Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-01
r S CALL.

The New Year Opens with a FrishtfuI
Railway Accident Near Toronto-Twen-
ty-two People Killed and a Number OF
Others Badly Injured.
TORONTO, Ont, Jan. s. One of the
most frightful railway accidents that ever
occurred in Canada took place yesterday
morning at 6:55 o'clock. About fifteen
minutes previous a suburban train, consist
ing of a dummy-engine and two cars, on the
Great Western Division of the Grand
Trunk, left the Union Station, having on
board about sixty passengers, chiefly III
ployes of the Bolt and Iron Works at Hum
Der, residing in the city, who were going to
their work.
On rounding a sharp curve just before
reaching the bolt works the engineer saw a
freight train coming laundering down the
grade toward him. He reversed the engine,
blew a warning, and with the fireman
jumped for life. The conductor heard the
warning, and shouting: "Jump, boys, for
your lives" sprang into the snow. In Il
second more was Il terrific crash, the engine
of the freight train knocked the boiler of
.le dummy clean through the first car,
crushing the unfortunate passengers in every
direction, and pillning many to the floor.
The impetus was so, great that the engine
actually mounted the truck of the dummy,
which kept the rails and remained on its,
balance.
The engineer of the freight train, when
he saw that q collision was Inevitable,
sprang from the engine, but Thomas, the
fireman, was killed instantly. 10 add to
the horror of the scene, The boiler OF the
dummy exploded. and the steam and boiling
water scalded and carried death or terrible
iOillrinS IN thn ,,urrlnI o,,l bl,,l;,nr ,.,n,,
Then a fire, as if maddened at the other
agencies clutching so many victims, broke
out and completed the sickening work of
destruction.
The first passenger car was a terrible.
wreck, and several hours elapsed before the
poor fellows buried beneath the debris were
eXtricated. y relief party OF thirty or
fortymen We're soon on the scene, and at
once set to work slowly and tendcrly to
rescue the sufferers. and at about ten o'clock
a car load of dead and injured WIS on its
way to the city.
The scene at the mOrgue beggars dcscrip-
ton. There fifteen bodies have been laid
side by side in rows on the opposite side of
the room. Mothers. sisters, fathers and
brothers were to be seen passing from body
to body, and with trembling hands lifting
the coverlet to gaze at the faces of the dead.
Now and again a cry Of anguish would tell
but too plainly the discovery of some dear
one carried off in the prime of manhood. At.
the hospital, on the arrival of the wounded,
the doctors Immediately set to work sewing.
up wounds, and did all in their power to.
alleviate the sutferings of the unfortunate
men. One man, John Rowlett, died shortly
after arriving at the hospital. When found
among the debris he spoke cleerfully and
asked to be allowed to walk. On looking
down lie cried: ooh God! my legs are Off"
and so they were-burned Oft.
Coroner LYME lmpaneled a Jury, who
viewed the bodies and adjourned till two
o'clock, when again they met. Some evil
dence was taken, and a further adjourn
menl was made. Barber, conductor of the.
freight train, was Immediately placed under
arrest. He admitted that he got orders at
Hamilton to run to Queens Wharf, Toronto,
avoiding all regular trains. He looked at
the timetable, but forgot the suburban
tram on the list of trains. hence the acct
dent. The death-list numbers TWENTY-FIVE:
wounded, sixteen.