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FOUR MEN DIE IN TRAIN WRECK

Omaha Train Runs Into Lemonweir River Near Hustler

Engineer, Fireman and Hobo Die at the Spot - Baggagemen Lee died Tuesday of Injuries -
Train Piles up in Several Feet of Water - Mail Clerk seriously Cut.

Mauston Star [Mauston, Juneau Co. WI], 05 Sep 1912

Monday morning the Minneapolis - Chicago Limited of the North Western road ran into a washout a few miles south of Camp Douglas, killing a hobo instantly and injuring Engineer Thompson and Firemen Abrahams so that they died shortly afterwards.  Baggageman Lee and a number of others were severely injured.  It is a miracle that any one in the train escaped as the coaches piled up in the river, which was raging fiercely due to a cloud burst higher up-county.  The entire structure for a distance of over forty feet was carried away.  The water was very high and covered the tracks and the train men could not see that the rails were gone.  A member of the mail service who survived was scratched and cut to a terribly extent.  The smoking car was carried many yards below the bridge and half buried by drifting sand, but all the occupants escaped.

A later report received conveys the statement that Baggageman Lee succumbed to his injuries Tuesday morning raising the total of dead to four.  The mail man is reported as improving rapidly.


contributed by Joan Benner

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