River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-11-25
Train Wrecked.

Oneof the worst wrecks eyer known
| on this branch of the Omaha occurred
| Tuesday night at about seven O'Clock,
! when the evening freight was torn "a
| pieces by a broken rail about mile
/ aud a quarter north OF town. Six
/ cars were derailed, five of them
/ thrown from the track aud two com
! pletely demolished at he cot e a
! Jeu-iuot en- ban kmeut. hree OF the
| wrecked cars were loaded with puta-
| tees one with hogs and cattle. Seven
! of the hogs were crushed and lay
! dead in the corner OF the car, the rest
] having broken loose with the cattle
| ran at large. Two of the car
/ loads OF potatoes belonged TO A. j.
! Brown and his son J. T.. Brown. COM
/ mission merchants of Ludlow, VT, who
| were in one OF the ears at the time.
/ When III struck the broken rail and
/ began humping over the ties. the
/ two men forced open the door intend
/ ing 10 jump. At the moment, how
/ ever, they were crossing the ten-rod
! trestle over the Kinnickinnic with
the car jerking TO and fro and the
| wheels humping sOundly on the
bridge As soon as the wheels cleared
! the trestle and escaped the control of
/
/ its couplings and plunged head
/ long over the embankment. y. J.
/ Brown was knocked seuseless and his
/ son. who was cut across the left side
/ Of the head. pulled him out from
/ under the stoveand heap of potatoes
! aud restored him TO consciousness.
! His injuries were not serious.
The train left town about nightfall
after the arrival Of the evening
! passenger, over an hour late, and was
| running at the rate Of fifteen miles
an hour up a rather steep grade.
/ The engine and the first ten cars
passed safely over the weak rail.
which seems to have gone TO pieces
when the train was midway across.
Five ears and the rear truck Of
sixth were thrown off the rails and
dragged along for twenty rods. includ-
ing ten rods az treStle smashing the
ties and splitting the bridge tim hers.
before they finally tore up the track
entirely and plOughed over the en-
bankment. Seven ears 10 the rear OF
the wrecked ones. including the ac-
COmmOdatiun trailer, kept the rails
and stood safely Oh the bridge when
the train stopped.
Most OF the passengers in the ac-
commodatiOn car-there were eight
or ten-kept their seats during the
accident. and though badly frightened
did not attempt to leave the car
after il stopped. George Ramsey, of
Ellsworth. had cattle on board the
train and after picking his way TO the
wrecked section slipped of the guide
rod OF the bridge in attempting 70
return and fell .TuIn a height Of twelve
feet into tho wat lie scrambled
ashore. however thoroughly jrenched,
and was taken Dack To the accom-
mediation car where he dried him self
as best he could at the coal stove.
Fitzgerald steamed back from Els
worth with engine No. 12S and pulled
the seven rear cars back into town,
while the freight engine with its ten
free cars rolled on into Hudson. From
here a wrecker came down OF about
ten o'clock and after a nights work
had the track cleared and well enough
repaired for the morning passenger
TO cross at eight thirty o'clock yester-
day. a full hour later than usual.
The road bed and the bridge were
badly shaken up and the trains still
move gingerly over the damaged
section.