New Ulm Weekly Review

A Horrible Death.

No novelist ever devised a more intensely dramatic and pitiful situation than was witnessed last week beside the track of the Southern Pacific Coast railroad near Alameda, Cal. There was an accident on the road, owing to the sinking of a part of the track. The engine was overturned, and the fireman, Dan Driscoll, was caught by two iron bars, one of which crossed his breast and the other one of his feet. He was not severely injured by this, but the bars held him inextricably fast, and meantime, on both sides of the track, which at this point lies on a low trestle bridge built across a long stretch of marsh land, the salt tide pouring in from the Bay of San Francisco was rapidly rising. It was evident that unless speedily removed he would be drowned. Six men labored with desperate energy to save him. They wrapped sheets about his body, and exerted their combined strength to pull him from beneath the bars that pinned him to the track. He cried piteously that they were killing him. They tried again and again, but without avail. A levee was built around his head to keep the water from reaching him. Buckets were brought, and as the water oozed in it was bailed out. Then they raised his head and held it as high as possible above the water. For two hours these labors were ceaselessly continued, but at the end of that time the levee broke, and the friends of the doomed man found that they could do no more for him. The water rose rapidly about his body and reached his chin. Then all caught hold of him and tugged desperately, but in vain. A friend held his hand over the unfortunate man's mouth, but the water rose to his nostrils, and he was drowned in the presence of the helpless crowd.