Howard, WI Train Wreck, Sep 1897

RUSH TO ETERNITY.

BECAUSE A WISCONSIN CENTRAL CONDUCTOR TRIES TO MAKE UP LOST TIME.

AT LEAST FOUR PERSONS KILLED.

ANOTHER MISSING AND THREE BADLY INJURED IN A RAILWAY WRECK NEAR CHIPPEWA FALLS.

Special Despatch to Daily Journal.
Chippewa Falls, Sept. 17. -- A disastrous railroad wreck occurred at 2:31 o'clock this morning on the Wisconsin Central railroad near Howard, a small station seven miles west of this city. Through freights, No. 21 going west, and No. 24 going east, met in a head end collision, and as a result four men were killed outright, two badly injured and one is missing.
The dead are:
EDWARD J. SMITH, Chippewa Falls, engineer of No. 21.
RICHARD WARREN, Chippewa Falls, engineer of No. 24.
JOHN SMILEY, Chippewa Falls, fireman of No. 24.
MR. LESTER, Fairbault, Minn., a stockman.
The injured are C. H. MILLER, a brakeman of this city, and W. F. MILLER, a stock breeder of Fairbault, Minn.
Both freights were regular trains which are scheduled to pass at Jewetts Mills. No. 21 was about seven hours late in leaving this city and attempted to make the siding at Howard before the arrival of No. 24. The collision occurred about twenty car lengths from the switch and the trains came together with such force as to completely wreck both engines and demolish about a dozen cars.
The dead and injured were brought to this city and everything possible was done for the latter.
The blame for the accident is difficult to locate. CHAS. HORN, conductor of No. 21, claims that he still had one minute to make the switch before the schedule time of No. 24. Train No. 21 had the right of way and was under charge of conductor WM. BENTON of Minneapolis.

Stevens Point Daily Journal Wisconsin 1897-09-17
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!