Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-08-16
FATAL RAILROAD COLLISION.
Engineer (. p. SchIater and Tirem,n
August Abendroth Killed.

| Inc IolioWlng account OF a fatal
railroad wreck near Janesvile last
Friday morning is taken from the
| Milwaukee Sentinel:
GAINESVILLE, Wis, Aug. l0.-One of
the worst wrecks that ever took place
IN this city occurred this afternoon
ton the Chicago, Milwaukee q St.
Paul railroad. The passenger train
which runs from Janesvillc to Mil
ton junction TO connect with the
train to Prairie du Chen was twenty
minutes late and pulled out at l:l5
y. IL. A short distance from the de-
pot the passenger engine plunged
into a train of eight ears of coal
which were being pushed south by
the switch engine of the same line.
f. p. Schlater. engineer of the pas
senger. and his fireman. August Alb
endroth, botn of this city, were al
most instantly killed. Both were
burned to crisp by escaping steam,
but no bones were broken.
The wreck took fire but the flames
were extinguished. There were but
few passengers on the train and none
were injured. The passenger engine
was completely wrecked and the
baggage car tore off the tender of the
ppCina opd pipna5 in tbo apui,, aar
and fireman before they could Jump.
Engineer Schlater turned on the air
brake but the two trains, going in
opposite directions, soon collided A
{. Rogers of this city, engineer of
the switch engine that was hauling
the coal cars, is one of the pioneers
of the road and is regarded as very
trustworthy employee"
Engineer Schlater, familiarly
known as Bert was raised in this
vicinity, and had been trusted en-
ploye of the Mineral Point railroad
long before it became branch of
the Milwaukee system. His wife,
whom he leaves with six small child
rem, is sister of Messrs. Joseph and
Ed. Engels, Mrs. John l.. Gray and
Mrs. Nick Graber of this city, and
Mrs. Schmidt of Janesville. Mrs.
Schlater had arrived at Calamine
at the time of the accident, having
been called here by the critical i'll
ness of her:brother Joseph. A spec
ial train was promptly furnished to
carry her to the scene of her terrible
affliction.
Fireman Abendroth was an un-
married man, and also one of high
character. having many friends who
will grieye at his.sad fate.
A special train left Mineral Point
on Sunday, Aug. II, at $3.50 a. m,
which connected with a special ira IN
at Calamine, from Platteville, that
bore the relatives and friends Of the
deceased to Janesville, where they
were met by.trains from Milwaukee
and Madison, bearing officials and
friends of the men who met such an
untimely death, thus showing the
great esteem in which they were
held by the company. The funeral
services..for..Mr. Schlater were held
from the ST. Mary's Catholic church
at 2:30 p. m, and the remains depos-
tied in Mt. Olivet cemetery. TIE
Mr.:Abendroth took place
at 9 80 a. IN. from the st. Johns Lu-
theran church with burial in Oak
Hill cemetery. About two hundred
railroad men marched in each pro-
cession, representing the Brother
hood OF Locomotive Engineers, Or
der of Railway Conductors, Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen and
the Brotherhood of Railway Train
men, each procession being about a
mile long. The floral tributes were
profuse and rich.
The crowd that came out to those
funerals attested the high esteem in
which the people of Janesville held
these men and the sympathy felt for
the bereaved families at the shock
ing manner in which their dear ones
were taken from them.