Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-05-31
SIX VICTIMS DIED MOST HORRIBLY.
Sieepers, Coaches, Baggage Car and Engine
Rolled Down an Embankment and Were
Soon In Flames-RaiIroad Ohcials Think
the Switch Was Tempered With.

MARsHFIELD Wis, May 31.-The worst
road wreck that has ever occurred on the
Wisconsin Central happened here, and at
least six people lost their lives. Several
We're wounded, some seriously. No 4 pas
senger train, with Engineer James Hub
bard at the throttle, pulled away from Alb
bottsfort 90 minutes behind time.
just as the engine reached the upper
switch at Meanwhile and while going
down grade at terrific rate of speed it
jumped from the track onto the side track,
leaving the latter after about n 90 foot
run and rolling down slight embank-
ment, with the tender on top tslrned bot
tom side up Two sleepers, one coach, be-
sides the smoker and baggage car, five in
all, began burning Immediately, and all
but one We're consumed.
Engineer Hubbard was found lying Mt
the edge of his cab SO terribly scalded from
escaping steam that he died in about 10
minutes. Fireman Bearhart was dead
when found, having been scalded to death.
Jason Bigelow, the head brakeman, was
Sot found for about eight hours, his re
mains lying under the debris close to the
engine. The flesh was burned off his face,
presenting n horrible appearance. Tho
flesh from both arms was literally burned
Off Each of the legs was burned off. w.
B. Russell, the assistant to Chief Engi-
neer l.. NJ. Gibson, was burned beyond
recognition. His remains Were sent to
milwaukee, for burial.
Mrs. John Wagner, an elderly lady, en-
route from Butte, Mon, to Manitoba, was
dreadfully distigured. She died almost in
stantly. Oliver Bosley, the news agent,
suffered excruciating pain and died in II
few hours. He was crushed under coach.
Henry klieber received internal and eN-
ternal wounds, probably fatal. The other
injured are: Charles Weinburn, II travel
ing man of Chippewa Falls, badly bruised;
Fred Jack of BesSemer, Mich, badly
bruised; Arthur Tunaca of Chicago, cut
in the head and legs spr,linrd; William
Ryan of Sturgeon Bay, Wis, several ribs
broken and head badly cut.
The cause of the accident is hard to de
termine. Some think it was from IL weak
ness in the track, while others, railroad
men among them, are inclined to believe
that the switch had been tempered with.
a Passengers Story.
Receiver Howard Morris and Sidney
Hirsch, Il business man from Ironwood,
who We're on the train, arrived from Ste
vens' Point. From them it is learned that
five, as far rs known, Were all that Wcrc
killed outright and 10 or l6 injured, some
of them very seriously. Mr.. Hirsch says
that the only passenger known to have
been killed was woman, name unknown,
who boarded the train at Mcllen Station,
and who was riding in the second day
coach.
Our train was running at the rate of
about 90 or 80 miles an hour when the
crash came" said Mr.. Hirsch, and the
train seemed to go into II heap within n
few seconds. | WAS asleep in the next to
slntnHr nt
thrown from my berth, as We're all the
other passengers.
AS soon as we could scramble out we
found terrible state of affairs. The bag
gage, express, smoker, day coach, bust
ness car and u sleeper were piled on top
of each other and within n very few min
utes the pile was on fire, taking fire, it
was stated, from the locomotive which
lay i'll u heap beneath all the cars. The
fire burned rapidly, and it kept all the
persons who escaped without injury very
busy rescuing those who We're injured and
pinioned beneath the wreck.
Some Is or Is passengers were taken
out more or less injured and were sent to
MarShtield for proper care. The bodies of
the trainmcn and an unknown woman
were recovered as soon rs possible and
We're sent away. l scarcely know how we
got out after the crash, and l know that
the escape was II narrow one for those who
came out alive and unframed. The train
was reasonably well fllled-that is, the
sleepers We're very we'll occupied.
Receiver Morris occupied the companys
business ear, which did not get into tho
heap, and SO escaped destruction by burn
ing, The rear sleeper and the business car
alone came out practically unframed.
General Manager Whitcomb said of the
accident and the probable cause:
Tho split switch of the passenger track
has evidently been tempered with, allow
ing the wheels of the locomotive to catch
the point. The engine and all the cars of
the train, except the rear coach and bust
ness car, left the track, and all were burn
ed except the two mentioned. The in jur~
ed are receiving every attention possible
to give and the wreck will be promptly
cleared so that trains can move on time
Three Killed In a Freight Wreck.