Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-07-08
Terrible Casualty on the Grand
Trunk Railroad.
$50 EMIGRANrs KILLED :!


send thrill of horror into the communi
ty, took place at Hiaire, on the Crane
Trunk Railroad on Wednesday night o
last week, by which $50 human beingi
were suddenly, without moments war,
ming sent into eternity. An emigran
train from Quebec, with 354 Germans
shut up in box cars, reached Beloisle
Bridge over the River Richelieu, at hall
past one o'clock. The draw of the bridge
was opened, and several barges passing
at the time. The proper signals were
raised before the bridge was opened, and
the Red Light was burning we'll. The
man in charge of h e bridge, when he
heard the whistle, moved his red Hand
Lamp.
The standing orders are that all trains
must come to full stop before reaching
the bridge. This was dsregarded, and
the train ran into the open bridge, where
the water was about ten feet deep, pitch
ing the cars one upon the other in a ter
rible crash, I h conductor, Thomas
Finn, oftbis Town, was killed. William
Burney, the Engine Driver, leaped from
the train into the water, and escaped with
slight injury. The principal blame Of
the accident, attaches to h 5 mar, for
disregarding the order to stop the trai,,
before coming to the bridge. He says
The lights We're not seen, but these in care
OF the bri'lge says they vert up, and that
the R'g' It was clear, ard the lights to be
seec a mile distant. Burney has been
,atT ested, and is now in the Montreal Jail.
a steamer and one barge had passed the
draw, and the second was going through,
when the train, plunged in crushing the
barge, and killing a number on board
The captain is said to have escaped with
his little child by jumping upon another
barge.
The Montreal Witness says: Three
cars were piled on the wharf at ibis side
the river, the uppermost on level with
the bridge and hindering it from shutting.
This car was quickly cleared and thrown
over the bridge that those below it might
be reached. Its said that three persons
were taken from it alive, after it fell it
contained some dead. In the car which
lay under the other two, bottom up, all
were found safe, although it had lalIen,
perhaps, 80 feet. A more fearful work
was the pile which lay in the stream, two
cars on the top was cleared in the morn
ing, the last living. person being removed
about IL o'clock--a little child in t h
arms of dead mother. The next car
was reached about o'clock, and eleven
bodies were found in heap a; the lower
end of it.
Up TO the time when our reporter left
the ground Sc was the whole number of
dead bodies taken out of the heap, bu,
one Or two cars were yet unreached.-
There were on board The ship "Necket"
565 passengers, about 538 of whom came
on in the cars. Ofthese there are saved, !
3S4, leaving for lost 1874 besides those
who have died since"
The wounded, Of b o m there were |
quite a large III b r, together with !
those rescued, were sent to Montreal. |
where every attention was paid to their
wants. The emigrants were Germans,
Prussians, Poles, Bohemians, Swedes, &c.
Mr.. Bridges, the Mayor Of Montreal sew
eral Surgeons and others from Montreal,
went Immediately to the scene of the dis
aster, and with the French Inhabitants.
rendered every possible assistance. A
thorough investigation will of course be
made into the causes of the disaster.-
Sherbrooke Gaeehe.,