WAUPACA COUNTY NEWS

September 21, 1922

FIREMAN IS KILLED

BAD TRAIN WRECK OCCURS AT CLINTONVILLE LAST SUNDAY

ENGINEER’S LEGS BROKEN

Passenger and Freight Trains Have Head-on Collision

Seven Passengers Receive Injuries

Man Who is Killed Leaves Wife and Child

            One of the worst train wrecks ever occurring in this county took place at Clintonville on Sunday morning.

            The morning passenger train which reaches Clintonville at 10:00 o’clock was reported an hour late.  A special freight train was getting on a side track.  It was a long train and it took some time.  The passenger train made up twelve minutes after it was reported late and was making fast time when it reached Clintonville.  Before the trainmen of the passenger knew it, they were almost on the freight train and the engineer saw there was no hope to save the train, that a head on collision was soon to occur.

            The engineer of the passenger, Larry Hoffman of Antigo, jumped from the fast moving train and was injured quite severely, both legs being broken and he received other injuries.  The fireman, Rudolph Engel of Antigo, stuck to the train and was buried in the wreck.  He was terribly injured by live steam and death relieved his suffering at five o’clock on Sunday evening.  He was about twenty-eight years of age and leaves a wife and one child.  Seven passengers were injured some, but not as much as one would suppose they might be.  One lady had her shoulder dislocated.  The others were not injured very severely.