The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-09-25
Six Battered Bodies Plastered to Loo
omotive Pilot; One Hurled
Into Shanty.
ARMS AND LEGS STREW ROAD
Driver Comes Through Without In
jury and Says Sign Board Was
to Blame.

Neenah, Wis, Sept. 25.-Sixteen
deaths will be the result of mile a
minute Chicago and Northwestern
passenger train at Neenah, crashing
into party of 81 young people load
ed upon hayrack Sunday.
A big bill board along the railway
tracks obscured the view from the
locomotive as we'll as the wagon. Dust
and fog did the rest.
Twelve Killed Instantly.
Twelve persons on the hayrack
were killed instantly, one has died
since, and three out of the eight 9TH
ers injured were fatally hurt. Nine
of the 81 persons on the wagon es-
capped without scratch and SO did
both horses.
Nobody ON the train suffered ex-
cept from the jar. -
The collision occurred at $40
O'Clock Sunday morning at the Com
mercial street crossing here Tram
number 121, north bound, whirled
through the wagon load of people at
a As degree angle. This popularity
was owing to the fact that the high
way crossing is diagonal
Victims Were Wedding Guests.
Tho viotipoc x1,oro ro+,,rp;nr fror,
the Peter Hanson farm where they
had gone to attend the celebration of
wedding anniversary. All but two,<
who were from Chicago, were resi-
dents of Menasha.
Armless. legless and headless bod
les covered the right of way as the
train of nine coaches was>brought to
a stop, 500 feet from the scene of
the accident Identification was pos
sible only by the fragments of cloth
ing.
Six Bodies Stick on Pilot.
Six bodies of the victims were dis
covered on the engine pilot where
they lay until removed by the train
crew and passengers.
Two others of the persons killed
were hurled through fagman's
shanty with such force as to overturn
the little shanty. Another of the
victims killed was thrown high over
barn SO feet from the right of way.
Some Miraculous Escapes.
Among the occupants of the hay
rack who escaped were Mr.. and Mrs.
Joseph Briziski and child of two
years. They we're seated in the front
half of the rack, the mother holding.
the child in her lap. About half
way back in the wagon sat Mary
Schwartzbauer. The latter was hurl-
ed about so feet and rendered un-
conscious. When found by rescuers,
the Briszinski child was in her arms
having escaped unscratched. The
parents of the child were injured on
ly slightly.
Driver Holds to Reins.
Peter Hanson, driver and owner of
the horses attached to the Inflated
rig, managed to hang to the reins and
was the only person on the rack who
was not temporarily stunned by the
collision. He declares he made every
effort to look in both directions along
the track but did not observe the on &
rushing train until his team had got e
on the track. He whipped up the
horses but managed to get the wagon
only half way across.
Train Was Late.
The train was one hour behind the
schedule. The fact that the engine
stopped on the second corner from
the intersection where the collision
occurred, a distance of more than 80
feet, is the evidence that the spec
was great. It is said, however, tina
the rails were slippery from the rail-
and made the stopping of the tra;
difficult. IS
Practically every person on thu
wagon was an employe of the Men
asha Woodenware company and all
were invited to the Hanson farm to
attend the wedding anniversary of
one of their former employees.