Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-06-07

switch Was Tempered With.
The st. Paul limited southbound
train on the Wisconsin Central Rail.
road, which passed Marsh feld at los
q. m. met with horrible accident
which has n,ver lesn eaualed in
Northern Wisco lsin, and adds another
long list Of victims through disasters
OF this kind. Six persons are dead, and
from fifteen to twenty are injured,
some of them fatally. Following is a
list Of those killed outright
BIGELow. JUDsoN, brakeman. Stevens
Point. Wis
fosLEE OLIVER. newsboy. Stevens Point.
WI.
GEsaAaDr. GEORGE fireman. Stevens
HussARD, JAMES. engineer. Stevens
RUSSELL, WILLIAM b. railroad surveyor,
Milwaukee,
WAGNER MRS JOHN Butte. Mont.
The train, which was in charge OF
Conductor Gavin and wCs made up of
seven coaches and sleepers, left Alb
bott's Ford behind tims, and while
running ut fifty miles an hour struck a
defective split switch at Mannville,
deserted station, derailing the entire
train and piling engine and cars in
heap OF broken timbers. To add to
the horror, the entire mass was soon
In a sheet Of flames, which, mingled
with the groans and cries OF the in.
jured, made q scene that terrified the
hearts of the bravest.
Number Of Killed Not Known.
Accordipy to the dispatches about
M = w
Ger direction of Division Super.nten
dent Horn, who hapl lenei to be on the
north-bound passenger, special train
was fitted up and left fo' Stevens Point
at o'clock bearing the remains oi
Fngireec Hubha d, Fireman Gebhardt
ard Russell AMI pas. enger. Wher
the bcdy OF Bigelow, the he d brak ;,
man, was recovered it had watch In
one hand and lantern on an arm.
Mannville, the scene of the accident.
was once lively sawmill town, but OF
lato years has gradually sunk to meth.
Ing, until now all that remains is few
scattered buildings. During the forest
fires last fall the depot burned, and
about all that Is left to mark the place
Is q heap Cf burned ruins and q number
Of side tracks. The accident occurred
at the first swift h, where supposed
broken bar caused q switch to open
sufficiently to derail the train.
After leaving the track tho train
plowed along over the ties for dis
tance OF ten rods and then toppled and
rolled over, the engine and tender GO
ing into the ditch and the cars piling
on top OF each other. All were soon
set on FIRE from the stoves. From out
OF this tangled mass men and women
who were lucky not to be pinned down
crawled, many making wonderful es
capes.
Receiver Howard Morris and Sidney
Hirsch, q business man from Ironwood,
occupied the company's business car.
which did not get into the heap and
escaped destruction BY burning. The
rear sleeper and the business car alono
came out practically unharmed.
Cause Of the Terrible Disaster.
General Manager Whitcomb said OF
the accident and the possible cause
"The split switch of the passenger
track has evidently teen tampered
with, allowing the wheels of the loco
mot We t. catch the point" De.
scribing the catastrophe Mr.. Hirsch
said: sour train was running al
the rat, OF about fifty or sixty
miles an hour when the crash came,
and the train seemed to go into
heap within few seconds. I wa.
asleep in the next to the rear sleeper
at the time and was thrown from my
berth, as were all the other pas
sengers. AS soon as we could scramble
out We found q terrible state OF affairs
The baggage, express, smoker, day
coach, q business car, and sleeper
We're piled en- top Of each other, an6
within q very few minutes the pile wa.
m FRO