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

The Terrible Railway Accident in Canada.

The particulars which have been received of the terrible
accident which befel an emigrant train on the Grand Trunk
Railway of Canada, unhappily confirm the fact that there
was a dreadful loss of life, as already stated in the tele-
graphic despatches published a few days since. It appears
that the Necker, a largo packet, similar to those which
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 638 emigrants. These consisted of
Germans, Norwegians, and Poles, whose destination was
principally Western Canada, a few being bound for the
Western States, and blest of theta had eonsiderable 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, en the dare, which proceeded without
accident to Be!csil Mountain. Here the river Richelieu is
spanned by an iron bridge, on the top of which the cars
pass. A drawbridge forms the conneetion 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 approabhing 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 epeeist train arrived, the drawbridge was open
to perMit the passage of a steamer which had 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 warred the eondnetors of the train to stop
it, and hot 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 1,624 ft, Heim the Cendeot Of the
engine driver is the more extraordinary, as h is stated he
could have stopped the train in from 600 ft. to 600 ft. The
driver, it is said, admits having seen the danger signal,
biit Alleges that be found it impossible to stop the tkalti
in time, Whether he could have done so or not was not
proved at the time the present particulare were dent,ai the
coroner's ineeuest had not then taken place. Certain it is
That the train dashed on at a groat pace, and, as might have
been expected, when it arriVed at the draw-bridg.a it was
found to be swung rotund foi some boats to pass. vo*n this
t7attnihg abyss the cars, with their living freight, dashed
headlong. 'the locomotive and tender. with the first fly.o
cars (baggage), went in first, the six passenger cars piling
down on top of them With terrific Violencei
beibg preißitated
a dietatee Of setae 'O faet. At this4nri moiiient, al§ aireadY
mentioned, a steamer was passing thi ongh with sit barges in
tow, and the accident would undoubtedly „have been of a
doubly mournful character had it not so haptened that the
cars fell on one of the bargee,
sinking it, but preventing the
wreck from being submerged to such an extent as it would
have been had the canal been blear. The last three passenger
cars, falling on the aecltnitlated debris of the others,
shunted elighlY tie one side, and over to the opposite era.
bankment, that is on the Montreal side. From thende the
in
alhooakrgede
living were chiefly taken, the other cars containing few who
A little child was found, singular to
had escaped a grave or mortal injury en the hotrible crash.
say, altogether unin-
jured, lying in its dead
of the barge seek_ *, a
' -a`z Marrow escape along with
up, and saw the drawbridge open, and, being then itnme:.
r t
trainhe er s arms;t u d
el:
tie:alann
diately underneath, had, ust time to snatch his wife and
little children away before the care descended on his ves-
sel. Forty-five dead bodies were recovered early in the
day, only 18 of these being adults. The remains were
conveyed to a 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 fate, rendering the sight still more hideous.
Only one amputation was performed, and that on a woman,
who bore the operation in a most heroin 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 tho people from crowd-
ing round the sheds, and permitting the free access of
fresh air to the sick. Most of those who had escaped
were to be seen wandering about seeking relatives or
friends, bem :ening their sad fate, the rcelaneholy 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:majority of those saved were adult e, The driver of
the train escaped the doom which had fall all upon so many
of those committed to his charge.

The Moniteur prorn9lgates the lac v voted in the
late Legislative Session for fixing che Budget of
1865. The expenses are given at 1,1'50,922,583fr.,
and the receipts at 1,752,036,0621 r,, a bowing a sur-
plus of 1,113,479 fr.