The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-07-03
THE CANADIAN HORROR.


gers ScaIslcd 10 ODenth--Twenty-fl y three
Dcad-Otlicrs Dying.
The following is full account of {
disaster mentioned in our dispatches
of Sunday :
BELLEvILLE, Ontario, June %
The night express went down past
this place at twenty minutes pas
twelve this morning full ofpassengcrs
among the number many being minis
tcrs of the English church on thcil
way home from the synod of Toron
to. About eleven miles below the
Bellevillc station the engine jumped
the track, carrying death and fearful
torture to the scores of passengers in
the forward ears. The baggage car
remained on the track and telescoped
the smoking ear and the second class
passenger ear, leaving them on the
top of the engine exposed to the es-
Gaping steam from the boiler. Here
the poor creatures were hopelessly
penned for some time, breathing the
vapors of death and suffering all the
agony of immersion into boiling
cauldron of super heated water.
Mr. II. NJ. Roddy. an eye witness,
says: Immediately after the acci-
dent he went TO the sccond-class car.
Ii and the smoking ear were tele-
scopcd on the locomotive, the steam
from which, issuing from the cars,
was so dense that he could see moth
ing. One after another of the scald-
ed victims were crawling from the
openings. Crowbars were immedi-
ately put into rcquisition by the pas
scngers from the iirst-class ears, all of
whom escaped injury, and openings
were made. Many were found en-
tangled, and were extracted with the
utmost difficulty, timbers having to
be broken. Five persons were
found dead, and were carried to the
road side, where the wounded lay for
nearly three hours in the most fear
full agony. DR. Burdctt, of BelleviIle,
arrived ut this time and had them re-
moved to the Pullman car. On their
arrival here everything was promptly
done to allay their sufferings. The
medical men of the town were sum-
m0ned, mattresses procured and the
large freight shed turned into tenn
porary hospital, where the patients
received every possible attention.
The medical men and their assistants
are unremitting in their attentions,
while the ministers of the gospel vie
with each ather in their zeal in the
administration of their sacred Office.
TIE sight was one that baiiled de-
scription. The terrible cries of the
sufferers rent the ears of the lockers
on, who made every possible effort to
grant their requests for water and
food, and their condition under the
influence of their terrible injuries was
fearful to witness, while prayers and
cries Of premonition of approaching
dissolution were here and there heard
After the injured arrived here some
of them passed away-a happy relief
being afforded from their dreadful
agonies. Those who were the least
injured walked about swathed in
bandagcs, and conversed freely about
the occurrence of the night The
express and baggage car was forced
past the broken engine without in
juring the express messenger or bag
gage man; but the smoking car tele-
scoped the second class car, the latter
going forward knocked off the safety
valve of the boiler and remained on
the top of the engine, allowing the
steam to fill the second class car,
which was crowded with passengers,
many of them lumbermen, bound for
the Pullman car were comparatively
uninjured, and the passengers were
transhipped and went east this fore
noon. Sixty-fve men and women
were fearfully scalded and otherwise
injured, six of whom died on the spot,
and the bodies were brought to this
place. Four more have died, and
others are dying every hour. Not
more than one-third of the injured will
live. John Hilbert, the engineer,
was instantly killed, and the fireman
badly injured one of his legs will
have to be amputated. II. Nelson,
the conductor, and other train hands {
escaped uninjured. The wounded
and dying are lying stretched on mat
trcsses on the floor of the freight shed
so much disfigured as to be unrecog-
nizablc. Five of the wounded who
were able to walk left by the express
train at eleven O'Clock a. IN for Tor
onto.
LATER DETAILS-TwENTY-T
DEAD.
RrrrryIr Iupa 30 Eyanipn