Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-06-23
An Express Train Jumps the
Track under HeadWay---TWO
Passenger Cars Tel
escOped.
A Fearful Mass of Suffering and
Death---0Ver Sixty Persons
Severely Injured.
Many Escaping the Wreck of the
Train to be Scalded to Death
by Steam from the
Engine.

! BELLEvILLE, CANADA, June 22.-The
night express train went down past this
place at half-past twelve O'Clock this
morning, full of passengers, among
whom were many ministers of the Eng
/ lish Church on their way homeward
from the Synod at Toronto. About
eleven miles below Belleville station the
engine jumped from the track, carrying
death and fearful torture to scores of pas
sengers in the forward cars. The bag
gage-car remained on the track and
TELESCOPED
the smoking-car and second-class pas
senger car, leaving them on top of the
engine, exposed to the escaping steam
from the boilers. Here the poor crea-
lures were helplessly pinned for some
time, breathing the vapors of death and
suffering all the agony of immersion in
a boiling cauldron of superheated water.
r. Nj. Reddy, an eyewitness, says
that Immediately after the accident he
went to the second-class car. 1t and the
smoking-car were telescoped and on the
locomotive, the steam from which, issu-
ing from the cars, was so dense that he
could see nothing. One after another
of the'
SCALDED VICTIMS
were taken from the openings. Crow
bars were put into requisitiOn by the
passengers from the first-class cars, all
of whom escaped injury, and openings
were made. Many were found entan-
gled, and were extricated with the ut
most difficulty, the timbers having TO be
broken. Five persons were found dead,
and were carried to the roadside, where
the wounded lay for nearly three hours,
in the most fearful agony. DR.. Burdett,
of Bellevills. arrived at this time, and
had them removed to the Pullman car
On their arrival here, everything was
promptly done to allay their sufferings.
The medical men of the town were sum-
mOned, mattresses procured, and large
freight shed was turned into
A TEMPORARY HOSPITAL,
where the patients received every posi-
ble attention. The medical men and
their assistants are unremitting in their
attentions, while numbers of the people
vie with one another in their zeal in the
administration of their sacred offices.
The sight was one to battle description.
The horrible cries of the sufferers rent
the ears of the loOkers-On, who made
every possible effort to grant their re-
quests for water, and their condition,
under the influence of their terrible in
juries,
WAS FEARFUL TO WITNESS,
whilst the prayers and cries for the pre-
mOnition Of approaching dissolution
were here and there heard. After the
injured arrived here some of them passed
away, happy relief being afforded from
their terrible agOnies. Those who were
the least injured walked about swathed
in bandages, and conversed freely about
the occurrence of the night. The eX-
press and baggage-car We're forced past
the broken engine without injuring the
express-messenger or baggage-man; but
the smOking-car telescOped the second
class, the latter going forward knocked
the safety-valve off the boiler and re-
mained on the top of the engine, allow
ing the steam TO fill the second-class car,
which was
CROWDED WITH PAssENGRs,
many of them lumbermen en- route for
Quebec. The two first-class cars and
the Pullman car were comparatively
uninjured, and the passengers were
transhipped and went East this fore
noon. Sixty-fve mer and women were
fearfully scalded and otherwise injured,
SIX of whom died on the spot, and their
bodies were brought to this place. Four
more have died, and others are
DYING EVERY HOUR.
Not more than One-third of the in
jHred will live. John HILBERT, engineer,
was instantly killed, and the fireman
badly injured-one Of his legs will have
to be amputated. H. Nelson, cOnduc-
tor, and other train hands, escaped unin-
jured. The wounded and dying are
stretched on mattresses on the floor of
the freight shed, so much disfigured as to
be unrecognizable. Five of the wounded
who were able to walk left by the ex-
press train for Toronto.
Later.
Since the report sent this afternoon
twelve more of the injured by the rail-
road disaster have died, making twenty
three dead now and others dying. Medi-
cal men say that not more than six or
seven of the sixty-five injured persons
will live. The suffering and appearance
Of the wounded is frightful. The killed
and wounded are all second-class passen-
gers. The first-class passengers escaped
uniniured.