The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-07-26
TWO MEN KILLED.

4 terrible accident occurred at the rail-
road crossing just east of the Branch
village on Saturday night last whereby
| two men were killed. The evening ex-
press which leaves here at P. NJ. was
running at the rate of about 80 miles per
| hour; when at the crossing mentioned
| the passengers experienced slight shock
| but nothing more than is frequently ex-
| perienced when the swaying of the cars
bring the fange of the wheels violently
| whistle was notice that something IN
usual had happened and the stopping of
| the train before the depot was reached
gave further notice that something was
wrong. A number of the passengers
thought some signal of danger from the
bridge caused the train to stop, but soon
it was learned that wagon had been
struck at the crossing. About eight rods
down the track from where the wagon
was struck was found the body of a man
with the hind wheels of the wagon across
his legs, his scalp and the rear part OF his
skull torn off and his brains lying on the
track. Even in this condition he was
still breathing in short gasps. About 20
feet from him was another man, younger,
unconscious but not dead. His skull
was badly fractured and many of his
bones broken. His muscles worked spas
medically, causing the broken bones to
stick out through rents in his clothes
and presenting horrible spectacle. One
of the horses was found on the side Of the
track with one of his legs almost COM
pletely severed. The track presented
horrible appearance with blood brains,
scalp locks and battered flesh. No one
on the train could identify either man,
but when the villagers assembled it was
learned that the man killed was Michael
Wellner and the wounded man Wolfgang
Weiss, the former resident of south
Franklin, the other of Pine Grove, Cato,
Wellner had come to town with a load Of
cordwood and Weiss, who was working
at the coal dock in this city, was going
home with him for a Sunday visit.
The crossing mentioned is a bad one.
1t is quite billy in the neighborhood and
the track is in ravine; the wagon track
near the railroad is hidden from the view
of the engineer until he is nigh on to it.
The engineer, Thomas Gray, says he did
not see the team until he was within
ift1- foot of tho 4raoly opl +bap +bov vrara
on the gallop. When rushing by he saw
the team on one side of the track and
thought they had got safely by. He felt
no shock, but from the position of the
horses thought he must have struck the
rear end of the wagon and SO stopped the
train. Three of the bars on the left side
of the pilot We're broken, evidently where
the hind wheels of the wagon had struck.
The body of Wellner was left in charge
of the Branch people, while Weiss was
taken to the village of Cato where he
might receive the care of a physician.
John E. Hewitt took charge of the
wounded man and made him as comfort
able as the nature of his injuries would
permit. DR.. O'Connell was summoned
but the man died at 4 the next morning
Wellner was a married man about 45
years of age and had family of eight
children. Weiss was unmarried and about
% years of age. Various theories are
offered to account for the accident
Wellner always had good team of horses
and usually drove quite hard. Farmers
are apt to take fearful chances at railroad
crossings, whipping their horses into a
gallop when train is approaching and
crossing when the locomotive is not 100
feet away. This was probably the case
in this instance. Many say the whistle
was not sounded. This is mere assump-
ton. There was not person on board
the train who knew whether it was or
not, and In any event person on the
road from Manitowoc going in the direc-
ton of the crossing could not fail to see
the train long before it reached the wagon
road. and in the stiffness of the night
could not fail to hear it. Certain it is
the whistle was sounded after the Green
Bay road was crossed and this was pretty
good notice Of the approach of train.
The engineer is one OF the most careful
on the road and it is pretty safe to say
he did not neglect his duty. A person
of ordinary prudence living within a few
miles of the depot would know train
was due at that time and exercise care.
It is unjust to the engineer to say the
whist e was not sounded unless on posi-
tive knowledge, and there are people who
state they heard it. Not one passenger
in hundred can state positively whether
a whistle was sounded near a crossing or
not Mr. Gray feels sufficiently bad over
the accident as it is, without adding to
his responsibility by assuming without
any ground of probability that he neg
lected his duty.
Wellner was seen by people living on
the road driving furiously when
fully a quarter of mile from the cross
ing and likely with the intention of get
ting to the crossing before the train, of
| whose approach he was cognizant. The
| accident is a deplorable one but it may
prove warning for reckless driving.
| The horse which had its leg broken was
shot: the other horse escaped unhurt
but was stripped completely of its har-
ness except the collar.
HAPPINESS AND HEALTH