Clipping from Stevens Pont Weekly Journal 26 January 1907 Submitted by Rick Campen August Lange Death Caused by Fracture of Skull Resulting from Accident A telegram was received January 18 announcing the death of August Lange of this city in Cook County hospital in Chicago Thursday night as result of an accidental injury he received Thursday morning while at work with the Wisconsin Central pile driving crew making repairs on a bridge at Burlington Wisconsin. No particulars of the extent have yet been received here. Mr. Lange had been employed by an Mr. Ryan of this city, foreman of the crew, for six or eight years, and was a trustworthy and skillful workman. For some time he’d been employed in running the engine on the pile driver, but this week the driver was not in operation and he was attending to other duties. The accident happened at about 10:00 AM about the time train No. 5 went through. He was removed to the hospital in Chicago on the next train and his relatives here were notified. His brother in law, Arthur Redfield, left for Chicago on the train Thursday afternoon but did not reach him until after death. The deceased was the third son of Carl Lange of 715 Center Avenue and was born at the DePere on December 10, 1875 but has lived in Stevens Point for many years. He is survived by his father and two half brothers and one brother and two sisters. His mother died several years ago. The brothers are Louis Lange of DePere, Fred Lange of West Superior, William Lange of Portland Ore., and the sisters are Mrs. A.F. Redfield and Mrs. George Lant of the city. Early last spring Mr. Lange and one of his legs broken while at work on the driver and was laid up for four months in Chicago hospital. He resumed work six weeks ago. Mr. Ryan also had one of his hands badly crashed under the heavy timber about two weeks ago. The accident by which August Lange lost his life in Burlington January 17 was a most unusual and peculiar particular one. When the crew saw passenger train No. 5 coming up from the south at about 10 a.m. they cleared off the top of the structure and went below. Lange with several of his fellow workers was standing a little to one side of the bridge down below. On the bridge near the edge of the ties there was a thoughtlessly left the standing one end a block of a wood, a section of the tamarack log about 9 in. in diameter and 15 in. As the train sped by this block of wood was struck by the iron step of the tender. The block was hurled through the air with tremendous speed and momentum. It struck Lange across the eyes and forehead before he could dodge or get out of the way. It knocked him off his feet and he never realized anything afterwards. He was taken to Cook County hospital in Chicago on the next train by Ellison G. Scott of this city who remained with him to a passed away at 10:00 PM. After the accident the step of the tender was found not far from where the accident occurred, showing in a way how it happened. In all transpired so quickly that none of the workmen really saw the accident. There were a number of men standing quite closely together and it is a wonder that more of them were not hurt by this heavy block. It was one of those unfortunate accidents resulting from a combination of circumstances for which no one in particular was to blame but for which the company can probably held responsible. The body was brought home on train No. 1 Saturday at 9:15 and taken to the family home at 715 Center Avenue. The funeral was held Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 PM at Saint Paul’s Lutheran church. Stevens Pont Weekly Journal 26 January 1907 (c) 2004 All Rights Reserved - Rick Campen ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Rick Campen ==========================================================================