Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-11-06

Two trains had the narrowest of es-
capes from being wrecked last night
and on one of them some $50 passen-
gers were riding, but not one was III
jured. The passenger train was on
the Northwestern coming from Bara-
loo to Waunakee. The other train
was fast time freight, coming to
Madison from the west on the Milwau-
kee road. A partly wrecked engine of
the passenger train and the one on the
freight laid up for repairs are the
chief results, but there will be an in
vestigation made by the detectives OF
the Milwaukee road, as to how large
tree was placed on the track in the
way of the fast time freight 1t is
suspected that there was deliberate
attempt to wreck the train.
Suspect Train Wreckers.
The accident to the train on the Mil
waukee road happened at about 8
o'clock last night as the fast time
freight train from the west was COM
ing to Madison. When coming down
the grade near Stevens brickyard,
near the stone quarry west of the uni
versity farm. tree was struck. 1t
had been placed on the track, as there
is no embankment there or other
means by which it might have come in
fEat pace by natural means.
When the train struck the tree a
high rate of speed was being main
tanned and although the engineer re-
versed the lever and threw on the air
brake instantly the tree was pushed
ahead of the engine for a distance OF
the entire length of the long train be-
fore stop could be made. Just beforc
stopping the front truck passed over
the trunk of the tree. Had the stop
not have been made quickly then,
there would have resulted the COM
plete wrecking of the engine. 1t was
only by chance that the engine was not
derailed Immediately upon striking
the tree, hurled down the embankment
and the train piled up in mass of
wreckage.
The train was being run by Engi-
neer John Harrington and Fireman
William Slightam, Jr. With as little
delay as practicable the tree was re-
moved from beneath the engine and
the train pulled into the West Madi-
son yards. The crew reported the in
cident to the dispatcher in the main
office and an investigation will be
made by the conpany's detectives to
ascertain if possible how the Oh
struction came to be so placed. The
tree must have been laid carefully
across the track, otherwise the force
of the train would have thrown it off
on one or the other side. The train
hands rejoice at their narrow escape
and are strongly of the opinion that
deliberate plan to wreck the train
was fortunately avoided.
Passengers Close Call.
The passenger train on the North
western road was coming south from
Baraboo to Madison and was about
midway between the village of Dane
and Waunakee. At the Dane hill, as a
grade there is known among railroad
men, two wheels of the front truck of
the engine tender broke away from
the axle and this let the tender down
upon the rails. The axle dropped
and, the train passing over it, bumped
the cars following.
The engineer stopped with all posi-
Bile haste and aside from great fright
and general shaking up, none OF the
passengers OF trainmen were injured
A freight train happened to be at
Dane and the engine from this was
impressed to drag the. passenger
coaches back to the village and then
to Madison, passing the disabled and
partly wrecked passenger engine by
means of the double track. Later the
damaged engine was taken to the
shops at Baraboo.
The train was number SO. which
leaves Baraboo shortly before
O'Clock and is scheduled to reach Mad
ison at s. John NJ. True, secretary of
the state board of agriculture. was
among the passengers. The cause Of
the breaking away of the Wheels of
the tender is not known. The break
in the casting was examined and
found to be entirely new, no trace of
a previous crack or defect being dis
cernable.