Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-05-17
Pioneer Limited
Has Close Call

The "Pioneer Limited" due at this
station at 1890, had close call from
a terrible wreck last Saturday night
when the heavy train plunged into
washout one and half miles west of
Wauwatosa; but by some miracle the
cars remained upon the rails until the
train had passed over the place where
death was lurking and reached solid
ground. AS it is, there are five in
jured, one of whom. DR.. MastersOn of
this city, is the most serious. Albert
Cavanaugh was also somewhat bruised.
but other Watertown passengers
escaped with a severe scare and shake
up William Schlueter, H. 0.
Thompson and George Neliins, Jr.,
were among the other Watertown
people on board.
The engine was in charge of G. E.
Grout, and the train was made up Of
three day coaches in the rear, five
sleepers, a buffet car. two baggage and
one mail car. The Limited was late
on leaving Milwaukee, and was run
ming at good speed until it arrived at
the Menomonee river, west of Wauwa-
tosa, when the engineer, probably
seeing the possibility of a washout here
on night when the rain had been
falling for hours, thought it best to
slow down.
The river, ordinarily an insignificant
stream, had swollen to a raging tor
rent, and the surrounding country was
flooded. Two hundred yards beyond
the trestle repairs had been made on
the road bed few days before. A
heavy rain on that occasion had threat
ened the track, and it was put in con-
dition where it was thought to be safe
from future inroads. The soil in this
vicinity is mixed with coarse gravel
and sand.
It was at this point. however. that
the flood succeeded in making a sue
cessful attack. Water from the south
side of the track flowed over the rails.
carrying away particles of gravel and
sand until the support of the ties had
been I.osened i.ud transformed into
slush. 10 all outward appearances the
track was still in first class condition
at this point
This was the situation when the long
and heavily-laden train dashed across
the trestle and onto the track beyond.
The first intimation that Engineer
Grout had that there was anything
wrong was when be felt a slight jar as
he passed over the undermined section
of the track. AS the train progressed
the bumps became more pronounced,
and in an instant the air brakes were
set automatically, caused by break in
the coupling. The engine was brought
to stop as quickly as possible and the
crew climbed down to investigate.
Meanwhile pandemonium had broken
forth in the day coaches at the rear of
the train. The mail and baggage cars
passed over without serious mishap,
but as each car crossed the depression
grew deeper until the rails dipped
down almost foot when the last coach
struck them. The jar broke the coup
lings on both ends of the second coach
from the rear and this left two ..wildh
cars pursuing. The minute the break
came the electric wires were discon-
nected and these two cars were left in
total darkness. Thomas Brooks of this
city was among the passengers on this
part of the train and he describes his
experiences as follows:
Il was sitting in the smoking COM
partment of the second coach when
the car gave sudden lurch and I and
my two companions were thrown up in
the air. We came down with a bump