Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-07-07
The Catastrophe ON inc Grand
Trunk Railroad.

We take the following account of this
fearful calamity from the Montreal Wit
ness, of June 80:
''The disaster occurred in somewhat
the following manner, as was through
the hurrying of telegraphing not made
very distinct yesterday. A steamer GO
ing up the river whistled for the open
ing of the turn bridge, and five barges
were passing through at the same time.
The whistle should have been heard at
the st Hilaire Station, where the train
must have been at the time; If not, the
signal light, which was duly hoisted,
could easily be seen from that place.
Apparently not noticing either, the train
started from the station, and omitted to
stop, according to a standing order of
the line, before crossing the bridge
Entering on the bridge, the danger be-
came evident, and the brakes were put
on, but too late. One of the brakes
men jumped from the car and saved
himself by catching the chain which
was along the side of the bridge. The
Conductor and another brakeman went
with lhe train. The steamer and one
Of the barges had passed the bridge,
and the second was just going through
when the train flung itself from the
bridge above into the water, becoming
| instantly heap Of ruins.
THE ENGINE-DRIvRR.
How the engine driver escaped is not
| vet elucidated. He has given different
accounts of himself the first of which
| was that he went down with the loco
| II 3 hn ha
locomotive has not been seen since the
accident, so thoroughly has it been bu-
| ried in the ruin; and it is hard to be-
| lieve that a man who was with it should
reappear few hours afterwards, dry,
and with his hat on. Indeed. when cor
oner Jones asked for him, although he
had been about not long before, he was
nowhere to be found, and was caught
up to by man who had seen him cross
the bridge, walking away some distance
on the other side OF the river. When he
returned which he did without objec-
ton, he was sent to Jail in Montreal.
TAKING OUT THE BODIES.
Night covered the first fearful work
of disentangling the bodies of the living
and the dead Three cars were piled on
the wharf at this side the river, the up,
permost on level with the bridge and
hindering it from shutting. This ca
was quickly cleared and throw owe
the bridge that those below r. mioht h,
reached 1t is said tho three person
were taken from it alive, after it fell
the second was emptied with more dit
flculty; it Contained some dead. In tn
car Which lay under the other two bot
tom up, all were found safe. A NOR
fearful work was the opening of the pill,
which lay in the stream; two cars on tn,
top were cleared in the morning, tn
last living person being removed abou
ii o'clock-a little child in the arms O
a dead mother. The next car was reach
ed about o'clock, and eleven bodie
were found in a heap at the lower enc
Oft. Up to the time when our reporte
left the ground, 56 was the whole mum
Der of dead bodies taken out of the hear
but one or two cars were yet unreached
We give the following figures, subjec
to correction. There were on board tn
ship "Nicker" 565 passengers, about 53J
of whom came on in the cars. OF thes
there are saved, as stated above, 3S4
leaving for lost 154, besides those VIII
have since died.
The scene of this catastrophe is un
doubtedly one of the most beautiful il
the country, being just at the spot wher
the lovely Richelieu river sweeps roun,
the base of Bol9il mountain, the bridg
being about two miles from that splen
did bluff, and in full view OF the beauti
full village of St. Hilaire