The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-10
A RAILROAD HORROR.
Terrible Disaster Near Toronto, Cana

TORONTO, ONT. January 2.-This
morning on the Grand Trunk Railway
suburban train left Union Station at
GAO o'clock. One Of the cars attached
was filled with employees Of the bolt
works, who live in the city and who are
conveyed to their daily labor by this
means, the train stopping for them opPo-
site the works. After turning the curve
at Parkda!e boundary freight train was
observed coming city ward, but the i'm
petus Of both trains was too great to al.
low the brakes to do their duty in time,
and tho result was shocking tragedy.
Nineteen Of the men employed at the
bolt works are now reported killed, and
twenty or thirty wounded. The conduc.
tor of the freight train, Geo. Barber, is
said to be responsible for the horrible
affair, as he was running his train with.
out orders. lie has been arrested.
The latest accounts place the number
Of dead at twenty. seven. Several of the
injured are 30 badly manned that they
are not expected to recover. A jury has
been empanelled and has viewed the
bodies The affair casts gloom over
the city. An eyewitness describes the
scene a! the wreck as heartrending.
The train carrying workmen has the
| right Of way. Upon rounding the sharp
curve just before reaching tho Bolt
works the engineer saw tho freig lit train
laundering down grade towards him.
He reversed his engine, whistied warn
ing, and along with the fireman jumped
for his life. The conductor heard the
warning, and crying out. Jump, boys,
for your lives" sprang into the snow.
In second more there was terrific
crash. The engine Of the freight train
knocked the boiler Of the dummy clear
through tho first car crushing the I'm.
fortunate passengers i'm every direction
and pinniug many Of them to the floor.
The impetus was so great that tho engine
mounted the truck Of the dummy, which
kept TO the rails and remained on bal
ance. The engineer Of the freight train,
when he saw that collision was inevita.
bic, sprang from his engine, but the fro.
man was instantly killed.
To add to the horror OF tho scene the
boiler of the dummy exploded and the
escaping steam and boiling water Rcalded
and carried death or terrible injuries to
the mangled and bleeding men. Then
fire broke out and completed tho work Of
destruction.
A relief party of thirty or forty men
was soon at the scene and at once &C.;
! TO work to relieve the sufferers, and at
about 10 o'clock carload of dead and
injured was on the way to the city. Up.
on arriving at the Union Station an am
bulance wagon and several cabs and
busscs were in waiting.
| Barber, the conductor Of the freight
train, was immediately placed under ar
rest. He at once admitted that he got
orders at Hamilton to run to Queen's
wharf at Toronto, avoiding all regular
trains. He looked ut the time table, but
forgot that the suburban train was on
the list of regular trains and hence the
accident.
Public sympathy was thoroughly
aroused for the unfortunate widows and
children, and already subscription lists
have been started and offers of entertain
menta made to provide funds for their
aid. The families of several Of the men
killed are in poor circumstances.
Fifteen dead bodies were taken from
the wreck. Seven died after reaching
the hospital. Three moro will probably
not live through the night. Twelve
wounded are in the hospital and four
wounded men have been taken to their
homes. About sixty persona were on the
wrecked train.