The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-18 00:00:00

MELBOURNE AND HOBSON'S BAY.

Tho traffic returns on this company's line, six miles in
length, for the four weeks ending the 19th of May last,
amounted to £5,982, and for the corresponding period of
last year to £1,857, showing en increase of £1,125.

Tu. 7 erma.. zwurviray-Accident in Canada,

The particulars which have been received of the terrible
accident which betel an emigrant train on the Grand Trunk
Railway of Canada, unhappily confirm the fact that there
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was a dreadful loss of life, as already stated in the tele-
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bring the emigrants to New York, left Hamburg about the
18th of May, and arrived at Quebec on Monday, the 27th of
June, bringing out 538 emigrants. These consisted of
Germans, Norwegians, and Poles, whose destination was
principally Western Canada, a few being bound for the
Western States, and most of them had considerable means.
On Tuesday night they were forwarded, with the exception
of about thirty of the poorer class, by special train from
Quebec. There must, therefore, have been fully five hun-
dred, if not more, on the cars, which proceeded without
accident to Bekaa Mountain. Here the river Richelieu is
spanned by an iron bridge, on the top of which the cars
pass. A drawbridge forms the connection between the last
pier and the abutment to the Montreal side. The bridge is
about 1,100 feet in length to the opening of the drawbridge,
and about 45 feet above the water, which is some ten feet
deep in the canal under the drawbridge. The rule of the
company is that this drawbridge should always be sup-
posed to be open, and that the train should therefore come
to a dead stand on approaching the bridge, and not at-
tempt to proceed until the proper signal has been given.
At fifteen minutes past one on 'Wednesday morning,
when the special train arrived, the drawbridge was open
to permit the passage of a steamer which bad some barges
loaded with grain in tow. The train, however, did not pull
up at all, notwithstanding the established rule, and the dis-
play of the danger signal, the red light, which should im-
mediately have warned the conductors of the train to stop
it, and not to proceed until the light was changed into a
white one. The position of the bridge gives a view of the
signal from a distance of 1.625 ft. Hence the conduct of the
engine driver is the more extraordinary, as it is stated he
could have stopped the train in from 500 ft. to 600 ft. The
driver, it is sail, admits having seen the danger signal,
but alleges that :20 found it impossible to stop the train
in time, Whether he could have done so or not was not
proved at the time the present particulars were sent, as the
coroner's inquest had not then taken place. Certain it is
that the train dashed on at a great pace, and, as might have
been expected, when it arrived at the draw-bridge it was
found to be swung round for some boats to pass. Down this
yawning abyss tae cars, with their living freight, dashed
headlong. The locomotive and tender, with the first five
cars (baggage), vent in first. the six passenger cars piling
down on top of them with terrific violence, being precipitated
a distance of some 70 feet. At this very moment, as already
mentioned, a steamer was passing the ongh with six barges in
tow, and the accident would undoubtedly have been of a
doubly mournful character had it not so happened that the
cars fell on one of the barges, sinking it, but preventing the
wreck from being submerged to such an extent as it would
have been bad the canal been clear. The last three passenger
cars, falling on the accumulated debris of the others,
shunted sighly to one side, and over to the opposite em •
bankment,that is on the Montreal side. From thence the
living were chiefly taken, the other cars containing few who
had escaped a grave or mortal injury in the horrible crash.
A little child was found, singular to say, altogether unin-
jured, lying in its dead mother's arms. The man in charge
of the barge sunk, had a narrow escape along with
his family. He heard the train thundering along, looked
up, and saw the drawbridge open, and, being then imme-
diately underneath, had just time to snatch his wife and
little children away before the cars descended on his ves-
sel. Fortyfive dead bodies were recovered early in the
day, only 18 of these being adults. The remains were
conveyed tot shed by the riverside, where they presented
a sad spectacle, many of the dead being terribly disfigured.
Some of the children were only a year or two old.
Harrowing scenes presented themselves in the tempo-
rary hospitals, where the wounded were placed together.
Many of the wounds received by the poor people were about
the head and face, rendering the sight still more hideous.
Only one anputation was performed, and that on a woman,
who bore tin operation in a most heroic manner. The knee
joint had been badly fractured, and amputation had to be
performed, but the brave woman appeared more dis-
tressed at her husband's grief than at her own misfor-
tune, or the pain she was suffering. The Government
police did good service in keeping the people from crowd-
ing round 6e sheds, and permitting the free access of
fresh air tc the sick. Most of those who had escaped
were to be seen wandering about seeking relatives or
friends, bell Aning their sad fate, the melancholy ending
of their hitherto prosperous voyage, and the dissipation of
their hopes and anticipations formed on coming to try their
fortunes in a new country.
The:majccity of those saved were adults. The driver of
the train escaped the doom which had fallen upon so many
of those committed to his charge.

The Mordleur promulgates the law voted in the
late Legislative Session for fixing the Bunkd of
1865. The expenses are given at 1,750,922,5834.:
and the receipts at 1,752,(136,062fr., ebowing snr
plus of 1,113,479:r.