River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-01-21
A BROKEN RAIL.

It Causes FrIghtful Disaster in Mime
sota-Ths Wrecked Cars Take Fire anc
Two Female Members of the Andrews
Opera Company Are Burned to Death
Many Others Injured.
BRAINARD, Mimi, Jan. 16. "A fright
full railroad accident occurred on the
Northern Pacific road miles east OF
Brainard At o'clock a. IN. Friday The
second section of No 0, with the
Andrews opera company on board, left
West Superior at midnight for Grand
Forks. Near Jonesville the train
struck a broken rail, the engine and
baggage car passing over in safety,
but the Sleeping car was derailed and
ran some 300 feet on the ties when it
toppled over, breaking loose from the
train, and won't down an embankment
some five feet high, lying on its side.
In minute all was confusion. The
sleeping inmates realized their peril
The Pullman conductor, Herbert C.
Scott was one of the first to get out
side. and when he did so no fire was
visible, but as soon as windows were
broken to liberate those inside flames
shot out, and in very short order the
car was enveloped
Willing hands of trainmen soon liber-
ated those who We're unable 10 extri-
cate themselves. but none were able
to save their clothes and the night be-
ing the coolest of the season, the Their
mometer reaching 46 below, the suffer
ing of the injured was terrible.
At this time it was discovered that
Mrs. Ed Andrews and Lille Was were
missing, but no human effort could
render them assistance, as the car was
mass of flames. The injured were
placed in a baggage-car and brought to
Brainard and quartered at the Earling-
ton hotel. A list of the dead and in
jured, so far as obtained, is as follows:
Mrs Ed Andrews Ognown as Miss Mamie
Wilkinsonl, burned TO death; Mrs. l.. Wallace, of
Minneapolis, burned to death; Florence Joy, Sc.
verely burned on back and head, will probably
die; May Douglas, burned on head and arms, will
probably recover; Miss Letitia Friteh burned
on hands and arms; Mrs. L. Il. Barker, shoulder
disloca ted; Miss Marie Roe, slightly burned and
bruised; George Andrews, burned on arms
Miss Ella Harris burned on neck and arms; j.
c. Taylor, cut and bruised H. Allen, burned on
neck; Fred Allen, bruised; Miss 10 Shearer,
slightly burned; l.. r. Barker, burned on hands
and face; w. A. Wirth, chorus slightly in.
lured; Bert lincoln, chorus, arm fractured: q.
f. Moody, leader Of orchestra, slightly burned;
Mrs Al Wakefield, wife OF advance agent, feet
frozen; G. W. Andrews, business manager, bad.
ly burned and cut Miss Grace Hale, chorus,
slightly burned; Willie Rhys, orchestra, hands
slightly burned; Etna Hurning, chorus, feet
frozen; Mrs Enheare, badly burned; c. A.
Parker, comedian, back injured }. L. Watson,
feet frozen
Miss Douglas, when she was
brought from the car, was literally en-
veloped in flames, her hair being on
fire. The women were nearly nude,
but were wrapped up as they were
taken out. The bodies of the two
women burned to death were
charred beyond all recognition, the
heads, legs and arms being entirely
gone. Mr. Ed Andrews rescued their
little baby, and supposed his wife was
safe until a count was made. He is
wild with grief. The members of the
company lost all they possessed, except
stage clothes, including musical in.
struments, watches and money.