Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-12-30

through the darkness at sixty miles an
hour. dashed round a curve headlong into
q pile Of great timbers and was wrecked.
The speed Of the train sent 1t plunging
bumped over the ties until the rails were
ripped up and out and the great engine
fell over.
Passengers Hurled to Death.
It's two baggage cars dashed on ahead
past the dismantled angine, leaving the
right-of-way and plunging down over q
bank. The first passenger car, smoker,
pushed past the engine and tilted over
toward it at the same time This car
was hlled with passengers and all were
killed.
Singularly, in such an awful crash,
the. dead, with few exceptions, wera
scalded to death. Scarcely any Of them
were mangled.
Shows Great Heroism
A story of courage and heroism seldom
equaled, is told of Benjamin Nichols,
steward on the dining car. His name is
oelng sung with praises by railroaders
ana ana the surviving passengers today.
when the terrible slide of the engine
dragged the train whirling sideways
along the road, Nichols was in the din
ing car; lie was battered from one side
TO another Of the car.
Joitlng; humping and swinging, the
car finally stopped. 1t was on the end
OF the train and it is for this reason that
Nichols and others on that car were not
injured.
Before the car had made its last lurch,
Nichols had leaped and was running
toward the smoker, which was reduced
to matter of twisted iron and splinters.
Inc crash had torn the escape valve
from the top Of the engine and the
steam was shooting in the car upon the
struggling mass Of smoking humanity.
Plugs Up Steam Pipe.
The escaping steam was the first thina
that attracted the plucky steward. TAX,
ing OFT his coat he ripped and tore the
garment until it was in shreds. With
TINS he plugged up the pipe and shut off
the steam. Temporary relief had been
given the sufferers, but Nichols was not
done
Long before the passengers in the Pull
man ma: coaches had stepped to the ground
Nichols had taken the first step in the
broken window he leaped into the dark
car The hot, suffocating steam filled
the car. The screams Of the injured
made it confusing what to do. Picking
up the first human form at hand, Nichols
carried it out in the open Placing the
inquired victim On the frozen ground, Mich.
time other rescuers had arrived. One
after another were handed out until five
were rescued.
At this point the steward was com.
PEELED to leap to the ground, being ex-
hausted and overcome by the heat and
steam.
Rob Dead and Injured.
Other employees entered the car and
were soon rejoined by Nichols, who once
more had recovered. For hours the
work continued, it being difficult, even
with the aid Of the wreck crew. Many
OF the victims were wedged between
aeaVy 5lmbers and it was 4 o'clock be,
fore all the injured had been removed
FOLLOWING the wreck thieves were de-
tected robbing the dead and injured
Two white men and two colored men
are now in the Dawson police station.
charged with this crime
Dying Conductors Thoughtfulness.
Louis Helgoth, the conductor Of the
train, was in the second day coach when
the crash came and no one knows Just
how or what happened to him until after,
wards. u. w. Hills, porter On one Of the
sieepers, said that as soon as he could get
off his car he went forward and heard
someone shouting from the top of the
bank, where he by going forward recog,
niZed Helgoth's voice. He was in terrible
agony, but shouted ut the top of his voice,
For Gods sake, I am scalded to death.
flag 40, Or she will be on us"
Even in the mental suffering Of every,
one about the scene the bravery and
thoughtfulness of the dying conductor
was sufficient to bring words of praise
and commentator.
Died Holding Christmas Toys.
Porter Hills, telling Of his experience,
said:
81 went to the smoking car and began
IL -,
most awful scene I ever witnessed. Men
were jammed into all sorts Of shapes.
They were on top Of each other and
buried under heaps Of dirt and seat
cushions. When | tried to lift one man
out, found others SO tightly wedged
into the same place that several had to
out before l stopped there. The dead
were badly bruised and some Of the
scalded were in such 8 fearful condition
that they would be better be dead. Some
Of those had lost their eyes entirely. The
baggage and clothing of the passengers
were scattered all over the ground. Some
of it was soaked with blood while in the
piles Of it could be seen piles &c toys,
telling the pathetic tale Of Christmas
shopping that came to such 4 pitifu.
end"
Cause of the Wreck.
When asked if there would be any in.
FeSllSdllOn On the paTC OF the rallrOdu
officials, Supt. d. w. Duer said:
II don't think that an investigation
IS necessary to explain this affair. 1t
is all too apparent"
Pointing to. half dozen heavy tim.
bers under the dining coach, he said:
''There is the cause of it. An extra
freight, westbound has dropped those
timbers on the track and proceeded with.
out knowing the trouble it had left be.
hind"
Company Not at Fault
Pittsburg, Pa, Dec. 24.-When seen
today after he had received full report
of the Dawson accident, William C.
Loree, general superintendent of the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, said:
While the accident was deplorable III
the extreme, yet it is a consolation to me,
speaking as an official of the company,
to know that it cannot be attributed to
negligence of any of our employees.
wreck Of this character is liable to happen
on any railroad having Il double track.
While it was lumber that fell from
westbound freight train that caused the
accident, yet any obstruction of a similar
character would have produced the same