Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-10-05
AN OPEN SWITCH.
Eleven Persons Killed in a Wreck
on the Wabash Line.
For Some Unacoountable Reason a Brake
man Turns = switch, Allowing an
Express Train to Crash
Into a Freight
LIVES CRUSHED OUT.

mouse IN the town Is either q mOrgue or
a hospital. Two trains came together
on the Wabash siding just after day
break Friday. The freight train. with
twenty-five loaded cars, stood on the
side track and was headed east
For more than an hour it had
waited for the second section of
the No. IS passenger train. west
bound. All the passenger trains have
been going in sections because of the
heavy worlds fair traffic After the
first section went by at 4:4O o'clock all
the trainmen knew that another section
was coming Herbert Thompson was
head brakeman. 1t was his work 10
look after the east switch No man
can tell why Thompson went and
turned the switch after the first train
had passed 1t was the act OF crazy
man-so say the railroad men. But he
did it. Thompson cannot tell. for no
one has seen him since the dead and
dying We're thrown high in the air with
the shattered fragments
KILLED AND INJURED.
Those killed are as follows:
J. Il MeKenna, butcher, Of Hyde Park.
Mass; Harry French, 10 years old, member OF
ORPHANS bell ringers London, Eng; Charles
Birke, San Francisco; Miss Nellie B Tucker,
Newton, Mass: Conductor James Coulter, OF
passenger train; Engineer John Greene Ash
ley, Ind, passenger train; Warren G. Rider,
Phoenix, Ariz.; p G. ZeIle, Berlin, Germany:
Baggagemaster Lyons, passenger train; James
d Roundy La Noble, 10.
The names Of twenty-one Of those in
jured have been secured, as follows:
w. Burbank. New Orleans. La, 80 years old,
arms and one leg broken, jawbone fractured,
VIII die; William Adams Il years old London
England, member Orphan bell ringers both
legs broken. injured internally, viii die; Miss
Hattie Hutchtns, Phoenix. A. n, bruised about
head and injured internally, recovery doubt
ful; Fireman Barber. OF Ashley, on pas
senger train, leg broken and severely burned,
recovery doubtful Il J. Vatkeney fireman
on freight train burned and scalded about
head and breast may die: William Haskins,
IA years old, London England, compound frac-
ture Of right leg LETT shoulder broken, recovery
doubtful: Edward Rush IL years old, London,
bruised about body, head cut Swien
Garfield, Ironwoo3 Mich bruised about
head and shoulder dislocated. -drs. L.
Garfield, Ironwood, Mich left arm broken,
shoulder dlslocated and head badly cut;
II. " Ryder, Phoenix Park, a. r, head cut
and leg bruised, not serious G. s Hodgson,
Dover, n. H.. teeth knocked OF I, arm fractured
and legs bruised; Mrs S. A. Seayly, Somer-
vile, head cut ana arm dislocated: Albert
Morton, II years old, London, Eng, arm hurt
ana two deep scalp wounds; Frank P. Dow,
Fair Haven Wash face cut and hip dislocated;
james G. WooSly London Eng head
cut and back injured; Engineer Whitman, on
freight engine right arm broken and badly
burned, seriously injured but may recover;
Miss Hattie Rogers, Phoenix, A. T., left leg
frac tured and injured internally; Mrs Dolber,
ass Green avenue Brooklyn leg fractured and
cut about the head; Miss Olive Hill Summers
worth, n H injured internally and head cut.
Miss Annie Hill, Summersworth, n. H, slight
wound; Miss n. S. Kelly, Boston, severe scalp
wound.
BOILER BLEW UP.
The boiler of the passenger engine
exploded and hurled debris in every d.
rection A pair Of trucks were
torn apart and each half sent
flying il opposite direc1 .onS One
of the great pieces OF iron
was hurled several hundred yards
away, wher2 1t crashed through far
mer's barn Its mate was thrown clear
across a 20-acre field on the south side
of the track. The steam escaped. scald-
ina the injured VINO were not able to
crawl TO a place OF safety.
AN AWFUL SCENE.
When the two trains came together
the heavy freight train crushed the
passenger by its tremendous weight.
Out from this tangled mass Of wreck
age, through which clouds If steam
were pouring, came the injured while
here and there could be seen the arm,
leg or head of some unfortunate ont of
whom all life had been crushed. The
first assistance came from those who
escaped injury. Within half-hour the
awakened townspeople came running
to the scene. BY 8 o'clock special
trains had arrived with surgeons from
Ashley, Peru, Wolcottsvillc, North LIB
erty and Wcstville. The worl. Of bind
ing up wounds, recovering the dead
and identifying the bodies continued