Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-06
TRAIN WRECKED.
Plunged Into a Swollen
Torrent.
A SERIOUS LOSS OF LIFE.
Many Misunderstanding Steam
and ley Waters-Trainmen
Crushed.
Associated Press Dispatches to the Hu.Aup.

sT. PAUL, Mimi, April 5.-Special
dispatch from New Hampton, Iowa
says: A terrible railroad accident
occurred about four miles west
of here on the Milwaukee and
st. Paul railroad, by which
at least a dozen people lost
their lives and from fifteen to twenty
were injured. The train which left
Chicago at IL 80 A. M. yesterday and
was due here at 2:13 this morning,
passed here nearly on time and when
about four miles away plunged into
a creek, the bridge of which
was washed out. The creek was
swollen by the immense amount of
water which has been running for the
past few days, and rising higher
carried away a portion of the bridge.
There was nothing to show that there
was danger ahead and the train
plunged into the stream while rum
ming at full speed. The engine and
three coaches went into the creek and
were Immediately submerged in
a torrent of water which over
flowed the banks. A scene of the
Widest CONFUSION ENsUED,
And those of the train crew and the
passengers who escaped death or in
jury were Immediately called into
service to relieve the drowning or PIN
ioned passengers. 1t was with great
difficulty that 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 en-
tirely submerged, were taken from
the car through the windows. Some
of them were MANNED to such an ex-
tent that they were powerless to help
themselves, while others who were
unhurt were nearly drowned before
aid could reach them. At IL A. M. six
dead bodies had been taken out from
the wreck and three more were
known to be under the debris, through
which the
WATER WAS MADLY POURING.
1t was stated that the engineer and
the 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 impossible to secure
reliable information. In addition to
passengers known to be killed, fifteen
or twenty were rescued who are more
or less seriously injured. A number
were so dangerously hurt that it is
feared they cannot possibly recover.
As socn as q train man could be
spared he was dispatched to the next
station, and relief train was tele-
graphed for from Mason City. Tele-
grams for relief were also sent to
Charles City and other nearby
places. 1t was not until several hours
after the accident that train arrived
with physicians.
LATER ACCOUNTS.
CHARLES Cry, April 5.-The wreck
on the Chicago, Milwaukee and st.
Paul Railroad some claim was caused
by ice on the track, while others
claim it was caused by the spreading
of the rails. The engine jump ped 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
entirely under water, and the
baggage car is almost covered with
water. There were about thirty peo-
pie in the smoker. Four persons were
killed SO far as is known, besides the
engineer, who was crushed between
the cab and the oker. The fireman
escaped unhurt. There were about
twenty-five to thirty wounded, though
none fatally. The belief is that three
or more bodies are yet under the
wreck. The baggage-man and route
agent escaped through the win
dows without much injury. The
names of the dead that have
been learned are as follows:
w. Anderson, c. searens, J. Daniels,
James Scagel, engineer, OF Mitchell,
Oak. Dora Heidecker, little girl
about four years old. The names Of
only two of the wounded can be OBJ
tanned, Mr.. 0. B. Allen and H. Sears,
both of Nora Springs. A Chicago
travelling man and conductor kept
the passengers quiet until they could
be helped out. The wounded are
mostly burned by the escaping steam
from the engine. The mails and bag
gage are in the river. Three physi-
clans from New Hampton and three
from Charles City are doing all they
can for the wounded.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.
A dispatch to the Associated Press
from New Hampton, Iowa, says: The
train was thrown from the track by q
block of ice, which the wind and high
water had placed there. The list Of
killed given in this dispatch is the same
as from Charles City. Following is q
list of the wounded as given: Jacob
Scharl, Jr., Sioux Falls, Oak. G. j.
Wieland, Geneva, Iowa; Nick Corn
ing, Aurora, Wis. ]. M. Christianson,
Denmark; Mr.. and Mrs. Heidecker
and five children, baby being killed,
as mentioned in former despatch Jas.
Murphy, Ossian, Ia; Arthur White,
Blackstone, Mass; Jno. J. Lausenor,
Monticello, Wis. Frank Studebaker,
Boag, Wis.,; Henry Schmarr, Nora
Springs, Iowa; Adam Kouch and wife,
Prussia; Gus Berhens, Prussia; Ell
wood Ewers, Marshall, Wis, and
Philip Gross, Fort Atkinson, Iowa.
None of these are fatally injured and
they are being cared for at New
Hampton. Hopes are now enter
tanned that no more bodies are inn
prisoned in the wreck.