-some MANNED to such an extent
that they were powerless to help them
selves while others were nearly drowned
before aid could reach them.
By noon six dead bodies had been taken
from the wreck and three more were
known to be underneath the debris, through
which the water was madly pouring,
rendering 1t difficult to reach them. 1t was
also stated that the engineer and fireman
were instantly killed or were caught in the
cab and drowned before aid could reach
them, but the confusion and excitement was
SO great that it was difficult to secure relia-
BILE information.
In addition to the passengers known to
be killed, from fifteen to twenty have been
rescued that are more or less seriously in
jnred. A number are so dangerously hurt
that it is feared they can not possibly re-
cover.
AS soon as tralnman who escaped in
jury could be spared he was dispatched to
this station and a relief train was tele-
graphed for from Mason City. kilograms
for relief were also sent to Charles City
and other near places, but it was not I'M
til several hours after the accident that a
train arrived with physicians to care for
the injured and additional helping hands to
aid i'll rescuing those still confined in the
wreck.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
CHARLES CITY, Iowa, April 6.-The wreck
on the Chicago Milwaukee q ST. Paul rail-
road, some claim, was caused by ice on the
track, while others claim it was by spread
ing or the rails The engine jumped the
track first and the baggage car and tender
plunged over the engine into the water.
The smoker struck on top of the engine
and was badly smashed. The engine is en-
tirely under water and the baggage car is
almost covered by water. There were
about thirty people in the smoker at the
time, four of whom were killed so far as
known, besides the engineer crushed be-
tween the cab and smoker. The fireman
escaped unhurt. There were about twenty
five wounded, though none fatally. The
D belief is that there are three more bodies
under the wreck The baggageman and
route agent were we'll wet up, but escaped
through the window without much injury.
The names of the dead that have been
learned are follows: MIR. William An
dersou, &. Stevenson, j. Denies, James
Scagel, engineer, of Mitchell, Oak. Dora
Heidecker, Letta, girl about four years
old.
Among the wounded are o. B. Allen and
II. Zarr, both of Nora Springs. One Chi
cago travelling man and the conductor kept
the passengers quiet till they could help
them out. The wounded are mostly by
burns from the engine. The mails and
baggage are in the river
The complete list of the wounded is as
follows: Jacob Schart, Jr., Sioux Falls,
Oak, severe wounds on wrist and hand {;
e. j. Weiland, Geneva, Iowa; Nick Con
ring, Aurora, Wis; j. NJ. Christensen, of
Denmark; Mr.. and Mrs. Heidecker and
five children, the baby being killed; James
Murphy. of Ossan, Iowa; Arthur White,
Blackstone, Mass; John Glausenor, Mon
ticello, Wis; Frank Studebaker, Boaz,
Wis; Henry Schnarr, Nora Springs Iowa 4:
Adam Kauch and wife. Prussia; Gus
Behrans, Germany; Elwood Ewers, Mar
shall, Wis; Philip Gross, Fort Atkinson,
Iowa.
Every thing is being done by both the
railroad company and citizens of this city
to care for the injured and alleviate their
sufferings. Five surgeons were at the
scene of the wreck early this morning, and
great hopes are entertained that the num-
Der of the killed will not be increased by
further developments. The wreck is in
about SIX or seven feet Of the water.
Blaine Reported Sick.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, April 6.-The Chronicle